Rome, Italy (Roma)

I really enjoyed my stay in Rome as it is a very beautiful city. I was so amazed walking around the ancient ruins of the coliseum, monuments and churches. The Pantheon is very beautiful but it was not what I was expecting as the temple built for all the gods is now devoted to Christianity. There was not one picture in the building representing ancient Roman beliefs; however, it is still very beautiful as a Christian church.

The coliseum was amazing! It was as if I was feeling the energy of the millions of Romans who met there as I toured the ruins of the ancient structure. I also walked around another nearby area of ruins, some other plazas with monuments and threw a coin into the Trevy Fountain to ensure my return to Rome (it is believed that if you toss a coin over your right shoulder with your back facing the fountain you will return to Rome).

I met so many cool people from the hostel and was surprised as this was the first time I had been around so many Americans. The hostel was very small with only 20 travelers. We had many great times as we went out to dinner and went site seeing together. We even planned a day trip to the ancient ruins of Pompei, the city which was discovered and unburied from being preserved as it was covered in Ash nearly a 1000 years ago when Mount Vesuvius erupted in the first century. We happened to catch "La Notte Biance˝ which occurs one night a year and is translated as white night. On this night the whole city is a party as stays open all night long. It was packed with so many people that it took forever to get anywhere and we all felt like a massive crowd herding through the streets. It was good times as music was planning everywhere and the museums were even free and open until midnight. There was an area with beautiful lights all over the ground that changed colors and a moving concert on a portable stage which was going down one of the main streets and had a gigantic, mechanic praying mantus on it which was controlled by a woman sitting in the mouth. There was also staff and poi dancers spinning equipment that set off sparklers. That was very wild and I have to shop around for some to expand my fire dancing equipment.

Unfortunately I missed the Vatican as it closed early on Saturday and I arrived 20 minutes to late. I think I will try to plan a day trip back to Rome at the end of my trip so I can see Vatican City and St. Peters. I would also like to return to Napels so I can explore that town a little, return to Pompei to hike Mount Vesuvius and explore the Amalfi Coast. I just did not have enough time in Italy but I did not want to stay too much longer since I wanted to spend my birthday relaxing in Budapest before heading to Pecs for Earthdance. Italy is fairly close to Germany though which is the country my flight departs from to return to the US so I think if I plan correctly, I may be able to return to Italy for another couple of days.

Florence, Italy

Italy is a beautiful country, especially throughout the Tuscany area. I had a very good time in Florence and mostly due to the great people I met at the hostel I was staying at. It was so comfortable and the staff were so great I felt like I was at home rather than a hostel. I have especially been enjoying the cappuccinos throughout Italy and it is so great waking up with a solid Italian breakfast waiting for you and amazing cappuccinos. I do not think I will ever be able to order a cappuccino in America again. There is no comparison.

Florence is very beautiful with gardens on the outskirts of the center and churches every
where. I climbed the dome of the Duomo which consisted of over 460 steps to overlook the city of Florence. It was very beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air. I also went to the Museo de Academia which contains Michelangelo's David Statue and beautiful art from many artists.

On my last day in Florence I decided to take a day tour through the country side of Tuscany which was a 40 minute drive from the center of Florence. This tour was the highlight of my Euro trip as I learned how to ride a horse and went horseback ridding for two hours through rolling hills, fields, vine yards, sunflower fields and the woods. It was so amazing as I have always wanted to go horseback ridding. The horse I rode was so beautiful and her name was Nadir. After the ridding we took a break for some freshly picked grapes and drinks (I had cappuccino of course) before visiting a medieval castle from the 13th century for lunch and wine tasting.

Before heading to the castle we stopped at a vine yard to walk around and enjoy the view of the castle from a distance for pictures, taste some of the finest grapes in the world and enjoy the fragrance from the herbs naturally growing such as lavender, rosemary, sage and bay leaf.

The lunch was so great and I can honestly say it was the best Italian food I have ever had. We started off with bread and extra virgin olive oil from the olive trees in Tuscany followed by salad, a sampler plate of 3 different pastas and dessert. All throughout the meal we were brought 4 different Tuscany wines to taste, one of them which was claimed to be the best wine in the world. I know I have not had much experience in wine tasting but it was amazing and lives up it its reputation.

We were giving some time to walk around, enjoy the view of the country side and take pictures before heading back to Florence where I caught my train to Rome.

Barcelona, Spain

I decided I should stop off in Madrid again on my way up to Barcelona to visit the beautiful Parque del Retiro and Real Jardin Botanico (park and botanical gardens) for half a day. This gave me the opportunity to replace some of the pictures that I unfortunately lost when my camera was lost/stolen. I also found an international book store where I could find traveling books in English. Unfortunately, I was not able to replace the Lonely Planet guide I brought with me called Europe on a Shoestring; however, I did find another traveling book through a different publisher which will work just as well. It is not as detailed but much smaller and contains colored pictures which is always beneficial.

From Madrid, I took the night train to Barcelona where I stayed at a great hostile and meet some really cool people from Australia and London. We had great times as one of the guys we were hanging out with was from Barcelona so he knew the cool spots to take us.

Ramblas Street (the main street in Barcelona) was so much fun and full of entertainment as people dressed up in costumes and musicians played instruments for money. The street is full of shops, cafes, tourists and people trying to sell you souvenirs and cervesas (beer). It did get a little crazy at night as you can not walk down this street or sit and eat without being harassed by those selling stuff or belligerently drunk homeless people. None the less this is a great street, especially during the day.

The beach was very nice and relaxing as I treated myself to a 20 minute massage and laid out in the sun. Unfortunately, I got a bad sunburn on my legs but I was able to find some aloe vera which helped clear it up within a couple of days and alleviated the pain. There were also jelly fish warnings so we could not really go swimming. I even saw one as I briefly went in to get myself wet and to feel the Mediterranean water but I got out right away to avoid being stung.

I went to the Picasso museum which was very interesting as I know a lot more about Picasso's life and was able to see his progress as an artist though his first sketches in his youth to the well known pieces and everything in between. I was slightly disappointed that The Old Man Playing Guitar was not on display since it is my favorite painting from him but there was so much to see that my disappointed went away.

The Gothic Quarter was very interesting with a beautiful Cathedral as was the Sagrada Familia which is Neo-Gothic in style and is still under construction (from 1852 until approximately 2026) using Gauti's very detailed and amazing architectural design. This church uses nature for symbolism and once completed it will include 12 towers one for each apostle, topped with Venetian mosaics, a tower for the sacred heart (Jesus), and four towers representing the Evangelists. Within the towers there are amazing statues and carvings representing the facades of the Nativity, Glory, and the Passion of Christ. Absolutely beautiful! I can not wait to return to Barcelona in 20 years to see it completed.

I have had a great time over all in Spain but now I am off to Italy for a week...

Granada, Spain

I found Granada to be such a beautiful city, especially the Alhambra which contains the Moorish Palaces, old military fortress and very beautiful gardens. It was so amazing to see archaeological remains of the palace architecture as well as the nearly 1,000 year old palace overlooking all of Granada. It is so hard to believe a structure made of bricks, rocks, sand and possibly clay still standing strong after so many years. The view was gorgeous and the gardens were so beautiful full of flowers, trees and fountains. The Palace itself was so miraculous with detailed Moorish carvings along the interior walls, ceilings and courtyards.

It was very interesting to hear about the Muslim and Christian history of the Alhambra (through an audio guided tour). When I have some more time I will update this blog to include some of the interesting historical facts I learned.

The night life in Granada was fun as I went on a Tapas Tour with some of my hostel mates. I really love the idea of Tapas and think the United States should adopt the concept which is very popular in Spain. Tapas is when you receive a small plate of free food with the order of any beverage in a pub/bar. The best part is the drinks where anywhere from 1-2 Euros. So you could have free dinner buy purchasing a few drinks. On our tour we hit up 3 Tapas bars and I met some great people from Australia, England and Brazil, drinking some tasty Sangria and Spanish Wine.

During my last night in Granada the hostel cooked up an all you can eat buffet full of great vegetarian options for only 5 Euros. This was amazing because as a vegetarian I have had a difficult time finding a decent meal in Europe, especially for a price within my budget. I literally felt like I was eating a home cooked meal which consisted of Cesar salad, vegan minestrone soup, pasta with marinara sauce, pasta with a white cream sauce and a rice dish with oysters (although I avoided the oyster dish). I ate so much food that I could barley move afterwards but it felt great to eat a full course meal. Everything tasted amazing! Many thanks to the best hostile in Granada, The Oasis!!!

Sevilla, Spain

Unfortunately, I found this city to be the worst experience of my Euro trip so far. I know losing my camera, traveling books, translation guides, and personal journals contributed mostly to the bad experience (even though I tried to have a good time). I felt so lost without my traveling books, especially because I do not speak Spanish very well and was relying on my translation guides to communicate.

It was also so dreadfully hot that it was so hard to enjoy the site seeing. According to the temperature stated along the street thermometers is was anywhere between 36-40 degrees Celsius which is over 100 degree Fahrenheit. That is way too hot for me even when growing up in the desert of Southern California. My Humboldt skin is just not used to that kind of heat anymore.

I went to a few parks and gardens, sitting under the shade but it was too hot for me to really enjoy the relaxation. All I wanted to do was be in an air conditioned place so I spent most my time shopping for a new camera and trying to find traveling books in English (with no luck). As a result, I stayed in the hostel borrowing traveling books from other travelers, writing as much information down and hope to have better luck in the future cities I go to.

It was pretty expensive to replace my camera especially with the exchange rate but it was worth it to replace the exact model I lost and have high quality photos to remember my trip with. I defiantly learned my lesson the hard way.

Well, I am off to Granada and hope to enjoy this southern (and hot) city of Spain before heading off to Italy.

Madrid, Spain

I had a very relaxing and good time in Madrid. My hostel was pretty fun with a bar downstairs and great Sangria! Unfortunately,I only made one of the museums I was planning to go to but it was the best one in Madrid, El Museo Del Padro. I walk around for hours listening to the audio commentary in English. The paintings and sculptures were amazing. After the museum I went to The Real Jardin Botanico (botanical gardens) and walked around for hours. It was so beautiful!!!

Before I left Madrid, while I was waiting to catch my train to Sevilla, Spain, I relaxed in El Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park) which was one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen (besides Redwood park back home). I walked around the maze of vegetation for hours, got some sun by the boat lake and walked through the Rosaleda (rose garden).

I was very happy that I was able to sit under the shade of the trees and walk around with my bare feet in the grass and was even able to practice my flag poi adding to the many forms of entertainment throughout the park. I found someone playing the violin near an area under the trees in the grass where I could spin to the music and sound of the water from one of the many fountains nearby. That was the first time I have been able to practice since I have been in Europe and it felt really great. It was also fun to watch the excitement from the little Spanish children walking by and others who were impressed as well.

My train was a quick ride but unfortunately this beautiful day ended on a sour note as I lost one of my bags when I got off the bus to go to my next hostel in Sevilla which contained my traveling books and unfortunately my camera :(

I have been really upset about it ever since I arrived and when I could not find it I started crying. Two police officers were driving by and saw how upset I was so they stopped to see what was wrong. Unfortunately they did not speak very much English and my Español es no bueno (no good) so they took me to the police station where I could speak to an international police officer over the phone and file a police report. They were so nice (probably the nicest police officers I have met) and it was an interesting experience being in the back seat of those little tiny European police cars. (Too bad I couldn´t get a picture of it)

I really hope I left my bag on the bus and will be able to find it tomorrow morning when the bus station opens but unfortunately I am pretty sure I left it when I sat down to look at the map to find my hostel. It defiantly could have been worse since I could have lost the other bag I was carrying which contained my passport, Eurorail pass and money. I am trying to look on the bright side but I am still upset because I had some great photos of Madrid on there and now I will not be able to take any more pictures throughout the rest of my trip. :(

San Sebastian, Spain

This stop has been so relaxing and wet as the last three days have been full of pouring rain at the beautiful beach city of San Sebastian, Spain. Due to the stormy weather, these days have been full of laziness at the hostel as my hostel mates and I have been laying around, relaxing and watching movies all day. There was one day where the weather permitted site seeing so we spent the day hiking up to the "Jesus Statue" and relaxing on the beach.

I absolutely loved being at the beach and spent most the day there and hours in the night as well. The beach here reminds me of back home in Arcata but it was a little warmer of course. The ocean breeze and the sound of the waves crashing was meditative and balancing. I definitely needed the relaxation and solitude after being on the go in the main cities of Europe for the previous 2 weeks.

The hostel I am staying at is amazing and very fun. It was fairly small with only about 20 beds and had a community kitchen so I was able to go shopping and cook my own meals which was very nice. The owner of the hostel is Irish which resulted in a very fun and laid back environment. We all had great times.

Now I am leaving this beautiful place to the sunny city of Madrid but I defiantly will return to this city in the future when the weather lives up to its reputation.