Hello All! I am now back on Australian soil! After spending a lovely week in Lincoln, going for long walks and seeing bits of the city. It was also lovely to spend more time with my family in this tucked away, fantastic little corner of England.
I have just barely survived the 22 hour flight in order to get into Sydney, which included a brief stop in Singapore. I've just had a refreshing shower and am ready for the final leg of my trip. I decided I couldn't bear the thought of another couple of hours sitting even slightly uncomfortably, (I hurt my back a few days ago!) and so have given in and sacrificed 12,000 points to seat myself in Business class, I think it'll be worth it.
Am very much looking forward to seeing you all in person and re-living the many fun, and not so fun experiences I've had as well as catching up to see what you've been up to! Thanks for tuning in and keeping my blog alive with your comments.
This is Danny, signing off.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
In an English County Garden...
Well.. hello again all. I'm now approaching the home stretch of my Italian Odyssey! I've returned to my Aunty's house in Lincoln, UK and feel as though I've come full circle! Not only did my trip begin here, but it's finishing up here as well. Staying with family has also made the feeling of being nearer to home that much more accute, and while I've had a wonderful time overseas, I am looking forward to returning back to faithfully familiar surrounds.
My flight from Paris to London was mercifully uneventful. Upon arriving in London, I rocked up at my hotel/hostel to be told that my room booking had almost been cancelled. I had apparently accidentally misquoted my arrival time by about 9 hours!! The guy then said that my room was quite small. Eager to be compliant and an "easy customer" (particularly as he had saved the room for me) I waved this off saying "Oh that's fine, I'm only here for one night after all!" I found, however, that my room was literally smaller than a jail cell. I used to joke that the room that I had in my old apartment was a jail cell, (and those that have seen it will agree!) however this was EVEN SMALLER! The room was about 4 metres long, however, for some reason, not even 1.5 metres wide! I am NOT JOKING! With one shoulder against one wall, I could reach other and touch the other with my fingertips! The bed took up the bulk of the space, and was covered with black sheets! (I wonder why...?)
I was quite tired by this stage, however the tiny room motivated me to get out, and I gussied myself up, threw on my 'going out' outfit and proceeded to catch the Tube to Covent Garden which was conveniently on the same line. Lisa from work had recommended that I sample a Long Island Iced Tea at the Covent Garden Hotel. I didn't really know what to expect, however when I stepped outside the station, it became clear that this was quite a posh area, and there were hundreds of people crammed into various pubs, clubs and restaurants! I wandered around for a while enjoying the ambiance of the night life and finally found the hotel. It was VERY swish and the maitre'd gave my casual jeans a brief look and nodded yes when I asked could I could sit at the bar and have a drink. Well...that's where it all started! I ordered an Iced Tea and the very professional waiter stated mixing away. I ended up with an enourmously tall glass. Now, generally, I must say that I'm not a fan of the Long Island, it's a bit strong for my taste, but this one was DELICIOUS! I told the two barmen my little story, that a friend had recommended I come in and try this drink. The second bartender then said; "Well, the Iced Tea here is good, but I wouldn't say it was our best cocktail." Intrigued, I wanted to know more! Out came the cocktail menu. So many to choose from! I asked for the waiter to tell me what he thought was good, and he recommended something called 'Purple Rain', a berry concoction with gin and vodka, I think. By this time I was nearly finished with my Iced Tea, and so just as I was taking the last sips of the Iced Tea, on the bar in front of my appeared a martini glass filled to the brim with a dark purple berry drink!
The evening finished with the most amazing drink I've ever had... and I can't remember the name! It was a strawberry, chocolate and chilli concoction that was out of this world! My tastebuds were tingling with the chilli after every sip! I did have to have a glass of water with it though! Ha! I left at about 11.30pm to make sure I caught the tube back to the hotel, otherwise, I might have stayed for another! It was definately fabulous, and the staff there were really friendly and made for the best night out I've had alone. Thanks Lisa!!
The next day was spent seeing the sights in London; the Palace, Westminster Abbey, London Eye. I wish I'd had more time to see them thoroughly, but I thought a bus tour to see the main sights would allow me to take in more overall.
Today I'm planning on heading into the town of Lincoln to look around and do some more shopping! I'm slightly astounded at the amount that I've accumulated already though. When I left, my main suitcase was about 15kg, and that was it. It's now 20kg, I have another bag that is 10kg, and I've already sent 10kg of stuff home!
My flight from Paris to London was mercifully uneventful. Upon arriving in London, I rocked up at my hotel/hostel to be told that my room booking had almost been cancelled. I had apparently accidentally misquoted my arrival time by about 9 hours!! The guy then said that my room was quite small. Eager to be compliant and an "easy customer" (particularly as he had saved the room for me) I waved this off saying "Oh that's fine, I'm only here for one night after all!" I found, however, that my room was literally smaller than a jail cell. I used to joke that the room that I had in my old apartment was a jail cell, (and those that have seen it will agree!) however this was EVEN SMALLER! The room was about 4 metres long, however, for some reason, not even 1.5 metres wide! I am NOT JOKING! With one shoulder against one wall, I could reach other and touch the other with my fingertips! The bed took up the bulk of the space, and was covered with black sheets! (I wonder why...?)
I was quite tired by this stage, however the tiny room motivated me to get out, and I gussied myself up, threw on my 'going out' outfit and proceeded to catch the Tube to Covent Garden which was conveniently on the same line. Lisa from work had recommended that I sample a Long Island Iced Tea at the Covent Garden Hotel. I didn't really know what to expect, however when I stepped outside the station, it became clear that this was quite a posh area, and there were hundreds of people crammed into various pubs, clubs and restaurants! I wandered around for a while enjoying the ambiance of the night life and finally found the hotel. It was VERY swish and the maitre'd gave my casual jeans a brief look and nodded yes when I asked could I could sit at the bar and have a drink. Well...that's where it all started! I ordered an Iced Tea and the very professional waiter stated mixing away. I ended up with an enourmously tall glass. Now, generally, I must say that I'm not a fan of the Long Island, it's a bit strong for my taste, but this one was DELICIOUS! I told the two barmen my little story, that a friend had recommended I come in and try this drink. The second bartender then said; "Well, the Iced Tea here is good, but I wouldn't say it was our best cocktail." Intrigued, I wanted to know more! Out came the cocktail menu. So many to choose from! I asked for the waiter to tell me what he thought was good, and he recommended something called 'Purple Rain', a berry concoction with gin and vodka, I think. By this time I was nearly finished with my Iced Tea, and so just as I was taking the last sips of the Iced Tea, on the bar in front of my appeared a martini glass filled to the brim with a dark purple berry drink!
The evening finished with the most amazing drink I've ever had... and I can't remember the name! It was a strawberry, chocolate and chilli concoction that was out of this world! My tastebuds were tingling with the chilli after every sip! I did have to have a glass of water with it though! Ha! I left at about 11.30pm to make sure I caught the tube back to the hotel, otherwise, I might have stayed for another! It was definately fabulous, and the staff there were really friendly and made for the best night out I've had alone. Thanks Lisa!!
The next day was spent seeing the sights in London; the Palace, Westminster Abbey, London Eye. I wish I'd had more time to see them thoroughly, but I thought a bus tour to see the main sights would allow me to take in more overall.
Today I'm planning on heading into the town of Lincoln to look around and do some more shopping! I'm slightly astounded at the amount that I've accumulated already though. When I left, my main suitcase was about 15kg, and that was it. It's now 20kg, I have another bag that is 10kg, and I've already sent 10kg of stuff home!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The DaMarro Code...
Hello All and Sundry. Today is my final day in the romantic city of Paris. My flight is due to leave later this afternoon and while I'm looking forward to London, I'll be sad to leave this city, in particular, the excessively cultural and lively area of Montmarte. Last night, there was live music to be heard through my open window, as the main street came alive as the sun set.
Earlier in the evening, having returned from a long day out and about, I had taken a turn about the streets in order to get some mineral water. Not really being bothered to dress too appropriately, I left my shorts and t-shirt on, donned my Birks and set out. Big Mistake. As I walked past the numerous cafes along the street I drew more than a little attention! Apparently, daggy typical Australian dress is unacceptable in the trendy area I've been living in! Haha!
Yesterday was full on! I got up and decided to go straight to the Lourve, which I suspected would take up most of my day! I was right! Thankfully the line was small and I managed to enter without waiting too long. The view from inside the glass pyramid is amazing. As I descended into the lobby there was hundreds of tourists milling around and I could see the main three entrances to each of the wings. I felt like an expert entering this famous building. I had duely done my research thoroughly: a copy of the DaVinci Code in my hotel room! I got my ticket, joined a tour and began. The tour went for about 2 hours and highighted the main points of interest in the museum! Definately would recommend this one! The climax was of course the Mona Lisa. There was dozens and dozens of people around it, all taking photographs! It was quite funny really! the Lourve is one of the first museums that I've been to which actually allows photographs! Most places, even churches, forbid it, and if it is permitted, you have to take pictures without a flash. Apparently, after years of almost constant flashes, even the paintings get damaged. At the Lourve however, according to the official rules, pictures are allowed but flashes are "strongly discouraged", whatever that means! After that, I wandered around the museum for a few hours with an audio-visual guide taking it all in. Finally, I'd had enough, and probably having missed more than half of the collections, I left. It would be impossible to see it all in even a full day, there is just way too much!
After this to clear my head I took a stroll towards Champs Elysees which is a huge shopping strip. There is a FIVE STOREY Louis Vuitton shop which looked amazing. I paused outside to take a picture. It was DEFININATELY not the kind of store that one strolled into to have a look around, judging by the security guards and the clientele exiting the store! After walking up and then down for a couple of hours, exhausted, I headed to my hotel.
On the waym on the spur of the moment, I stopped past a hairdresser to see about getting a trim. It was an older guy doing the cutting. When I sat down, he asked me if there were many Lebanese people in Australia. I said there were, and then rather forcefully announced that I wasn't Lebanese! I was getting sick of everyone assuming that I was middle eastern! He, however was, and while he didn't seem to take my declaration offensively, he did continue talking about Lebanese people in Australia and France losing their cultural identity. It seemed a perfect conversation for Leon, I however was so tired, I almost fell asleep! He cut my hair for what seemed like forever! Everytime I thought he was finished, he just picked up another tool and went back to it! At one point, after the cut, he was washing my hair, and with his armpits virtually in my face he seemed to belatedly remember to offer me a drink. His hands stopped their washing and he paused mid-sentence to offer me a coffee. I politely refused just wanting the whole thing over with! Ha!
Having experimented with French cuising already, I felt too tired to sit through a restaurant meal and so opted for Subway! (I know!)
This morning I'm going to take a stroll around the neighbourhood and take some snaps and then off to the airport in the afternoon to catch my flight. I had wanted to visit the Moet Chandon cellars in nearby Epernay, but unfortunately I won't have time for that now. Next update from good ol' London town!
Earlier in the evening, having returned from a long day out and about, I had taken a turn about the streets in order to get some mineral water. Not really being bothered to dress too appropriately, I left my shorts and t-shirt on, donned my Birks and set out. Big Mistake. As I walked past the numerous cafes along the street I drew more than a little attention! Apparently, daggy typical Australian dress is unacceptable in the trendy area I've been living in! Haha!
Yesterday was full on! I got up and decided to go straight to the Lourve, which I suspected would take up most of my day! I was right! Thankfully the line was small and I managed to enter without waiting too long. The view from inside the glass pyramid is amazing. As I descended into the lobby there was hundreds of tourists milling around and I could see the main three entrances to each of the wings. I felt like an expert entering this famous building. I had duely done my research thoroughly: a copy of the DaVinci Code in my hotel room! I got my ticket, joined a tour and began. The tour went for about 2 hours and highighted the main points of interest in the museum! Definately would recommend this one! The climax was of course the Mona Lisa. There was dozens and dozens of people around it, all taking photographs! It was quite funny really! the Lourve is one of the first museums that I've been to which actually allows photographs! Most places, even churches, forbid it, and if it is permitted, you have to take pictures without a flash. Apparently, after years of almost constant flashes, even the paintings get damaged. At the Lourve however, according to the official rules, pictures are allowed but flashes are "strongly discouraged", whatever that means! After that, I wandered around the museum for a few hours with an audio-visual guide taking it all in. Finally, I'd had enough, and probably having missed more than half of the collections, I left. It would be impossible to see it all in even a full day, there is just way too much!
After this to clear my head I took a stroll towards Champs Elysees which is a huge shopping strip. There is a FIVE STOREY Louis Vuitton shop which looked amazing. I paused outside to take a picture. It was DEFININATELY not the kind of store that one strolled into to have a look around, judging by the security guards and the clientele exiting the store! After walking up and then down for a couple of hours, exhausted, I headed to my hotel.
On the waym on the spur of the moment, I stopped past a hairdresser to see about getting a trim. It was an older guy doing the cutting. When I sat down, he asked me if there were many Lebanese people in Australia. I said there were, and then rather forcefully announced that I wasn't Lebanese! I was getting sick of everyone assuming that I was middle eastern! He, however was, and while he didn't seem to take my declaration offensively, he did continue talking about Lebanese people in Australia and France losing their cultural identity. It seemed a perfect conversation for Leon, I however was so tired, I almost fell asleep! He cut my hair for what seemed like forever! Everytime I thought he was finished, he just picked up another tool and went back to it! At one point, after the cut, he was washing my hair, and with his armpits virtually in my face he seemed to belatedly remember to offer me a drink. His hands stopped their washing and he paused mid-sentence to offer me a coffee. I politely refused just wanting the whole thing over with! Ha!
Having experimented with French cuising already, I felt too tired to sit through a restaurant meal and so opted for Subway! (I know!)
This morning I'm going to take a stroll around the neighbourhood and take some snaps and then off to the airport in the afternoon to catch my flight. I had wanted to visit the Moet Chandon cellars in nearby Epernay, but unfortunately I won't have time for that now. Next update from good ol' London town!
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Long Awaited Moment...
Well today folks I finally did it. It wasn't planned, in fact, it was rather last minute and spur of the moment, however I have now experienced the wonder and amazment of one of France's most popular and well known institutions. I am speaking of course, of escargot. Yes my friends, snails. More on that story, later in the program.
Firstly, today was meant to be an early start. I'd set my alarm for 8am, thinking to get a jump on the tourists lazing away in their hotel beds. I however, turned out to be one of these said tourists, lazing away. Damn. I rose at around 10am and popped downstairs and out to catch the metro and get my bus tour started. The open topped bus I found is a great way to get your bearings and find the most commonly visited locations. I'd planned to complete a full circle, listening to the commentary, but when I saw the massive figure of the Eiffel Tower, I couldn't resist. I jumped off the bus and joined the queue at the North tower to get to the top! After about 45 minutes of waiting in line, (notice that everyone says how FANTASTIC all these famous landmarks are, but nobody says how long they had to wait in line for most of them!) I was able to take the first elevator to the second level. After waiting for another 20 minutes, I took the second elevator to the very top and low and behold there it was! All of Paris was laid out before me as if I was in the biggest IMAX theatre in the world.
The top was a little crowded, (as various signs had warned it could be) but the view was just majestic! It was so difficult to capture on photo, but I tried and will insert some here soon.
After descending I jumped back on the bus and completed the trip. We passed most of the famous Parisian landmarks, including the Lourve, Notre Dame, the Arc di Triumph etc etc. I again got off at Notre Dame and had a look around. Having experienced lots of amazing churches in Italy, in particular the Domes at Siena and St Marks in Venice, as well as the Lincoln Cathedral, I was prepared to be a little bit un-impressed. Boy was I wrong. The church itself was beautiful, but what made it even more so was that there was a service in progress when I entered. Most Italian churches forbid entry during these times, so you rarely see what actually happens. Not so here. The sound of a beautiful choir reverberated around the entire building and added a spirituality that I couldn't have imagined. I felt as though I'd been transported back a few centuries. If not for the hundreds of tourists, anyway!
I passed by a statue of a woman that intrigued me and upon further inspection, realised it was Joan of Arc. There were quite a few candles lit in front of her altar. A really beautiful experience.
After a full day driving around Paris and exploring these massive monuments, I headed back to the hotel. I popped out for dinner a short while later at about 10pm. I had no idea which restaurant to choose, so I passed by a few and ended up choosing a little tucked away place that looked packed on the outside, but a little quiter inside. A brisk waitress with a clipped french accent and bushy hairstyle sat me at a table by the window under a light, (I'd brought my book).
I started to order a glass of wine, and the waitress immediately wanted to make sure I was eating as well, "This area only for eating" she said with a thick French accent. I quickly assured her I was and to make good on this, picked up the menu and asked for her help in selecting my meal. I'd wanted French cuisine, and that's exacly what she helped me pick. Firstly, for entree, escargot. When they came out, she placed a weird pair of tongs in front of me and a little fork. There were six shells, covered in what was unmistakably a VERY garlicky butter sauce. I was a little embarassed, but had to admit to the waitress that I'd never eated escargot before and could she show me how to eat them? She quickly obliged with a small smile on her lips and demonstrated how to grasp the shell and scoop out the fleshy worm of the snail.
She then had to dash off to serve another customer and I was on my own. After the first two, I looked down at the plate, and realised I had another 4 to go! AHHH!! By the end I realised that they were actually ok. Quite like oysters really, in that they're a bit slimy, and most of the taste is usually in the sauce. Thank god that was over, I thought!!
For my main, quite predictably, I suppose, the waitress had said that there were two menu items that were the specialty of the kitchen. Without even asking, I could've said which ones they were as they turned out to be the most expensive on the menu. However, Lara has taught me well, and generally, it's a good idea to trust the person who's serving you the food. One was a beef steak, and the other, duck breast with a honey sauce, coming in at 18 euros each. Not being a huge steak fan, I ordered the duck, and believe me it was WELL worth it! Succulent breast cooked medium, with potato, salad and the most delicious honey mustard sauce I've had in my LIFE! I have pictures of both these meals which I'll pop up soon!
For desert, my trusty waitress recommended another French classic, Creme Brulee with vanilla bean ice cream, which, while not super fantastic was still tasty none-the-less. With a couple of glasses of wine, my bill was a smidgen over 40 euros... money well spent in my books! I decided to be nice and left a tip, and the waitress ran after me in the street to wave goodbye and thank me.. "Merci Beaucoup Monsieur!!"
Plan for tomorrow, the Lourve and a tad of shopping! (Just a tad, I promise!)
Firstly, today was meant to be an early start. I'd set my alarm for 8am, thinking to get a jump on the tourists lazing away in their hotel beds. I however, turned out to be one of these said tourists, lazing away. Damn. I rose at around 10am and popped downstairs and out to catch the metro and get my bus tour started. The open topped bus I found is a great way to get your bearings and find the most commonly visited locations. I'd planned to complete a full circle, listening to the commentary, but when I saw the massive figure of the Eiffel Tower, I couldn't resist. I jumped off the bus and joined the queue at the North tower to get to the top! After about 45 minutes of waiting in line, (notice that everyone says how FANTASTIC all these famous landmarks are, but nobody says how long they had to wait in line for most of them!) I was able to take the first elevator to the second level. After waiting for another 20 minutes, I took the second elevator to the very top and low and behold there it was! All of Paris was laid out before me as if I was in the biggest IMAX theatre in the world.
The top was a little crowded, (as various signs had warned it could be) but the view was just majestic! It was so difficult to capture on photo, but I tried and will insert some here soon.
After descending I jumped back on the bus and completed the trip. We passed most of the famous Parisian landmarks, including the Lourve, Notre Dame, the Arc di Triumph etc etc. I again got off at Notre Dame and had a look around. Having experienced lots of amazing churches in Italy, in particular the Domes at Siena and St Marks in Venice, as well as the Lincoln Cathedral, I was prepared to be a little bit un-impressed. Boy was I wrong. The church itself was beautiful, but what made it even more so was that there was a service in progress when I entered. Most Italian churches forbid entry during these times, so you rarely see what actually happens. Not so here. The sound of a beautiful choir reverberated around the entire building and added a spirituality that I couldn't have imagined. I felt as though I'd been transported back a few centuries. If not for the hundreds of tourists, anyway!
I passed by a statue of a woman that intrigued me and upon further inspection, realised it was Joan of Arc. There were quite a few candles lit in front of her altar. A really beautiful experience.
After a full day driving around Paris and exploring these massive monuments, I headed back to the hotel. I popped out for dinner a short while later at about 10pm. I had no idea which restaurant to choose, so I passed by a few and ended up choosing a little tucked away place that looked packed on the outside, but a little quiter inside. A brisk waitress with a clipped french accent and bushy hairstyle sat me at a table by the window under a light, (I'd brought my book).
I started to order a glass of wine, and the waitress immediately wanted to make sure I was eating as well, "This area only for eating" she said with a thick French accent. I quickly assured her I was and to make good on this, picked up the menu and asked for her help in selecting my meal. I'd wanted French cuisine, and that's exacly what she helped me pick. Firstly, for entree, escargot. When they came out, she placed a weird pair of tongs in front of me and a little fork. There were six shells, covered in what was unmistakably a VERY garlicky butter sauce. I was a little embarassed, but had to admit to the waitress that I'd never eated escargot before and could she show me how to eat them? She quickly obliged with a small smile on her lips and demonstrated how to grasp the shell and scoop out the fleshy worm of the snail.
She then had to dash off to serve another customer and I was on my own. After the first two, I looked down at the plate, and realised I had another 4 to go! AHHH!! By the end I realised that they were actually ok. Quite like oysters really, in that they're a bit slimy, and most of the taste is usually in the sauce. Thank god that was over, I thought!!
For my main, quite predictably, I suppose, the waitress had said that there were two menu items that were the specialty of the kitchen. Without even asking, I could've said which ones they were as they turned out to be the most expensive on the menu. However, Lara has taught me well, and generally, it's a good idea to trust the person who's serving you the food. One was a beef steak, and the other, duck breast with a honey sauce, coming in at 18 euros each. Not being a huge steak fan, I ordered the duck, and believe me it was WELL worth it! Succulent breast cooked medium, with potato, salad and the most delicious honey mustard sauce I've had in my LIFE! I have pictures of both these meals which I'll pop up soon!
For desert, my trusty waitress recommended another French classic, Creme Brulee with vanilla bean ice cream, which, while not super fantastic was still tasty none-the-less. With a couple of glasses of wine, my bill was a smidgen over 40 euros... money well spent in my books! I decided to be nice and left a tip, and the waitress ran after me in the street to wave goodbye and thank me.. "Merci Beaucoup Monsieur!!"
Plan for tomorrow, the Lourve and a tad of shopping! (Just a tad, I promise!)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Terrifying Taxi Ride and a Near Death Experience...
Well friends.. I address you now from the 'computer suite' of my new hotel in Paris! Yes I actually made it, and this time with no last minute rush, in fact, I was perfectly on time! (I thought the check in time was 90 mins prior, however was only 40... oops!)
This time, I'd thought ahead, and organised for an 'airport car' to pick me up. For a mere 20 Euros, they pick you up and drop you off at the airport in a semi luxury car. However, my triumph at so ingenious a plan was dampened when the driver started taking the most ludicrous way to the airport. I had a rough idea where we were, (basically, without Emma around I have to spend half my day staring at a map!) and this so called 'professional' was going through backstreets and up and down hills, at top speed mind you. It didn't take long for my overactive imagination to kick in, and as I tend to do, I started wondering if this driver had kidnapped me! (This has happened before in Joondalup for those who might remember...) I realised that no one knew where I was, and I formulated a plan while in the back seat. I started paying intense attention to landmarks and signs, so that incase I had to make a break for it, I was prepared with where I was! Ha! It was at this point that I noticed that the lock on my door was down.. I was locked in! Now I started to panic. I was just planning a potential escape through the window at traffic lights when I saw yet another sign, saying AIRPORT!
I managed to board my plane without incident and by sending a few key items home early, I was able to save myself the extra baggage charges at the airport... yes!
I arrived in Paris, a little daunted! Such a huge city, and I had some rather vague directions from my hotel indicating I needed to take two different Metro lines to get here. In the end, I ended up taking an AirFrance bus, and then a taxi, and while it was definitely a bit more expensive, the ease of the ride was well worth it! I took a photo of my first sight of the Eiffel Tower. I also got to go around the Arc di Triumph TWICE, once in a giant bus, which was bad enough, and then in the taxi! It was the most amazing/crazy driving experience I've ever had!! All cars going in vaguely one direction in about 8 different lanes all trying to merge! It was such a mess that there were spectators around the edges just watching the action! I think that Parisian drivers may actually be worse than Italians, and that's saying something!
I did however think that Prague was beautiful, and if it is, then Paris is spectacular! (Disclaimer: well, what I've seen so far anyway!) Tucked away little shops and cafes around my area really exude a sense of French culture and charm. The beautiful tree lined streets and stunning monuments are breathtaking!
My hotel is just around the corner from the Moulin Rouge, which while not exactly super central, is certainly accessible. Tomorrow the plan is to take an open top bus tour to see everything and then enjoy evening around one of the many arty and cute cafes that there are around my hotel. They don't call it Montmarte, for nothing!
This time, I'd thought ahead, and organised for an 'airport car' to pick me up. For a mere 20 Euros, they pick you up and drop you off at the airport in a semi luxury car. However, my triumph at so ingenious a plan was dampened when the driver started taking the most ludicrous way to the airport. I had a rough idea where we were, (basically, without Emma around I have to spend half my day staring at a map!) and this so called 'professional' was going through backstreets and up and down hills, at top speed mind you. It didn't take long for my overactive imagination to kick in, and as I tend to do, I started wondering if this driver had kidnapped me! (This has happened before in Joondalup for those who might remember...) I realised that no one knew where I was, and I formulated a plan while in the back seat. I started paying intense attention to landmarks and signs, so that incase I had to make a break for it, I was prepared with where I was! Ha! It was at this point that I noticed that the lock on my door was down.. I was locked in! Now I started to panic. I was just planning a potential escape through the window at traffic lights when I saw yet another sign, saying AIRPORT!
I managed to board my plane without incident and by sending a few key items home early, I was able to save myself the extra baggage charges at the airport... yes!
I arrived in Paris, a little daunted! Such a huge city, and I had some rather vague directions from my hotel indicating I needed to take two different Metro lines to get here. In the end, I ended up taking an AirFrance bus, and then a taxi, and while it was definitely a bit more expensive, the ease of the ride was well worth it! I took a photo of my first sight of the Eiffel Tower. I also got to go around the Arc di Triumph TWICE, once in a giant bus, which was bad enough, and then in the taxi! It was the most amazing/crazy driving experience I've ever had!! All cars going in vaguely one direction in about 8 different lanes all trying to merge! It was such a mess that there were spectators around the edges just watching the action! I think that Parisian drivers may actually be worse than Italians, and that's saying something!
I did however think that Prague was beautiful, and if it is, then Paris is spectacular! (Disclaimer: well, what I've seen so far anyway!) Tucked away little shops and cafes around my area really exude a sense of French culture and charm. The beautiful tree lined streets and stunning monuments are breathtaking!
My hotel is just around the corner from the Moulin Rouge, which while not exactly super central, is certainly accessible. Tomorrow the plan is to take an open top bus tour to see everything and then enjoy evening around one of the many arty and cute cafes that there are around my hotel. They don't call it Montmarte, for nothing!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
100 or 1000? Those Extra Zeros Really Count...
Hello again. Well this is my second full day in Prague. After spending yesterday on an all day tour around the city, today I plan to relax and revisit the sites that I most liked. Yesterday morning I had breakfast and set out to Wenceslas Square where I met the tour guide and group. There was a mix of different nationalities, the one that stood out however were lots of Irish people. I also stood out as being the ONLY person who was alone on the tour! HAHA! Prague though is definately a beautiful city. Tree lined streets and beautiful squares and buildings everywhere. It's fascinating!
Our tour-guide's name was Suzanna, and her English was very good, however she had to typical habit of Eastern Europeans to add 'yes?' to the end of every sentence. She was hysterical though, (I thought). During the tour we walked through the old and new towns and saw most of the main sights. The Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge, several churches. We also took a boat ride along the river to see the view of Prague from the water. After this we stopped for lunch at a semi-traditional restaurant where two lovely guys from Dubai took pity on me and insisted on sitting with me at lunch. We started talking and I discovered that one of them was in "corporate communications" while the other was an orthopaedic surgeon who was now specialising in spinal surgery. An older American guy who was nearby joined our conversation and we learned that he was travelling with his daughter. (I had just been assuming the entire time that he was a sugar daddy for this young girl). I however managed to keep my composure, while one of my new friends (the "surgeon") said "Really?!?" It turned out the American guy was in charge of distribution in the US for a multi-national liquor supply company!
After this, buoyed by the consumption of beer, I was a little more chatty to the rest of the group and they were mostly quite nice. There was another American on the tour, some sort of professor, however the only thing I like about him was that HE didn't like Bush!! Ha!!
Suzanna was even more hysterical later on, and I wished I'd been able to capture some of her funnier comments. At one point she was telling us about a famous story... (skip the next paragraph if you're not interested)...
There was a King of the Czech state, hundreds of years ago, who suspected his wife of infidelity. Suzanna mentioned that it wasn't KNOWN if she vos unvaithful (v's are deblierate) and so the king questioned his wife's priest and ordered him to divulge anything his wife had disclosed in confession. Saint John, refused at the time to disclose anything, and as such the King then threw him off the Charles Bridge (famous Prague icon). Suzanna remarked that he vos now the patron saint of swimmers and, I quote: "But maybe he should be the patron saint of NOT SWIMMERS, yes?" As we all stared at her with blank faces, she added: "Because he drowned, yes?"
Maybe I just found it hysterical after my two pilsners with lunch....?
In the evening I went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. It was traditional Czech cuisine and I wish I'd brought my camera along to take a couple of pics. It seemed quite reasonably priced too, although it's very difficult to work out conversions when you're dealing with all these ZEROS!! I withdrew 3000kc from the ATM when I arrived which is roughly 200AUD. A 2 L bottle of water from a mini mart was like 14kc which is roughly 1AUD. I ordered a beer, (which came out in a .5 L glass mug!) an entree a main as well as a side salad. I settled back to read my book and waited. I was seated outside and the weather was beautiful!!
My entree came out and it was huge! Just as I finished it I was thinking I'd need a break between that and the main, but the waiter just brought out the main as I literally finished the last bite of my entree. I waited a while and ate my main. All of it was very delicious and very filling. It definitely wasn't what you'd call, 'light food'. At the end I relaxed for a while reading, and then asked for the bill. When it came out I got the shock of my life. The bill, quite clearly I thought, read 2341kc. This is roughly 170AUD!!!
I was outraged! The bill was hand written, and it was clear to me that the amounts scribbled couldn't possibly add up to this much. I went to speak to the waiter, whose English was limited and asked him to explain the bill. He clearly thought I was an idiot as he proceeded to check the amounts against a menu and show me the individual sums were correct. I tried to convey that it was the total I was concerned about when he suddenly said the total as 234. What I had interpreted as a 1 was infact just a dash or comma of some sort! It turned out my entire meal, with two courses, salad, sprite and half litre of Czech pilsner was only about 17AUD, and this guy thought I was complaining about that! Ha!
I quickly apologised and tried to explain that I thought it was 2 thousand, not 2 hundred, however I don't think he got it. I quickly paid, thanked him and left.
How embarassment... once again!
Our tour-guide's name was Suzanna, and her English was very good, however she had to typical habit of Eastern Europeans to add 'yes?' to the end of every sentence. She was hysterical though, (I thought). During the tour we walked through the old and new towns and saw most of the main sights. The Astronomical Clock, the Charles Bridge, several churches. We also took a boat ride along the river to see the view of Prague from the water. After this we stopped for lunch at a semi-traditional restaurant where two lovely guys from Dubai took pity on me and insisted on sitting with me at lunch. We started talking and I discovered that one of them was in "corporate communications" while the other was an orthopaedic surgeon who was now specialising in spinal surgery. An older American guy who was nearby joined our conversation and we learned that he was travelling with his daughter. (I had just been assuming the entire time that he was a sugar daddy for this young girl). I however managed to keep my composure, while one of my new friends (the "surgeon") said "Really?!?" It turned out the American guy was in charge of distribution in the US for a multi-national liquor supply company!
After this, buoyed by the consumption of beer, I was a little more chatty to the rest of the group and they were mostly quite nice. There was another American on the tour, some sort of professor, however the only thing I like about him was that HE didn't like Bush!! Ha!!
Suzanna was even more hysterical later on, and I wished I'd been able to capture some of her funnier comments. At one point she was telling us about a famous story... (skip the next paragraph if you're not interested)...
There was a King of the Czech state, hundreds of years ago, who suspected his wife of infidelity. Suzanna mentioned that it wasn't KNOWN if she vos unvaithful (v's are deblierate) and so the king questioned his wife's priest and ordered him to divulge anything his wife had disclosed in confession. Saint John, refused at the time to disclose anything, and as such the King then threw him off the Charles Bridge (famous Prague icon). Suzanna remarked that he vos now the patron saint of swimmers and, I quote: "But maybe he should be the patron saint of NOT SWIMMERS, yes?" As we all stared at her with blank faces, she added: "Because he drowned, yes?"
Maybe I just found it hysterical after my two pilsners with lunch....?
In the evening I went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. It was traditional Czech cuisine and I wish I'd brought my camera along to take a couple of pics. It seemed quite reasonably priced too, although it's very difficult to work out conversions when you're dealing with all these ZEROS!! I withdrew 3000kc from the ATM when I arrived which is roughly 200AUD. A 2 L bottle of water from a mini mart was like 14kc which is roughly 1AUD. I ordered a beer, (which came out in a .5 L glass mug!) an entree a main as well as a side salad. I settled back to read my book and waited. I was seated outside and the weather was beautiful!!
My entree came out and it was huge! Just as I finished it I was thinking I'd need a break between that and the main, but the waiter just brought out the main as I literally finished the last bite of my entree. I waited a while and ate my main. All of it was very delicious and very filling. It definitely wasn't what you'd call, 'light food'. At the end I relaxed for a while reading, and then asked for the bill. When it came out I got the shock of my life. The bill, quite clearly I thought, read 2341kc. This is roughly 170AUD!!!
I was outraged! The bill was hand written, and it was clear to me that the amounts scribbled couldn't possibly add up to this much. I went to speak to the waiter, whose English was limited and asked him to explain the bill. He clearly thought I was an idiot as he proceeded to check the amounts against a menu and show me the individual sums were correct. I tried to convey that it was the total I was concerned about when he suddenly said the total as 234. What I had interpreted as a 1 was infact just a dash or comma of some sort! It turned out my entire meal, with two courses, salad, sprite and half litre of Czech pilsner was only about 17AUD, and this guy thought I was complaining about that! Ha!
I quickly apologised and tried to explain that I thought it was 2 thousand, not 2 hundred, however I don't think he got it. I quickly paid, thanked him and left.
How embarassment... once again!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Awesome Foursome's Final Goodbye...
Well, greetings again friends. I am now scribing this missive from the airy and pleasant surrounds of my Prague Hotel. (Please forgive any typing errors in this entry as the Czech keyboard is a NIGHTMARE!!!)
Anyway, I've just arrived at my hotel which is quite nice, (by that I mean it has an elevator). Last night was spent in Mestre, (which is essentially the mainland of Venice) in a dingy hostel with a shared bathroom. My tiny room was nice, other than the fact that it was on the THIRD floor! I had to carry my two bags (I've acquired another one while in Florence) up 3 flights of stairs!! Slightly nightmarish, particularly as I had to bring them down the next morning!! The flight over was non eventful, I flew with Sky Europe, one of the budget airlines here and had to pay an extra 24 euro due to the fact that my luggage case was 3 kg over the 20k limit! After almost missing my flight here, in typical Danny fashion, I have arrived safe and sound and am enjoying a bottle of sauvignon blanc (I'm not alcoholic, they just don't sell it by the glass!)
The last week was our last in the lovely city of Florence. Emma and I have now parted ways, and while she is in Vincenza visiting with cousins, I have arrived in Prague. Our last night in Florence was spent in style however. Emma, Margarita, Naomi (new friend from Canada) and I went out with a few friends from school and drank and danced the night away in Florence. We went to a few different places and ended up at a bar known as '21' which is a major hangout for foreigners in Florence. Not really our thing, however the drinks were cheap and there was great dance music! Only drawback was that many guys (usually Americans) were continually hitting on my attractive lady friends! One in particular was keen on Naomi and I had to intervene. Fearing a bloody brawl in the street outside was going to be unavoidable after this, I quite calmly told the guy to back off. As I prepared myself for the ensuing argument, he just left. I think it might be because I look middle eastern. Johan (one of the stylish Swedes) told me he thought I looked quite scary when I first walked into the Italian class! HAHA! Anyway.. it was definately a FABULOUS night!
The next day I awoke with the WORST hangover I've ever had. I think it was mainly because I'd failed to throw up the night before. If I'd managed that, I think the next morning would have been fine... haha! Thankfully I'd packed most of my things. Emma and I did a quick trip to Vivoli's for our final slice of heaven and then I went to buy another bag (because I'd bought so much in Florence my stuff will now not fit into one!) and then we left on the train. Emma got off the stop before mine. We hugged goodbye and promised to keep in touch.
The end of my trip is now in sight. I have three days here in Prague, then three in Paris. I'm then staying a night in London to see the sights, and then I have 5 or 6 days at my Auntie's house in Lincoln. I'm very much looking forward to seeing her again, and spending some more time in Lincoln.
Anyway, I've just arrived at my hotel which is quite nice, (by that I mean it has an elevator). Last night was spent in Mestre, (which is essentially the mainland of Venice) in a dingy hostel with a shared bathroom. My tiny room was nice, other than the fact that it was on the THIRD floor! I had to carry my two bags (I've acquired another one while in Florence) up 3 flights of stairs!! Slightly nightmarish, particularly as I had to bring them down the next morning!! The flight over was non eventful, I flew with Sky Europe, one of the budget airlines here and had to pay an extra 24 euro due to the fact that my luggage case was 3 kg over the 20k limit! After almost missing my flight here, in typical Danny fashion, I have arrived safe and sound and am enjoying a bottle of sauvignon blanc (I'm not alcoholic, they just don't sell it by the glass!)
The last week was our last in the lovely city of Florence. Emma and I have now parted ways, and while she is in Vincenza visiting with cousins, I have arrived in Prague. Our last night in Florence was spent in style however. Emma, Margarita, Naomi (new friend from Canada) and I went out with a few friends from school and drank and danced the night away in Florence. We went to a few different places and ended up at a bar known as '21' which is a major hangout for foreigners in Florence. Not really our thing, however the drinks were cheap and there was great dance music! Only drawback was that many guys (usually Americans) were continually hitting on my attractive lady friends! One in particular was keen on Naomi and I had to intervene. Fearing a bloody brawl in the street outside was going to be unavoidable after this, I quite calmly told the guy to back off. As I prepared myself for the ensuing argument, he just left. I think it might be because I look middle eastern. Johan (one of the stylish Swedes) told me he thought I looked quite scary when I first walked into the Italian class! HAHA! Anyway.. it was definately a FABULOUS night!
The next day I awoke with the WORST hangover I've ever had. I think it was mainly because I'd failed to throw up the night before. If I'd managed that, I think the next morning would have been fine... haha! Thankfully I'd packed most of my things. Emma and I did a quick trip to Vivoli's for our final slice of heaven and then I went to buy another bag (because I'd bought so much in Florence my stuff will now not fit into one!) and then we left on the train. Emma got off the stop before mine. We hugged goodbye and promised to keep in touch.
The end of my trip is now in sight. I have three days here in Prague, then three in Paris. I'm then staying a night in London to see the sights, and then I have 5 or 6 days at my Auntie's house in Lincoln. I'm very much looking forward to seeing her again, and spending some more time in Lincoln.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
It's Time to Make a Change...
Greetings All. Well this is probably the last time I'll write a blog entry from the lovely/annoying/beautiful/busy city of Florence. This has been our last week at Italian school and on Saturday, Emma and I are parting ways. Emma is departing for Vicenza to spend some time with her Italian relatives while I hop on a plane to Prague to explore more of Europe.
Last weekend wasn't as busy as I thought it would be, however, there was still lots to do. Thursday night Emma and I went to a performance of Cats in the Giardino di Bobili (Bobili Gardens) which is a MASSIVE garden south of the river in Florence. The performance was open air, (we were really lucky that it didn't rain!) and the performance was amazing! I've never before seen this show, and the garden was the perfect setting for it.
After the show, Emma and I commenced the walk home. We were planning a short detour to try to meet a friend of Emma's at a bar called the 'Red Garter'. En route to said bar we passed under a very small verandah. Just as we did there was a wet splat! and I saw a couple of drops hit the pavement. I asked Emma 'what do you think that was?' to which she replied 'who knows, water probably.' What I had not at this point mentioned to Emma was that a massive blob had also hit me on the head! I asked Emma to have a look as I could feel something slimy sliding down my temple. Emma had a quick look in the dark and declared that she couldn't see anything and so off we went. I could however, still feel something there, so when we reached a street lamp, I asked Emma to take another look. In the weak watery light of said street lamp, the story changed dramatically. Emma emitted a sharp gasp, at which point I began to panic.
You see faithful followers, it was NOT, in fact a blob of harmless water that had fallen on my unsuspecting head. It was infact a brown substance that closely resembled poo or garbage muck.
Let me give you a moment to recover from the fit of laughter your are no doubt experiencing at my expense.
Emma promptly went into action, ripping a sheet of paper from her notebook and scraping off the worst of aforementioned 'muck'. It was however in my hair, and there was no way to completely get it out other than washing. We still however, proceeded to the bar where I sat upon a stool, (pun unintended) trying to remain very still so as not to precipitate further sliding of the muck perched on my head.
After we had determined that Emma's friend was not there, we left, dodging the spew on the front step and trundled home, where I promptly washed my hair quite thoroughly.
On Friday, we had planned to go to the Uffizi (world famous museum) however, when we got there, we realised that it was closing early and we'd only have 1.5 hours to explore, so we ditched the booking and went to get our favourite gelati at Vivoli's. I can honestly say that I dare not do the math on how much I've actually spent on Vivoli's as I think I might actually have a heart attack. It would easily be at least €75 ($150AUD) over the last 6 weeks.
Sunday was spent lounging in the Bobili Gardens of which I have some fantastic pictures to be added soon! I actually fell asleep lying on the soft grass underneath a tree!
Funny moment: on Monday in class we were covering 'reflexive verbs' and had to write a brief summary of what we did the day before. I at one point wanted to say 'I was running late' which is 'ero in ritardo' (was in lateness). However, I decided to say it in a reflexive way (which wasn't required) and said 'mi sono ritardato' (I was retarded - kind of). As soon as this came out of my mouth I realised my error, and while Emma and Margerita (friend from the States) burst out laughing, I couldn't think of the correct way to say it. Finally, after recovering from laughing himself, our teacher, Marco corrected it for me.
How embarassment, again.
Hope all's well! Next post most likely from Prague. Ciao!
Last weekend wasn't as busy as I thought it would be, however, there was still lots to do. Thursday night Emma and I went to a performance of Cats in the Giardino di Bobili (Bobili Gardens) which is a MASSIVE garden south of the river in Florence. The performance was open air, (we were really lucky that it didn't rain!) and the performance was amazing! I've never before seen this show, and the garden was the perfect setting for it.
After the show, Emma and I commenced the walk home. We were planning a short detour to try to meet a friend of Emma's at a bar called the 'Red Garter'. En route to said bar we passed under a very small verandah. Just as we did there was a wet splat! and I saw a couple of drops hit the pavement. I asked Emma 'what do you think that was?' to which she replied 'who knows, water probably.' What I had not at this point mentioned to Emma was that a massive blob had also hit me on the head! I asked Emma to have a look as I could feel something slimy sliding down my temple. Emma had a quick look in the dark and declared that she couldn't see anything and so off we went. I could however, still feel something there, so when we reached a street lamp, I asked Emma to take another look. In the weak watery light of said street lamp, the story changed dramatically. Emma emitted a sharp gasp, at which point I began to panic.
You see faithful followers, it was NOT, in fact a blob of harmless water that had fallen on my unsuspecting head. It was infact a brown substance that closely resembled poo or garbage muck.
Let me give you a moment to recover from the fit of laughter your are no doubt experiencing at my expense.
Emma promptly went into action, ripping a sheet of paper from her notebook and scraping off the worst of aforementioned 'muck'. It was however in my hair, and there was no way to completely get it out other than washing. We still however, proceeded to the bar where I sat upon a stool, (pun unintended) trying to remain very still so as not to precipitate further sliding of the muck perched on my head.
After we had determined that Emma's friend was not there, we left, dodging the spew on the front step and trundled home, where I promptly washed my hair quite thoroughly.
On Friday, we had planned to go to the Uffizi (world famous museum) however, when we got there, we realised that it was closing early and we'd only have 1.5 hours to explore, so we ditched the booking and went to get our favourite gelati at Vivoli's. I can honestly say that I dare not do the math on how much I've actually spent on Vivoli's as I think I might actually have a heart attack. It would easily be at least €75 ($150AUD) over the last 6 weeks.
Sunday was spent lounging in the Bobili Gardens of which I have some fantastic pictures to be added soon! I actually fell asleep lying on the soft grass underneath a tree!
Funny moment: on Monday in class we were covering 'reflexive verbs' and had to write a brief summary of what we did the day before. I at one point wanted to say 'I was running late' which is 'ero in ritardo' (was in lateness). However, I decided to say it in a reflexive way (which wasn't required) and said 'mi sono ritardato' (I was retarded - kind of). As soon as this came out of my mouth I realised my error, and while Emma and Margerita (friend from the States) burst out laughing, I couldn't think of the correct way to say it. Finally, after recovering from laughing himself, our teacher, Marco corrected it for me.
How embarassment, again.
Hope all's well! Next post most likely from Prague. Ciao!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Like Sands Through the Hourglass...
Hi again all! Just a quick update. Not much has changed in the last week or so! Emma and I are continuing our scholarly pursuits (which includes studying endless amounts of verbs!) as well as our culturally enriching pursuits (which includes museums and shows!). Tonight we're going to a performance of Cats in the Boboli Gardens here in Florence. Apparently the show is finishing it's run soon (after something like 20 years) so it's now or never for me!
Emma spent last weekend in Sardegnia (an island off the coast). Margarita and I went on a day trip to Venice. We managed to see inside the Basilica di Sant Marco (which Emma and I missed last time) and it was fantastic. The floor undulated in waves, apparently after centuries of tidal shifts. I went back to my favourite bookstore and bought up big (yes!). Margarita and I almost missed our train however! In a moment of dejà vu we got lost and had to catch a water taxi to the train station to make it on time! (Exactly the same thing happened to Emma and I in Venice!) If I'd been even a minute longer in the bookstore, we would've missed our train!
This weekend we have a HUGELY busy schedule planned. Tomorrow we're going to Lucca, a nearby town which has an incredible reputation as a beautiful Italian village. Friday we've booked into the Uffizi which is potentially the most famous museum in Italy with lots of important works particularly from the renaissance. Saturday we're planning to visit a nearby Mall, yes I know, but this one is like a Harbourtown with ONLY the major designer labels. On Sunday, will spend the day relaxing in the Bobili Gardens and visiting the Palazzo Piti (another museum!) AHHH!! I'm tired just thinking about it!
In addition to this, I've now booked my flights to Prague and Paris, the two cities I'll visit before returning to London and then flying home! Time is running away from me.. I can't believe I've been here for over 6 weeks!
Emma spent last weekend in Sardegnia (an island off the coast). Margarita and I went on a day trip to Venice. We managed to see inside the Basilica di Sant Marco (which Emma and I missed last time) and it was fantastic. The floor undulated in waves, apparently after centuries of tidal shifts. I went back to my favourite bookstore and bought up big (yes!). Margarita and I almost missed our train however! In a moment of dejà vu we got lost and had to catch a water taxi to the train station to make it on time! (Exactly the same thing happened to Emma and I in Venice!) If I'd been even a minute longer in the bookstore, we would've missed our train!
This weekend we have a HUGELY busy schedule planned. Tomorrow we're going to Lucca, a nearby town which has an incredible reputation as a beautiful Italian village. Friday we've booked into the Uffizi which is potentially the most famous museum in Italy with lots of important works particularly from the renaissance. Saturday we're planning to visit a nearby Mall, yes I know, but this one is like a Harbourtown with ONLY the major designer labels. On Sunday, will spend the day relaxing in the Bobili Gardens and visiting the Palazzo Piti (another museum!) AHHH!! I'm tired just thinking about it!
In addition to this, I've now booked my flights to Prague and Paris, the two cities I'll visit before returning to London and then flying home! Time is running away from me.. I can't believe I've been here for over 6 weeks!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
To Rome, to Rome (to Eat Like a Pig)...
The next morning, having woken up late, we caught the next train available to Rome, (the EuroStar) which is extremely quick! It's also more expensive, however, and while I won't bore you with the details of this story, suffice it to say, Emma and I didn't have the right ticket. We narrowly avoided arrest and jail as well as international (Shapelle Corby-esque) fame by paying a penalty and the difference in fares!
When in Rome however we were met my Emma's lovely cousin Roberto, and his partner Mary. They took us to a lovely little converted contenental deli turned boutique ristorante. We waited to be seated in a lovely old building. The room was small, but the walls were lined with bottle after bottle of wine from in and around Italy! Lara and Vince would've loved it! It was possible to order meals from the menu, but the specialty was plates of cold meats and cheese. We had a plate of proscuittos, salamis and hams as well as a cheese plate which we all shared with a bottle of red. The meats were exquisite! Each plate had a different selection of the meats to try from the specialist continental deli.
After this, Mary and Roberto took us for a quick tour of Rome. We saw the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon as well as a few other places. We stopped for coffee and gelati along the way, (the gelati however was not as good as Vivoli's - the best gelati in Florence, further detail to come in a future post!) and after a long day Roberto and Mary dropped us at Emma's other cousin, Micheale's apartment, where we were staying. The apartment was quite close to the centre as such things go which was fantastic! Michaele came that night and took us to dinner at a little place near where he works. It was a FRENZY. The waiters took your order as quickly as they could, yelling 'Grazie grazie grazie!' over their shoulder as they ran back to the kitchen! Without fail, they would almost throw the order down on the table when it arrived. Our caraffe of white wine was so forcefully plonked on the table, a good measure of it slopped over the side! None the less, it was a fantastic atmosphere to be in! We finshed the dinner with 'macedonia' (fruit salad) that the waitress had massively talked up but turned out to be forgettable as well as a 'takeaway' Limoncello! We were then rushed out as there was rather a long line of people waiting for a table and took a walk about the city.
We walked past the Colosseum as well as the Roman Forum and stopped for a moment at a War Memorial that was erected by Mussolini (I think). Micheale was keen on helping us improve our Italian which meant he was speaking it as much as possible! Emma had nearly no problems, and I would nod and smile and hope that he would then translate into English, which he invariably did!
The next day was spent in a line at Piazza Saint Pietro (in the Vatican City) for almost 2 hours waiting to see Saint Peter's Basilica. Well worth the wait, the basilica is filled with treasures and beautifully decorated. We climbed to the top of the tower to see the view which again was AMAZING! (Photos to come soon!) In addition to this we wandered the Pope's tombs were all the Pope's are buried. Of particular note was John Paul's tomb. Everyone wanted to stop, but there were two Vatican employees calling out 'avanti, avanti!' (move on!). People were allowed to remain if they were praying however, and there were several people on their knees in front of the tomb, many with tears streaming down their forlorn faces.
The Sistene Chapel was closed that day so to kill some time before dinner we went to see the Trevi Fountain (beautiful) and then, if you can believe it, to see a MOVIE!! Emma really wanted to see Sex and the City, and I was happy to tag along, so we found a movie theatre that showed what they call here 'original language films' and bought two tickets. The movie theatres here are very different to back home. The Candy Bar is tiny, and there was no need to pass it to get to the cinema. In fact, the biggest part was the bar, where you could buy alcohol and coffee. There was also a little alcove where you could sit down and play poker machines! In the foyer! It was hilarious!! (Again I have some photos!) We also found some Choc-Top equivalents and there was of course, the obligatory Coke and popcorn! The movie meanwhile was fantastic! Extremely funny!
The next day, we tried to get up early to see a parade that Michaele had recommended. (It was a public holiday and the President was in a parade down the main road in the city) however, alas it was not to be. We headed straight for the Vatican Museum line which went for almost a kilometre. (This is where the Sistene Chapel is). Luckily we were able to dodge this by joining a tour. Definately the way to go! It was a bit more expensive, but we had the MOST fantastic guide named Alex, and really got our moneys worth! The tour went for almost three hours and the best part of course was the Sistene Chapel itself. While very crowded you were able to see everything. It was difficult to imagine Michaelangelo spending three years of his life on his back, painstakingly painting this ceiling. I learned that in fact, he had never picked up a brush prior to this point and had been forced into the project by the Pope of the time. There is however, much symbolism in the paintings which I definately would've missed if not for the guide.
Indescribable.
Following this we grabbed something to eat and headed home. The return train took 3 hours and 45 minutes! (Needless to say, was NOT EuroStar!) and by the time we got home we were pooped!
Congratulations for getting to the end!
When in Rome however we were met my Emma's lovely cousin Roberto, and his partner Mary. They took us to a lovely little converted contenental deli turned boutique ristorante. We waited to be seated in a lovely old building. The room was small, but the walls were lined with bottle after bottle of wine from in and around Italy! Lara and Vince would've loved it! It was possible to order meals from the menu, but the specialty was plates of cold meats and cheese. We had a plate of proscuittos, salamis and hams as well as a cheese plate which we all shared with a bottle of red. The meats were exquisite! Each plate had a different selection of the meats to try from the specialist continental deli.
After this, Mary and Roberto took us for a quick tour of Rome. We saw the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon as well as a few other places. We stopped for coffee and gelati along the way, (the gelati however was not as good as Vivoli's - the best gelati in Florence, further detail to come in a future post!) and after a long day Roberto and Mary dropped us at Emma's other cousin, Micheale's apartment, where we were staying. The apartment was quite close to the centre as such things go which was fantastic! Michaele came that night and took us to dinner at a little place near where he works. It was a FRENZY. The waiters took your order as quickly as they could, yelling 'Grazie grazie grazie!' over their shoulder as they ran back to the kitchen! Without fail, they would almost throw the order down on the table when it arrived. Our caraffe of white wine was so forcefully plonked on the table, a good measure of it slopped over the side! None the less, it was a fantastic atmosphere to be in! We finshed the dinner with 'macedonia' (fruit salad) that the waitress had massively talked up but turned out to be forgettable as well as a 'takeaway' Limoncello! We were then rushed out as there was rather a long line of people waiting for a table and took a walk about the city.
We walked past the Colosseum as well as the Roman Forum and stopped for a moment at a War Memorial that was erected by Mussolini (I think). Micheale was keen on helping us improve our Italian which meant he was speaking it as much as possible! Emma had nearly no problems, and I would nod and smile and hope that he would then translate into English, which he invariably did!
The next day was spent in a line at Piazza Saint Pietro (in the Vatican City) for almost 2 hours waiting to see Saint Peter's Basilica. Well worth the wait, the basilica is filled with treasures and beautifully decorated. We climbed to the top of the tower to see the view which again was AMAZING! (Photos to come soon!) In addition to this we wandered the Pope's tombs were all the Pope's are buried. Of particular note was John Paul's tomb. Everyone wanted to stop, but there were two Vatican employees calling out 'avanti, avanti!' (move on!). People were allowed to remain if they were praying however, and there were several people on their knees in front of the tomb, many with tears streaming down their forlorn faces.
The Sistene Chapel was closed that day so to kill some time before dinner we went to see the Trevi Fountain (beautiful) and then, if you can believe it, to see a MOVIE!! Emma really wanted to see Sex and the City, and I was happy to tag along, so we found a movie theatre that showed what they call here 'original language films' and bought two tickets. The movie theatres here are very different to back home. The Candy Bar is tiny, and there was no need to pass it to get to the cinema. In fact, the biggest part was the bar, where you could buy alcohol and coffee. There was also a little alcove where you could sit down and play poker machines! In the foyer! It was hilarious!! (Again I have some photos!) We also found some Choc-Top equivalents and there was of course, the obligatory Coke and popcorn! The movie meanwhile was fantastic! Extremely funny!
The next day, we tried to get up early to see a parade that Michaele had recommended. (It was a public holiday and the President was in a parade down the main road in the city) however, alas it was not to be. We headed straight for the Vatican Museum line which went for almost a kilometre. (This is where the Sistene Chapel is). Luckily we were able to dodge this by joining a tour. Definately the way to go! It was a bit more expensive, but we had the MOST fantastic guide named Alex, and really got our moneys worth! The tour went for almost three hours and the best part of course was the Sistene Chapel itself. While very crowded you were able to see everything. It was difficult to imagine Michaelangelo spending three years of his life on his back, painstakingly painting this ceiling. I learned that in fact, he had never picked up a brush prior to this point and had been forced into the project by the Pope of the time. There is however, much symbolism in the paintings which I definately would've missed if not for the guide.
Indescribable.
Following this we grabbed something to eat and headed home. The return train took 3 hours and 45 minutes! (Needless to say, was NOT EuroStar!) and by the time we got home we were pooped!
Congratulations for getting to the end!
History of Florence 101
Hello Faithful Friends. Apologies for the lengthy delay since my last post, however I've been busy! Since last weekend, Emma and I have spent the week exploring some of Florence's landmarks. We went to the Palazzo Vecchio (The Old Palace) which is a museum that dates back several hundred years. You may have heard of the Medici Family, who lived in it at one stage. Now it's the seat of the city's municipal government and contains lots of old artifacts and remnants from centuries ago. Wandering the halls of this palace is amazing. There are rooms with ceilings that are covered in gold leaf, kilos of the stuff!! The main hall in particular has a ceiling covered in giant paintings that are absoloutely HUGE!
Unfortunately, it was a little strong for my taste, however, Emma had no such issue and was able to drink the whole thing. (It did however take almost 2 hours! LOL!) After this we took a long walk back to our apartment and went to bed ready for Rome in the morning!
A garden outside Palazza Vecchio
We also paid a visit to the Basilica of Santa Croce. It's one of the oldest churches in Florence and was built by St Frances of Assisi! Not only that.. it's said that a piece of Christ's cross is kept there, (although we weren't able to see it). The church is huge and stately and several famous people are buried there including Michelangelo, Machiavelli and there's also a memorium for Dante (who wrote the Divine Comedy). I also had a photo with a piece of St. Francis of Assisi's robe that is framed behind a glass case in the church! Next on our list this week is Il Duomo - the most famous church in Florence.
Me with St. Francis' robe & Looking pensive beside Michelangelo's tomb.
On Thursday it was the night before Emma's Birthday and Emma, Claas (a German student we met) Margerita (an American student) as well as a Brazilian student and I went out for drinks. We ended up at a little known place called La Luna Rosso (The Red Moon) where we had cocktails. Emma and I even had a shot each! As it was a school night and I was already quite tipsy (3 x Sex on the Beach will do that to you - the drink people, the drink!!!) we headed home at about 1.30am. The next night we went out again. (I know!) Dinner was at a little place called La Casalinga - Lara and Vince, ring any bells??? and then for a drink at Pop Cafè (a place our teacher Marco had recommended - think the Exeter in Adelaide). We ordered Negronis (not knowing what they were) and was shocked when the barwoman (with massive dreads mind you!) proceeded to pour our trendy plastic cups full of spirits. I was waiting for the mixer to go in until I realised the cup was full... there WAS no mixer!!!Unfortunately, it was a little strong for my taste, however, Emma had no such issue and was able to drink the whole thing. (It did however take almost 2 hours! LOL!) After this we took a long walk back to our apartment and went to bed ready for Rome in the morning!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Courting a Coranary...(again!)
Greeting all. I once again address you from the bright surrounds of a dingy Florentine Internet Point. Yesterday Emma and I had a day trip in Siena! We took the train early in the morning and spent the day roaming around the city. When we arrived, Emma and I stopped for a coffee and a briochè at a local cafè... wait for the shock, it was only €2 each! Huzzah! Emma of course made a HUGE mess of her icing sugar! (Picture to be inserted soon!)
We took in various museums and churches (every Italian city has about a million of these!) as well as climbing to the top of the tallest tower in the city. It's called Torre alla Manja and it had about 400 steps (!) The passageway was tiny.. most of it could only be climbed single file and as such only 25 people are allowed up at any time! We had to wait for 30 minutes for the tower to 'empty' as it were, before we could even start climbing the thing!!
Meanwhile, in one of the churches, Emma and I were able to view the preserved finger of St. Catherine, one of the patron saints of Siena (I think..) It was all gnarly and brown and yuck! We weren't allowed to take pictures, sorry, or I could've shared this experience with you all! We unfortunately missed out on seeing her preserved head, which is also available for viewing. Most unfortunate really...
Another place we visited was Siena's Duomo or Cathedral! It was SPECTACULAR!!! The inside was SO intricately decorated it was AMAZING! The place had a very spiritual feel to which was slightly diminished by the 700 tourists that were allowed in at a time, as well as the perpectual camera flashes that went off, despite reprimands over the PA system! Haha! Well worth the visit, none the less.
I also had another embarassing moment in class on Friday when I proceeded to tell the class VERY enthusiastically that I LOVE to drink SUGAR. Yes, sugar.... I was trying to say juice, which in Italian, happen to be very similar. (Sugar is 'Zucchero' and Juice is 'Succo'). Today I had lots of fun trying to explain how to cook pasta and also the plot for 'I Am Legend' (which luckily, as the movie lacks any decent plot elements, wasn't too bad!)
Hope all of you are well. Please let me know how you're going as I love to hear what's happening in Adelaide! Feel free to flick me an email: danoir@gmail.com!
We took in various museums and churches (every Italian city has about a million of these!) as well as climbing to the top of the tallest tower in the city. It's called Torre alla Manja and it had about 400 steps (!) The passageway was tiny.. most of it could only be climbed single file and as such only 25 people are allowed up at any time! We had to wait for 30 minutes for the tower to 'empty' as it were, before we could even start climbing the thing!!
Meanwhile, in one of the churches, Emma and I were able to view the preserved finger of St. Catherine, one of the patron saints of Siena (I think..) It was all gnarly and brown and yuck! We weren't allowed to take pictures, sorry, or I could've shared this experience with you all! We unfortunately missed out on seeing her preserved head, which is also available for viewing. Most unfortunate really...
Another place we visited was Siena's Duomo or Cathedral! It was SPECTACULAR!!! The inside was SO intricately decorated it was AMAZING! The place had a very spiritual feel to which was slightly diminished by the 700 tourists that were allowed in at a time, as well as the perpectual camera flashes that went off, despite reprimands over the PA system! Haha! Well worth the visit, none the less.
I also had another embarassing moment in class on Friday when I proceeded to tell the class VERY enthusiastically that I LOVE to drink SUGAR. Yes, sugar.... I was trying to say juice, which in Italian, happen to be very similar. (Sugar is 'Zucchero' and Juice is 'Succo'). Today I had lots of fun trying to explain how to cook pasta and also the plot for 'I Am Legend' (which luckily, as the movie lacks any decent plot elements, wasn't too bad!)
Hope all of you are well. Please let me know how you're going as I love to hear what's happening in Adelaide! Feel free to flick me an email: danoir@gmail.com!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Best Tasting Coffee in the World...(or maybe just the most expensive!)
Well, unfortunately, the Pasta Making Course that Emma and I literally dashed off to (well, the intention was to dash, I don't tend to dash too well!) didn't eventuate at all! We rocked up to the appointed location and met Johan, Anja and Lexia (another class-mate who is from Australia too) and no one was there! After standing around for about 20 minutes we decided to go and get some coffee.
Now, when I originally pictured my Florentine experience I did indeed imagine lazy afternoons passed with coffee in trendy back-street cafès. Johan and Anja mentioned they'd wanted to go to the Roberto Cavalli Cafe which we'd passed before (see last post for bottle of wine in display window) and so off we trundled to this tucked away little coffee shop. When we arrived and sat down outside, an impeccably groomed waiter came along and took our order without writing anything down. The coffee was nice, the orange juice freshly squeezed, and the bill totalled €33. I've included photographic evidence. Basically, Emma paid $9AUD for her coffee, and the orange juices were about $12AUD each. It's all about the experience though! (Well that's what I've been telling myself!)
After this super fantastic coffee, most of us decided to go for a long walk to a lookout to the south of Florence. I'd heard from Emma that the view was magnificent and indeed it was. The photos that I took don't really capture the full panoramic views that we got, but you get the idea!
Now, when I originally pictured my Florentine experience I did indeed imagine lazy afternoons passed with coffee in trendy back-street cafès. Johan and Anja mentioned they'd wanted to go to the Roberto Cavalli Cafe which we'd passed before (see last post for bottle of wine in display window) and so off we trundled to this tucked away little coffee shop. When we arrived and sat down outside, an impeccably groomed waiter came along and took our order without writing anything down. The coffee was nice, the orange juice freshly squeezed, and the bill totalled €33. I've included photographic evidence. Basically, Emma paid $9AUD for her coffee, and the orange juices were about $12AUD each. It's all about the experience though! (Well that's what I've been telling myself!)
Emma, Johan, Lexia and I along with evidence of daylight robbery!
After this super fantastic coffee, most of us decided to go for a long walk to a lookout to the south of Florence. I'd heard from Emma that the view was magnificent and indeed it was. The photos that I took don't really capture the full panoramic views that we got, but you get the idea!
A view of the Duomo (super famous building) & me with the Florentine hills.
Tonight, Lexia is coming over to the apartment so she can show us some Tuscan cooking! She spent last week in the country at a cooking course which sounds fantastic! Something Emma and I would love to do next time we're in this neck of the woods!
Also, finally, here are a couple of photos I took in class!
The class with our two teachers: Daniele and Leonardo.
A particularly funny moment which I forgot to mention in the last post was in class last week. We were going around the table with one student asking a question in Italian and then another answering it. When it came to Emma and I, Emma proceeded to ask me what I THOUGHT was "Does your Uncle learn a musical instrument?" using the verb "vendire" which I interpreted as "learn".
In a moment of lingual euphoria I proceeded to triumphantly inform the class, using the same verb, (vendire), that no, my uncle did not learn a musical instrument, but infact I learnt the cello! The teacher, Daniele, was amazed at this, as was the rest of the class. Emma however was staring at me in abject horror. So consumed with satisfaction was I that this, however, did not register. So I proceeded to bask in admiration as class mates were suitably impressed. May I note here that Emma made NO effort whatsoever to stop me at ANY point while I was INFACT informing the entire class that while my Uncle didn't SELL musical instruments, I SOLD cellos! The class was actually wondering how I managed to sell cellos while also working at the bank!
Hence.. it's not really as easy as ABC. Unfortunately.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
It's as Easy as ABC... NOT!!!
Greetings Dedicated Danny Fans! Well since my last post, you'll be happy to know that I have been spending countless days inside shielded from the rain, practicing Italian verb conjugations! The super amount of Italian that I picked up last week has started to slow and while I'm still learning lots on a daily basis a lot of our time is spent practicing how to say various Italian verbs. (You can only say 'to eat' so many times before you die of boredom!)
Earlier that day we went for a walk around some of the nicer streets of Florence and came across Roberto Cavalli. One of the windows had a display for Roberto Cavalli wine! Only drunk by the Super Trendy, I'm sure! We also got some gelati (gelati parlours are EVERYWHERE here!)
Emma studying hard!
Earlier that day we went for a walk around some of the nicer streets of Florence and came across Roberto Cavalli. One of the windows had a display for Roberto Cavalli wine! Only drunk by the Super Trendy, I'm sure! We also got some gelati (gelati parlours are EVERYWHERE here!)
Roberto Cavalli wine & Anja and Johan checking out the selection!
Apologies for the brevity of this post, however Emma and I are off to a Pasta Making Course! Hopefully will not be expected to do such upon return to Australia!
Ciao for now!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Drinking Burns a Hole in Your Pocket...
Hello faithful friends! Another update coming your way from the grotty keyboard of a tiny but cheap Internet Cafè. Emma and I have finished our first full week of school and two of our class mates finished up, so we went out for drinks last night. Our class consisted of a Canadian girl, Mayko (who is actually a TV star in Canada!!) a Sweedish couple around our age and a German lady.
After a late afternoon nap, Johan and Anja (the two Swedes), Emma and I went out for drinks firstly to a place I think was called 'O' and the slogan was 'Don't waste water, drink Champagne!' which I thought was very sensible! I must admit, Johan and Anja, are SUPER stylish, and while I know that my brand of fashion is the latest in Australia, I did feel a little out of the loop when I saw Johan in super tight white jeans and shiny pointy BRIGHT white boots! We ordered some cocktails at 7 Euro each which made the first round come out at $46AUD!!! The bartender made us our two 'Tom Collins' and two Cosmos (for the girls) in a kind of Coyote Ugly / Tom Cruise Cocktail style. He was throwing the drinks around and up and down and almost dropped Emma's Cosmo! It was hilarious!
Towards the end of the night, Emma and I were trying to demonstrate the infamous Shower Dance to Mayko and Anton! I think, insulated by aforementioned alcohol, I persisted in demonstrating the Shopping Trolley, The Sprinkler, and even Juliet's little gem, Getting Dressed. At the end, it seemed that Mayko and Anton were trying to back away slowly and Emma is convinced they now think we're freaks! I suppose those little dance classics don't really go down so well in a trendy Florentine nightclub. What do you think?
Ciao!
After a late afternoon nap, Johan and Anja (the two Swedes), Emma and I went out for drinks firstly to a place I think was called 'O' and the slogan was 'Don't waste water, drink Champagne!' which I thought was very sensible! I must admit, Johan and Anja, are SUPER stylish, and while I know that my brand of fashion is the latest in Australia, I did feel a little out of the loop when I saw Johan in super tight white jeans and shiny pointy BRIGHT white boots! We ordered some cocktails at 7 Euro each which made the first round come out at $46AUD!!! The bartender made us our two 'Tom Collins' and two Cosmos (for the girls) in a kind of Coyote Ugly / Tom Cruise Cocktail style. He was throwing the drinks around and up and down and almost dropped Emma's Cosmo! It was hilarious!
Johan and I enjoying our 'Tom Collins' & Anja (with Emma in the corner!)
Mayko and Emma & Anja and Anton
By this time the night was winding down... Johan unfortunately was struggling with the amount of drink he'd consumed so he and Anja had to go home! I tried to point out that maybe the tight white pants had something to do with this, however it didn't go down very well! Tomorrow, Johan and Anja are actually moving in with Emma and I into our apartment. Should be fun!
Towards the end of the night, Emma and I were trying to demonstrate the infamous Shower Dance to Mayko and Anton! I think, insulated by aforementioned alcohol, I persisted in demonstrating the Shopping Trolley, The Sprinkler, and even Juliet's little gem, Getting Dressed. At the end, it seemed that Mayko and Anton were trying to back away slowly and Emma is convinced they now think we're freaks! I suppose those little dance classics don't really go down so well in a trendy Florentine nightclub. What do you think?
Group photo: Johan, Anja, Anton, Mayko, Emma & I
Ciao!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
To Zip or Not to Zip... That is the Question!
Hello dedicated followers, all and sundry! Emma and I have been in Italian school for three days now, and truth be told, after trying to complete said Italian school homework after my last post, I made the decision to ask to be put down a level. Unfortunately, I felt my rag tag Italian that I've picked up around the traps (said traps being mainly family gatherings! :P) wasn't going to cut it. I'd made up my mind.
However, I'd forgotten that apparently in Italy, even if you're paying for something, you don't get to make the decisions! Upon approaching my two LOVELY Italian teachers, and spluttering about how much I was struggling, they both insisted that I remain in the same class! AHHHH!!! It has however, turned out to be for the best, as I feel like I'm learning a lot! I can't believe the amount that we've covered in just three days... so imagining what I'm going to be like in 4-6 weeks is fantastic!!
Emma and I have been wandering over the city of Florence. We've been shopping and stocked our fridge also! The very first meal that was cooked within our quaint apartment was some sort of meat schnitzel, with a side of roasted potatoes and salad! A feast in fact! Here are some photos of said meal during the cooking process...
However, I'd forgotten that apparently in Italy, even if you're paying for something, you don't get to make the decisions! Upon approaching my two LOVELY Italian teachers, and spluttering about how much I was struggling, they both insisted that I remain in the same class! AHHHH!!! It has however, turned out to be for the best, as I feel like I'm learning a lot! I can't believe the amount that we've covered in just three days... so imagining what I'm going to be like in 4-6 weeks is fantastic!!
Emma and I have been wandering over the city of Florence. We've been shopping and stocked our fridge also! The very first meal that was cooked within our quaint apartment was some sort of meat schnitzel, with a side of roasted potatoes and salad! A feast in fact! Here are some photos of said meal during the cooking process...
Me 'dressing' the salad and Emma frying while baking.
Said dish about to be eaten.. YUM.
Today Emma and I spent half the day doing some laundry at the local 'Lavandaria' (laundromat)! It was 3.50 Euros (about $5aud) per cycle! Needless to say that Emma and I combined our loads and washed together. (I think our relationship has progressed significantly since we've now handled eachother's under-things!)
Meanwhile, it's back to school tomorrow. As for the title of this post, I'd already decided on it, however Emma has forbidden me from writing about what inspired it. Draw your own conclusion!
Arreverderci!
P.S. If you have some time, scroll down and check out the additional pictures I've added to past posts!
Our First Home Made Pasta Dish... success!
Emma's Recipe for Penne e Pomodoro
(Pasta and Tomotoes)
- 250g of Penne Pasta
- 4 med size ripe Roma tomatoes - chopped.
- 1 large Onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Olive Oil
- Basil
- Parmesan cheese
Bring water with added oil and salt to boil. Add Pasta and cook for 10-12 mins until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a frying pan, sweat down onions and garlic until golden and then add tomatoes. Sprinkle liberally with basil. Add additional oil and stir until heated through. Add salt to taste.
Add tomato mixture to drained pasta in pot and return to heat. Mix tomato and onions with oil through the pasta and serve immediately.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve with hot crusty bread from the oven with a dish of balsamic and olive oil as dip.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Back to the Schoolroom...again!
Ciao! Emma and I have arrived in Florence yesterday and the city is lovely! The main attraction of the city is "the Duomo" which is a massive church in the centre of the city. It's absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to go inside!
The Duomo, in Florence
Emma and I arrived at our apartment which is owned by the nicest guy! The apartment, while in an old building, has been almost completely renovated! We're the first people to use it! Most of the new furniture and kitchen is from IKEA with the tags still on! (Co-incidentally, we are also due to have a Sweedish couple move in with us next week, both of which we've met and they too are lovely!)
We spent some time walking around and orienting ourselves to this new city, and had dinner in a lovely little street corner Cafe. Too bad for me, my risotto gorgonzola with raddichio was TERRIBLE!
Today we started Italian school. I think that it's definately going to be a steep learning curve. Our first tutor, (whose name is also Daniel) brays like a horse when laughing, so at least his class is entertaining! Emma and I are now off to buy some stationery supplies as we were completely unprepared for school today. (Everyone else had coloured pens and highlighters!) We even had to "borrow" paper from a Canadian student!
Hope all's well in lil' old Adelaide...! Ciao!
The Duomo, in Florence
Emma and I arrived at our apartment which is owned by the nicest guy! The apartment, while in an old building, has been almost completely renovated! We're the first people to use it! Most of the new furniture and kitchen is from IKEA with the tags still on! (Co-incidentally, we are also due to have a Sweedish couple move in with us next week, both of which we've met and they too are lovely!)
We spent some time walking around and orienting ourselves to this new city, and had dinner in a lovely little street corner Cafe. Too bad for me, my risotto gorgonzola with raddichio was TERRIBLE!
Today we started Italian school. I think that it's definately going to be a steep learning curve. Our first tutor, (whose name is also Daniel) brays like a horse when laughing, so at least his class is entertaining! Emma and I are now off to buy some stationery supplies as we were completely unprepared for school today. (Everyone else had coloured pens and highlighters!) We even had to "borrow" paper from a Canadian student!
Hope all's well in lil' old Adelaide...! Ciao!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Stories To Be Told...
Hi again! I am now writing from the 'Internet Point' in our hotel in Bologna. I say Hotel because it is indeed such. Emma found this bargain of €35 per night which includes our own lovely room, SKY tv and buffet breakfast which is fantastic!! It is a little out of the way so we've been spending some time on Bolongna-ese (?) buses. (I think all Italian drivers are insane, however that would include me.. hmm, still accurate I suppose!)
Anyway, for those of you who have been to Venice you may recall the rose sellers that are sprinkled across St Marks Square.
St. Mark's Square (Piazza Sant Marco) at night and me in front of the Basilica.
They peddle the most beautiful roses, long stemmed and fragrant for about €5 ($8AUD), however a simple 'no, grazie' is wildly insufficient. Two guys independantly proceeded to beg us to take pity on them as they were so poor and to buy a rose if for no other reason than that!! Hilarious!! The first time this happened, I of course artfully placed a superior and annoyed look on my face which was quickly spotted by two passing Police men. They snuck up behind the guy and as he turned to see who was behind him, we made our getaway!! We saw the same guy again later in the day, and needless to say, he didn't bother us again!
On our last day in Venice, Emma and I went for a look at the Rialto bridge. It's a famous bridge in Venice and along it's length are many shops selling all kinds of things, from jewellery to glass and all kinds of knick knacks. Emma and I were passing a store when I took a peek inside. It was piled high with books. At first this didn't strike me as too interesting as it seemed like a bookstore, but on a second look, all the books looked really OLD!
As Emma and I stepped in the store, I picked up one of the leather bound books. I unwrapped a leather binding cord and opened the soft cover to find that in fact, this book was brand new... and completely blank! The pages were frayed on the edges and were made from an almost fabric-y like material. I began to see the store in a new light. The whole shop was FULL to the brim with blank books of all different types of bindings. At once I felt that I had been extremely lucky to find this place. It struck me that I always enter bookstores full of stories that had been written by others. Their life and their ideas, already pre-printed and prepared for your enjoyment. For the first time, I was in a bookstore with books that were waiting for stories to be scribed. For hopes that hadn't yet been hoped and dreams that had not yet been dreamt. For ideas that were not yet born! It was almost magical! The lady who ran the store showed me very briefly where the books were made (upstairs in this tiny cubby hole!!) I hated to leave the place, but we had a train to catch!
Emma and I caught a Water Taxi (the ONLY way to travel) to the train station and left for Bologna. Here we found the first ever elevator that we could use to lift our baggage to whatever insane level we'd been placed on and went to dinner. We found a tiny little family run ristorante about 1km from our hotel where we dined on Spaghetti Bolognese (for Emma) and Gnocchi Sorentina (for me). We shared a caraffe of Pepsi and a salad at the end which tasted just like my Nonna's at home.
Dinner at quaint family restaraunt in Bolonga.
Today we spent the day trekking a bloody mountain to see a bloody church at the top. Needless to say I was not the most compliant participant for this activity. I must say though, the church of Santa Luca (Saint Luke) was amazing, with breath-taking views of Bologna city. We trekked back down just in time to join a free tour of some of the museums and attractions in the city including the statue of Neptune (Posiedon for the Greeks in the audience) and his harem below who all made practical use of their nipples by spraying jets of water from them. I kid you not! If only more women thought to do that! (LOL)
Emma halfway up the mountain and me in front of the church at the top.
The ladies of the fountain and me in front.
We finished the day with a kebab in Piazza Maggiore (the main square here) and then headed back on the number 25 bus to our hotel! Tomorrow we have another tour in the morning and then a train to Firenze (Florence) to meet our new Landlord for the next few weeks.
Unfortunately I've come down with a flu and have a terrible cough and weepy eyes as well as a runny nose! Emma however has managed to procure some cold and flu medicine by saying that I had 'influenza' in Italian! Quite funny really! The woman punched some keys on her computer and just stood there. I was asking Emma how to say 'what are we waiting for? Give me my damn medicine' when the medicine came flying along the ceiling of the store in a glass tube. When it arrived the lady at the counter sold it to me. Reminded me somewhat of Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (substitute Augustus for flu meds though.. hmm)
Please keep the comments coming! I'd love to hear about what's happening in Adelaide!
Ci-aooo! (As they say it here!)
Anyway, for those of you who have been to Venice you may recall the rose sellers that are sprinkled across St Marks Square.
St. Mark's Square (Piazza Sant Marco) at night and me in front of the Basilica.
They peddle the most beautiful roses, long stemmed and fragrant for about €5 ($8AUD), however a simple 'no, grazie' is wildly insufficient. Two guys independantly proceeded to beg us to take pity on them as they were so poor and to buy a rose if for no other reason than that!! Hilarious!! The first time this happened, I of course artfully placed a superior and annoyed look on my face which was quickly spotted by two passing Police men. They snuck up behind the guy and as he turned to see who was behind him, we made our getaway!! We saw the same guy again later in the day, and needless to say, he didn't bother us again!
Pictures from some of the Islands of Venice.
On our last day in Venice, Emma and I went for a look at the Rialto bridge. It's a famous bridge in Venice and along it's length are many shops selling all kinds of things, from jewellery to glass and all kinds of knick knacks. Emma and I were passing a store when I took a peek inside. It was piled high with books. At first this didn't strike me as too interesting as it seemed like a bookstore, but on a second look, all the books looked really OLD!
The wonderful bookstore mentioned above.
As Emma and I stepped in the store, I picked up one of the leather bound books. I unwrapped a leather binding cord and opened the soft cover to find that in fact, this book was brand new... and completely blank! The pages were frayed on the edges and were made from an almost fabric-y like material. I began to see the store in a new light. The whole shop was FULL to the brim with blank books of all different types of bindings. At once I felt that I had been extremely lucky to find this place. It struck me that I always enter bookstores full of stories that had been written by others. Their life and their ideas, already pre-printed and prepared for your enjoyment. For the first time, I was in a bookstore with books that were waiting for stories to be scribed. For hopes that hadn't yet been hoped and dreams that had not yet been dreamt. For ideas that were not yet born! It was almost magical! The lady who ran the store showed me very briefly where the books were made (upstairs in this tiny cubby hole!!) I hated to leave the place, but we had a train to catch!
Emma and I caught a Water Taxi (the ONLY way to travel) to the train station and left for Bologna. Here we found the first ever elevator that we could use to lift our baggage to whatever insane level we'd been placed on and went to dinner. We found a tiny little family run ristorante about 1km from our hotel where we dined on Spaghetti Bolognese (for Emma) and Gnocchi Sorentina (for me). We shared a caraffe of Pepsi and a salad at the end which tasted just like my Nonna's at home.
Travelling in the luxurious water-taxi!
Dinner at quaint family restaraunt in Bolonga.
Today we spent the day trekking a bloody mountain to see a bloody church at the top. Needless to say I was not the most compliant participant for this activity. I must say though, the church of Santa Luca (Saint Luke) was amazing, with breath-taking views of Bologna city. We trekked back down just in time to join a free tour of some of the museums and attractions in the city including the statue of Neptune (Posiedon for the Greeks in the audience) and his harem below who all made practical use of their nipples by spraying jets of water from them. I kid you not! If only more women thought to do that! (LOL)
Emma halfway up the mountain and me in front of the church at the top.
The ladies of the fountain and me in front.
We finished the day with a kebab in Piazza Maggiore (the main square here) and then headed back on the number 25 bus to our hotel! Tomorrow we have another tour in the morning and then a train to Firenze (Florence) to meet our new Landlord for the next few weeks.
Unfortunately I've come down with a flu and have a terrible cough and weepy eyes as well as a runny nose! Emma however has managed to procure some cold and flu medicine by saying that I had 'influenza' in Italian! Quite funny really! The woman punched some keys on her computer and just stood there. I was asking Emma how to say 'what are we waiting for? Give me my damn medicine' when the medicine came flying along the ceiling of the store in a glass tube. When it arrived the lady at the counter sold it to me. Reminded me somewhat of Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (substitute Augustus for flu meds though.. hmm)
Please keep the comments coming! I'd love to hear about what's happening in Adelaide!
Ci-aooo! (As they say it here!)
Friday, May 9, 2008
When Pigeons Attack!!
Greetings my faithful friends!! Apologies for the delay since my last post! I know that by now you'll all be desperate for an update on what's happening...
I arrived in the lovely city of Venice by train early afternoon and immediately was stunned by the beauty of the city. Not just the buildings though! Everyone in Italy dresses to impress! The only people around here who dress in what we would term daggy, are the tourists, and my goodness!.. there are plenty of them! All the locals are dressed in designer clothing, even the Vaporetti (water bus) conductors have designer sunglasses. Emma and I are feeling slightly under-dressed even when catching a bus!
We've been spending our days walking about, exploring this wonderful city, getting lost in the winding narrow streets. The islands of Venice are also special, and again, when I can, I'll add some photos. One memorable moment was in a large park on the central island, Emma and I were walking towards a group of pigeons when suddenly the WHOLE FLOCK of them just flew towards us! As we barely managed to refrain from screaming, the pigeons literally flew all around us! It was like attack of the zombie pigeons or something!!! Emma tried in vain to duck, while my strategy was to remain as still as possible! I did have to resist the urge to duck behind Emma though!! HAHA!!
Our accomodation here has been wonderful! We are however on the 3rd floor (Lara, remind you of anywhere?), however our window looks out directly onto a little street with a D&G shop so I feel that whatever I'm wearing, I'm in designer housing at least.
I arrived in the lovely city of Venice by train early afternoon and immediately was stunned by the beauty of the city. Not just the buildings though! Everyone in Italy dresses to impress! The only people around here who dress in what we would term daggy, are the tourists, and my goodness!.. there are plenty of them! All the locals are dressed in designer clothing, even the Vaporetti (water bus) conductors have designer sunglasses. Emma and I are feeling slightly under-dressed even when catching a bus!
My first sight of the city of Venice.
We've been spending our days walking about, exploring this wonderful city, getting lost in the winding narrow streets. The islands of Venice are also special, and again, when I can, I'll add some photos. One memorable moment was in a large park on the central island, Emma and I were walking towards a group of pigeons when suddenly the WHOLE FLOCK of them just flew towards us! As we barely managed to refrain from screaming, the pigeons literally flew all around us! It was like attack of the zombie pigeons or something!!! Emma tried in vain to duck, while my strategy was to remain as still as possible! I did have to resist the urge to duck behind Emma though!! HAHA!!
Our accomodation here has been wonderful! We are however on the 3rd floor (Lara, remind you of anywhere?), however our window looks out directly onto a little street with a D&G shop so I feel that whatever I'm wearing, I'm in designer housing at least.
The view from outside our Venetian apartmento!
We're leaving Venice today to head to Bologna to spend a couple of nights and then onto Florence. I hope to update this post with some photos and details as there's lots to tell still about Venice, including Emma and I nearly getting a rose seller guy arrested as well as us constantly being accosted by Euro-Africans to buy designer imposter bags! Insane!!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
So.. what will £25 buy you these days...?
Well, funnily enough, it'll buy you a bed for a night in Victoria.. one of the nicer parts of London. After leaving Lincoln, I caught 3 trains in order to reach London's Victoria Station.
When I stepped off the Tube at about 10.00pm, little did I realise that if only I'd walked in the other direction, I could have asked the Queen to let me crash at the Palace for the night. (Ahh, the twists of fate...) Instead however I am ensconed in the luxury surrounds of the 'Georgian House Hotel'. (Typed with sarcastic inflection).
I am on the third floor and my room is literally a bed, a basin, a tv and a window. I had a quick shower after arrival in the shared bathroom, (those that know me well are aware of what lugging a 15kg bag up 6 flights of stairs will do to me physically) and was pleasantly surprised to find the bathroom facilities really quite adequate! I did however of course have my anti-bacterial wipes and my thongs ('flip flops' for the Brits in the audience!)
An extra £3 has bought me an hour on the 'net, however I'd better get to bed as my train out to Gatwick Airport leaves at like 5am!! I'll pop some photos into this post when I get time later in the week!
You know you love me.. XOXO!
A'Joan and Kathryn waiving goodbye!
When I stepped off the Tube at about 10.00pm, little did I realise that if only I'd walked in the other direction, I could have asked the Queen to let me crash at the Palace for the night. (Ahh, the twists of fate...) Instead however I am ensconed in the luxury surrounds of the 'Georgian House Hotel'. (Typed with sarcastic inflection).
I am on the third floor and my room is literally a bed, a basin, a tv and a window. I had a quick shower after arrival in the shared bathroom, (those that know me well are aware of what lugging a 15kg bag up 6 flights of stairs will do to me physically) and was pleasantly surprised to find the bathroom facilities really quite adequate! I did however of course have my anti-bacterial wipes and my thongs ('flip flops' for the Brits in the audience!)
An extra £3 has bought me an hour on the 'net, however I'd better get to bed as my train out to Gatwick Airport leaves at like 5am!! I'll pop some photos into this post when I get time later in the week!
You know you love me.. XOXO!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
A Long Lost Cousin, a Squirrel and a Curry...YUM!
Hello Fans! Today is my last day in the lovely green surrounds of Lincoln. Yesterday I met my (other) cousin, Mickey for the first time! We went for a drive and I met his dog Toby (which is HUGE!) Although I'm not generally a dog person, Toby was very playful and we were playing tug of war with a plastic toy! When I got home, Paul and Joan proceeded to inform me that Toby was at times particularly vicious with people he doesn't know! Apparently, I was lucky to get away clean! Of course, you can imagine the expression on my face at this point...
Joan and Paul then took me to a place called Hartsholme Park. It's a rich, lush public park area that's home to a lot of fauna. In fact, the squirrels are almost tame enough to take a nut from your hand! We were hoping to get a picture of me feeding a squirrel, however, they weren't as abundant as we'd hoped, but still it was amazing to see them running around! Here's a few pictures of me enjoying the sunny weather..
After this, Joan and I popped down to ASDA (super-market). I quickly found the laundry items aisle and the stores massive supply of 'Ariel Washing Powder'. Michelle McD would've loved it I'm sure!
Later on, Joan, Paul, Kathryn, Mickey and I went out to an 'all you can eat' Indian buffet! I looked at the sign which was reasonably priced at £6.95 each! The food was delicious.. the best restaurant Indian I've had! Here's a family photo...
Joan and Paul then took me to a place called Hartsholme Park. It's a rich, lush public park area that's home to a lot of fauna. In fact, the squirrels are almost tame enough to take a nut from your hand! We were hoping to get a picture of me feeding a squirrel, however, they weren't as abundant as we'd hoped, but still it was amazing to see them running around! Here's a few pictures of me enjoying the sunny weather..
A'Joan and I at Hartsholme Park
After this, Joan and I popped down to ASDA (super-market). I quickly found the laundry items aisle and the stores massive supply of 'Ariel Washing Powder'. Michelle McD would've loved it I'm sure!
The Best Washing Powder in THE WORLD! (Apparently!)
A'Joan expertly working the self-serve checkout!
Later on, Joan, Paul, Kathryn, Mickey and I went out to an 'all you can eat' Indian buffet! I looked at the sign which was reasonably priced at £6.95 each! The food was delicious.. the best restaurant Indian I've had! Here's a family photo...
Family Dinner - back to our roots, kind of!
Paul, Mickey, Kathryn, Joan and I.
Not sure when my next post will be.. I'm catching a train back to London tonight, after which, I'm flying to Venice to meet Emma tomorrow morning - then, the real Italian Odyssey begins!
Ciao for now!
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