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!
Monday, May 26, 2008
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!
Monday, May 5, 2008
A Family Visit, Steeped in History...
Hi All! You'll be pleased to hear that I successfully navigated Heathrow Airport, the Underground (tube) as well as two trains in order to reach the home of my lovely Aunt Joan. Along the way I had to contend with several bitter Londoners who were clearly unhappy about having to serve a cheerful Australian at 6.30am on a Sunday... :P
A'Joan's been residing in England as long as I can remember, and since we've only met a couple of times, this trip was an ideal opportunity to visit! Joan lives near a place called Lincoln, in the north of England. The countryside as you pass on the train north is green and lush. You can even see wild rabbits on the commons (British speak for Parklands). A'Joan and her lovely partner Paul took me on a tour of Lincoln today. The most memorable place was the Lincoln Cathedral which was built centuries ago.
As I walked through the arched domes of this beautiful, yet haunting place, I couldn't help but feel the presence of centuries of history as the past bore down on me. It was eerie crossing the grave stones of those once deemed important, but now, seemingly long forgotten. The architecture of the cathedral is stunning: ceilings rising impossibly high, with an ancient bell tower that crowns this masterpiece of human design.
A'Joan's been residing in England as long as I can remember, and since we've only met a couple of times, this trip was an ideal opportunity to visit! Joan lives near a place called Lincoln, in the north of England. The countryside as you pass on the train north is green and lush. You can even see wild rabbits on the commons (British speak for Parklands). A'Joan and her lovely partner Paul took me on a tour of Lincoln today. The most memorable place was the Lincoln Cathedral which was built centuries ago.
As I walked through the arched domes of this beautiful, yet haunting place, I couldn't help but feel the presence of centuries of history as the past bore down on me. It was eerie crossing the grave stones of those once deemed important, but now, seemingly long forgotten. The architecture of the cathedral is stunning: ceilings rising impossibly high, with an ancient bell tower that crowns this masterpiece of human design.
A'Joan in the Cathedral & Paul and I in the Cathedral garden
Later we had a quick ice cream and met one of my cousins, Kathryn and her partner Jason for dinner. I was tempted to try the 'Yorkshire Pudding' but decided against it at the last minute. I was keen to go for a traditional English dish, however, Kathryn and A'Joan seemed to subtly be advising against it!!
Me and A'Joan indulging in frozen yoghurt (apparently new to Britain)
& my cousin Kathryn and her partner Jason.
Lincoln is such a beautiful town, rich in history and steeped in tradition. A definate must see for any traveler on a trip to the UK!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
And so.. it begins.
Good Evening All. I scribe this brief missive from the comfortable surrounds of the Qantas Club in Singapore Airport. The view out the window is fantastic! Somehow the Singaporeans (?) have found a way to blend modern architecture (glass) with nature (lots of plants). Makes for an interesting view!
Flight over was non-eventful... thank goodness! I was however dosed up on Dramamine the whole time (due to my intense travel sickness). Prior to this, I received a shock upon reaching the Airport Pharmacy in Adelaide to find that they did NOT have any more of my magical miracle wonder drug. When I queried this with the lovely pharmacist, she said Dramamine had been DISCONTINUED!!
(Please take a moment to process the utter astonishment, followed by fear that I felt!)
Luckily she was able to provide a substitute, so I'll have to see how it goes. If however, any of you encounter a random box of this wonderful invention on your travels, I am delivering a clear instruction to please: PANIC BUY!
I think I've written enough about drugs, considering I am currently in Singapore. Hopefully I've not triggered some automatic detection system by typing it so many times... Once more, just to make sure: Drugs.
Nope, no flashing lights... I think I'll be ok. Off to do some duty free shopping! Ciao!
Flight over was non-eventful... thank goodness! I was however dosed up on Dramamine the whole time (due to my intense travel sickness). Prior to this, I received a shock upon reaching the Airport Pharmacy in Adelaide to find that they did NOT have any more of my magical miracle wonder drug. When I queried this with the lovely pharmacist, she said Dramamine had been DISCONTINUED!!
(Please take a moment to process the utter astonishment, followed by fear that I felt!)
Luckily she was able to provide a substitute, so I'll have to see how it goes. If however, any of you encounter a random box of this wonderful invention on your travels, I am delivering a clear instruction to please: PANIC BUY!
I think I've written enough about drugs, considering I am currently in Singapore. Hopefully I've not triggered some automatic detection system by typing it so many times... Once more, just to make sure: Drugs.
Nope, no flashing lights... I think I'll be ok. Off to do some duty free shopping! Ciao!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Good Times...Keep On Rollin'
Hello dedicated Danny Fans!! My second post already, and I haven't even left Adelaide yet! (Are you beginning to get a taste for what's coming?) Well you'll have to salivate a little longer for anything REALLY juicy, however I have included some pics from recent "farewell" events to get started (practice runs really...). My next post will actually be from overseas, I know you all await with bated breath...
Dinner with Jeff, Mish, Ben, Dale & Cath
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