Diocletian's Palace

From Florence I took a train down to Rome for a few hours, saw the Colossium which was epic. Then hopped on a bus down to a port town where I met my friend Ian, who works as a tour guide for euroadventures. He was guiding this group of students to Croatia and invited me along. We took an overnight cruise from the port in Italy across the Adriatic Sea to Croatia. What a sight that dark, dimly moon lit sea was. Very mysterious and significant, the same it must have looked for thousands of years before. I was, and still am in awe.
It's paradise here. White marble walkways, palm trees, sandy beaches, clear blue water, and ruins from the Roman Emperor Diocletian built in 300 AD make up the historic heart of Split, Croatia. I can't take enough photos! It's different, the feeling, the food, the people. They hold themsleves in a proud demenar, very straight posture. They are huge people in general, most of the men having shaved heads and alarmingly muscular upper bodies. I felt really small!
Split hasn't been discovered as a major tourist destination yet, so I was one of a handful of Americans in town. Hardly anyone spoke english. I was completely out of my element, and loved it.
While there, I lounged a lot on the beach and in the warm water, ate incredible sea food, caught fresh that day, drank traditional grappa, and even checked out the local night life and heard Croatian pop music. We also went white water rafting back in the canyons. The further the bus drove, the more the scenery changed. One picture below shows how it looked exactly like Wyoming at one point. Our Croatian raft guides were the best and made the experience. They were young crazy boys, not following the usual guide curtiousies they splashed us repeatedly and threw us into the freezing river and pushed a few girls off rocks into the water. All fun and games. The water hasn't had any industry develop from it yet, so there were plenty of fish, the water was so pure and delicious I drank right from it. In fact that is where Croatia's bottled water comes from. It was a fantastic adventure.
Below are pictures of the ruins, walkways, canyons, my shrimp dinner!












From Croatia I hopped on a train to Budapest where I met Kim again...
I'm writing from internet cafes that add up the dollars and time, so blogs will come in time!
Thinking of all my family and friends often.
Budapest to come...

Camille

La Vita è Bella de Firenze

I have never heard the word "beautiful" used more than in Italy. Everywhere I go I hear "bella" "bello," "bellicimo," "bellicima." And I'm not just referencing the cat calls though, yes, "ciao bella" is as common to hear as hello. But more than that, when listening to a conversation in Italian you here these words in every other sentence. Even when they speak English it seems they can't go a few words before "beautiful" is used. I think this says a lot about the culture. When people say the Italians are romantic they don't kid. Every building reflects this. The city of Florence screams it. It echos in my head all day long. This country almost seems to be like romance made tangible. It is a beautiful place to be.

This is why a 4-5 day trip has become a week and a half trip for me. Other factors however contribute. Mostly that I'm using this city as a place to catch up on the rest of my trip. To make plans, to sort out dates and do research. Travelling is really quite a bit of work when you have to look for the best deals everywhere you go. It is a process but one that I'm trying to take in stride. It's hard to really stress in a city like this where time is of little importance, there is always a nice place to bask in the sun and one can find any excuse to stop for an espresso. I drink a lot of espresso here...

The first day here I stayed with Camille's friend Alli on her floor with Camille but since the apartment was small with 4 roomates, and the girls really needed to catch up on their own time I went off to look for hostels the next day. This however became quite an ordeal. Having only done hostel stays at Hostelling International locations before in cities that were smaller with less options I hadn't really been prepared for what it would take to get a hostel in a larger city like Florence. Even in the off season this is such a popular tourist destination every place wanted a reservation and the addresses were ridiculously hard to find. I would be standing right outside of a location and not be able to find it. It took me two days to find a good hostel, but when I did it was worth the long search. At my first step into the Emerald Fields hostel I knew this would be the best hostel yet. It was on the 3rd floor of a nice apartment building and felt like a home with a couch and laptops set up in the lobby, a kitchen for all to use with stocked cupboards right there and a friendly happy host to greet who gave me a detailed map of the city circling and x-ing the highlights. Instantly I met several wonderful travelers who became my good friends over the next 4 days that I stayed there. There was Jan the laid back chill dude from Holland, Gustavo the mature and gentle-souled explorer from Argentina/Spain, and David the naive young Canadian. These boys were my dorm roomates and over the next few days we had great fun chatting and explored the town a little together.

In the first few days I went out and saw the more popular tourist destinations to check a few things off my list. I climbed to the top of the Duomo to see the immaculate view, I explored the Uffizi wandering like in a dream in awe of the old masters, Caravagio, Raphael Artemisia Gentileschi and Botticelli being my favorites, and toured the market streets, breaking down to buy a handmade Italian leather bag to replace my recently broken one. Then another day I toured the San Lorenzo church and museum with a girl I randomly ran into on the street that I had talked with at a train station in Nice, and walked over the Ponte Vecchio or "old bridge" as it can be translated from Italian, full of ancient and renowned gold dealers located there since the Medici era. It was all so incredible that it was difficult to grasp. The importance too big to wrap one’s mind around. I found myself cringing to myself about all the information I once held in my head about this town that I have now lost and bizarrely dreaming I was back in Europen Histrory or Art History class again. I hate that the older I get the dumber I feel but really it’s hard to retain information properly when you are staring in dibillitating awe. Maybe when reviewing the pictures I’ll be able to understand it all but as of now the sights are all just a blur of ancient beauty.

Not long into my trip I met up with my old co-worker from Paint the Town, Lauren Armstrong, who I was SO happy to see having not seen a familiar face in months. But not only because she was a familiar face but a such a kind, enthusiastic, friendly and genuine person. She is studying art here at an International school and has a great set up in Florence with a nice centrally located apartment, and studio space right across the street. Since I've been here she has taken me all around town to the most interesting places. One afternoon we went up to the Piazza Michaelanglo, a hill just south of the main part of the city where one can see a great view of Florence from the top. Another night she took me and my new hostel friends (Jan & Gustavo) to see an Italian Beattles coverband at a bar called Be Bop. They were really good despite the few slips in accent and we were all thoroughly entertained. Then another night I went with her and some fellow students to a gallery opening at an grande and impressive art museum that had once been a church called San Pancrazio. The work there was that of Marino Marini, a sculpture who does large bronze abstract or expressionist style men on horses reminicent of matisse. They were odd but wonderful and I thouroughly enjoyed my time there drinking champagne and talking art with three clever, very down to earth girls. A few other nights we just hung out and chatted, and she introduced me to many equally as lovely people, some of whom I may meet up with in the future. It was wonderful to spend time with Lauren and I look forward to seeing her back in Seattle!

After 4 nights of being at the hostel, finally I was excepted on couch surfing from my last round of desperate pleas, so I moved residencies to the University of Florence dorms where I met Emmanuel, Valentino, Luca, Andy and several of their friends who were all Italian college students. Instantly I was informed their home was to be my home, they were very sweet, hospitable boys, and over the next few days I began to take this a little too seriously. I had such a fun time 4 nights became 9 nights. There was just so much to plan for, and I began to love the city so much I didn't want to leave. They showed me around a bit, made me dinner in exchange for me making them dinner, I went to a few parties with them and helped host a couple. Emmanuel is not only a language student but a cook and a teacher by nature so in no time I was learning to cook Italian and speak it. I really believe that if I stayed for 6 months I will have a conversational grasp of the language and by a year be fluent. I learned SO much in these 10 days by just total immersion. Italian is a fairly simple language, especially if you know another Latin based language, and it is such a beautiful language that you just WANT to learn it. If only to read their poetry. If only it was a useful language outside of Italy...

These boys made me really want to come back though and really see the rest of the country. Valentino, the child development major, is from the South of Italy and he made me crave to see it. Though I learned it was a disorganized, poor and still mafia influenced area, I also learned that the people from there were friendlier than one can ever imagine and rich with values, warmth and love for the good things in life. After taking a stroll around the botanical gardens there, looking out over vineyards and villas, it broke my heart to turn down an Easter dinner invitation to Valentino’s southern Italian country home. I just couldn’t afford it with either time or money. But I would have loved to. Maybe one day…

So for now this is all I can share of my trip. I never seem to have the computer time for everything I need to do. And who wants to be on the computer when there is all of Europe to see and explore! Budapest, Hungary is next for me. Krakow, Poland after that, and then Prague and Berlin. From there I will complete my trip in Helsinki Finland to see my good buddy James and his lovely girlfriend Ninni. Home in mid May all. Start preparing the banners!

Till next time, Ciao and Arrivederchi!

My love to all.

-Kim

Florence

Ciao from Firenze! I've been here for 10 days now and I really love it. I've been staying with a good friend of mine from home, Ali Rose. She is studying abroad in Florence for art. One of the reasons that I came to Italy was to visit Ali along with another friend from home, Ian. I've been looking forward to seeing them for some time now, and it has turned out to be greater than I could have expected. It was a great reunion with Ali and we've been having an incredible time together drawing, seeing the sights of Florence, enjoying a bit of nightlife, and just catching up in general. It was that feeling of just living in a place for a while, with your best friends, enjoying every minute of it, just being able to relax. It was well needed after the stress and struggles of backpacking for weeks.

Ali in her kitchen with bruschetta on the table.

The famous Piazza Signoria, right next to the Uffizi gallery and Ali's apartment.

View from Ali's window.

Ali and I in front of the Duomo.

The Uffizi gallery above and around.

View of the Arno River from a window in the Uffizi.

The Uffizi gallery was quite an experience. Kim and I stood waiting in line for a remarkable 4 hours to enter the gallery. There were really large groups of young students on field trips, who were so loud and obnoxious, and we happened to be stuck in between two of them. There were just so many people everywhere. It was a bit chaotic. The line was so unorganized that people kept cutting and it took an unnecessary amount of time. I hear that Italians are not that great with organizational skills. Finally by the time we got in, all I wanted to do was sit down! Though it was worth it all. We saw so many masterful paintings and sculptures that it seemed unreal. My favorites of them all were Duccio Di Buoninsegna's "Madonna and Child Entroned with Six Angles" from the year 1285, Leonardo Da Vinci's "Adornation of the Magi", Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and everything he did, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and many more. I was in such awe that it gave me chills.

On another day, I climbed to the dome of the Duomo (meaning cathedral church), specifically the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, and saw the view of Florence. It was beyond breathtaking. That's me and the view!

The Duomo from the bottom (note how tiny the people are!), I was standing on the very top of the dome.

The really steep stairs to the top. Around a thousand something stairs I believe.

Inside of the dome, a fresco begun by Vasari in 1572.

After staying at Ali's for about a week, I moved out and am now staying with my other friend Ian, who is working and living in Florence. He works for euroadventures tours as a guide and takes groups around europe. His apartment is really nice, and cozy.

Me at the table in front of the brick wall.

From Florence I am going to Rome tomorrow by myself for a day/night and then meeting Ian in Rome the next day and joining his tour group on a trip to southern Croatia. I'll be in Croatia for about a week, and from there I'm going to Budapest and hopefully meeting up with Kim there. Kim has been doing her own thing here in Florence couch surfing with some real Italians! Look forward to hearing her perspective on some first hand Italian lifestyle.

I could honestly stay in Florence for a while. It's an extremely beautiful city with a lot of fun people and things to do. The weather has been incredible, and most of the time I've spent has been outside exploring, lounging in public squares, eating yummy gelato, living the life!

Florence will be missed.

Ciao,

Camille

Southern France to Italy

After a few days in Montpellier, Kim and I decide that we've had our fill. That first day spent on the beach was great, and we were keen on the idea of more. So we moved locations to Sete, a smaller town maybe 30 minutes by train, and right on the beach. Only like 3 euros for a ticket! From the Gare (train station) we head to our hostel. Little did we know that the town was built around a small mountain and our hostel ended up being quite a hike. I've never been so aware of how heavy my pack is! Kim referred to it brilliantly by saying that wearing a backpack is like having a small person on your back who is trying to take you down. That's basically what it feels like. Finally reaching the hostel on the hill, over the next two days we explore the town, find some really interesting shops, walk the coast line, sit in the sun, hike Mont Saint Clair to see the view, and eat some great food. There's not much to say about Sete besides that it's a port town resort on the ocean, but the land structure of Sete was really interesting to us. It is built on the Bassin de Thau, which is a salt water lake confined by this little strip of land and Mont Saint Clair, and on the other side is the Mediterranean Sea. It was pretty strange to view from above. The weather was gorgeous for us, and overall Sete turned out to be a cool little town.

View of Sete from Mont Saint Clair.

Our hostel and Kim walking down some of the many stairs we climbed.

Some of the coolest winding little french streets.

The sea-side port filled with boats.

A fisherman about to empty his catch for the day while being stalked by preying seagulls.

Kim in front of the window in our private room at the hostel.

Kim at lunch at a lovely cafe/shop we stumbled into one day called La Decoratrice. It was a lady cooking in what looked similar to her own kitchen while her two children served us. We just sat down and without any further discussion they served us a three course meal (soup, salad, and a quiche dish thing) for the surprisingly small amount of 9 euros.

The Mediterranean Sea.

From Sete we had quite the experience on the train as we moved onto Florence, Italy. We've learned quickly that trains aren't always dependable. Someone told us that Thursdays are a terrible time to travel due to the all day strikes. Missing our connecting train in Nice, we were forced to spend the night, and take another train in the morning from Nice to Milan to Florence. The views of the French Riviera were incredible to say the least.

Kim on the train.

View from the train window overlooking the Mediterranean.

This is my favorite photo. View from the train overlooking somewhere. Monaco maybe?

So far everything has been easy and enjoyable, and a really good experience. Kim and I are currently in Florence, Italy and will post a new entry for that soon. And hopefully Kim will post some entries of her perspective on things. 

We are safe and sound and having a really fun time!

Camille

Montpellier

Knowing nothing about Montpellier except rumors of beaches, Kim and I without question headed south on the train from Carcassonne. As we were about to catch our train, bad news arrived via text message- our connection in Montpellier, a cousin of Kim's friend, fell through. We decided to still go, of course, and continued forward blindly. As we depart from the Gare, we check into the nearest hotel and head to an internet cafe to figure out hostels for the next few days. The next morning, trekking through the center of the city in search of our hostel, we are in awe of what we see. Montpellier is gorgeous with it's beautiful architecture and busy streets. Because there is a University of Montpellier, everything is hip, students everywhere. We've agreed that we both liked it here more than Paris. It actually seems more french in a way, it's modern and young built around the old glittering beauty and culture. 

The main square, view of Place de la Comedie.

Exploring the small, unique side streets, students occupying every inch!

The first thing that we do after checking into our hostel is head to the beach. Only a few miles to the coast, we figure out the tram and bus system easily and spend the rest of the afternoon basking in the hot Mediterranean sun, curling up with our books and journals in the warm white sand. The small town that our beach spot was located looked a lot like somewhere in California. The strip was filled with shops, gelato stands, palm trees, people showing too much skin...

Kim being thrilled that the water is actually warm!

Me with the brightest most unnatural color of gelato I could find. It was delicious.

Avenue off the beach strip with a boat filled canal to the left.

Kim drinking coffee at a cafe, typical behavior ;)

After that day at the beach, the weather took a turn for the worst forcing us to explore other attractions in Montpellier. We visited the Musee Fabre, seeing the amazing and inspiring work of Eve Gramatzki, Albert Ayme, Emil Nolde, and many others. We also ventured through theJardin de Plantes, where we saw all kinds of vegetation (and sneakily picked a few flowers for pressing) and saw the Palais de Justice and Place Royale du Peyrou. It all was breathtaking.

Random people in the Musee Fabre with the work of Pierre Soulages. Incredibly huge panels of what looked like thick combed tar. 

Kim on some steps in the Jardin des Plantes.

A lovely dinner out consisting of pizza, salad, and wine at Arezzo. Very gratifying.

Our last night in Montpellier, we found a vegetarian restaurant called Tripti Kulai. The most tasteful food I've had in a while.

We've decided to take the train to a little town directly on the beach called Sete, in hopes that the sun will come back for us. Montpellier overall was awesome, really fun and dazzling city. I highly recommend it to anyone.

C'est bon,

Au revoir

Camille

A night in Carcassonne

From the farm, on the way to Montpellier, Kim and I spent the night in the fortified city of Carcassonne. The city has expanded a lot beyond the original historic walls, though we were extremely fortunate that our hostel was directly in the walled city center. We could walk out the door into the the bustling life of the city, all day and night. It was very much like viewing Disney World from the eyes of a child; we were overwhelmed by the medieval magic of the castle.

Gargoyles outside of the church.

Inside of the church, the Basilica of Saint- Nazaire, built in the 11th century?

Inside of the Chateau, the Cite De Carcassonne, wooden walkway.

Paintings and sculptures inside of the Chateau.

View of the rest of the city outside, from the Chateau.

I was sick, and it was cold and windy, but it was neat to spend a day exploring around a medieval city, though it took only a day really. All of the shops and restaurants catered to tourism. So we picked up a few artsy nicknacks. Glad we bought eurail passes that enabled us to hop on and off trains without much worry.

Now onto Montpellier.

Camille