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.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)