Seville (Sevilla), Espana

On Wednesday evening, we arrived in Seville and after the usual confusion of finding the local transport, we were on the bus towards the apartment of Camille’s friend (Justin). We arrived in his neighborhood a block away from his abode but, with the help of the locals, were directed every direction besides the right one. Finally, the karate kid (a girl heading home from karate class) helped us find our way for which we were very grateful. We were greeted by a sickly Justin who apologetically explained that he wouldn’t be able to take us around but would equip us with a map and recommendations on things to do for our day in Seville. We retired for a much needed nights rest and awoke in the morning for a late breakfast and discussion on things to see.

We headed our across the river towards the historical buildings of Seville. After navigating the winding roads we found the Cathedral and entered the immense (3^rd largest in the world) church. We toured the main cathedral, the numerous chapels and the exterior grounds, all impressive architecture.

From there we made our way over to the Royal Palace next door, stopping for Tapas lunch in between. The tiled arches and vast manicured gardens, all in the Spanish Mediterranean theme made for a beautiful walk through the grounds. We took our time to admire the details of the tiles and follow the peacocks around in the gardens before continuing our tour through Seville.

We wound through the streets back towards the river and headed upstream towards the next bridge to cross over. Once back on the other side, we passed through the local areas of small streets and little shops before reunited with Justin at his apartment. Later in the evening, he joined us for another tapas dinner and some delicious ice cream before heading home to watch a movie. After the film, we chatted for a while before finally retiring to bed around 3:30am.

On Friday morning, we slept in before getting groceries to make a big brunch. We ate a plenty and soon it was time to head to the bus to the train station. We said our goodbyes and thank yous and headed to our final European destination.

Cordoba, Espana

From the Cordoba train station, we boarded the bus to our hotel in the Old Town. We found the quaint little neighborhood and after some help from a local ambulance driver, found the small street with our hotel on it. Unfortunately, in the confusion we missed the 10pm check in time and had to continue our search for a payphone to call the staff to let us in. Finally, we made contact and were let in to our pleasant hotel complete with a rooftop terrace. We had a snack and headed to bed with plans to meet up with another of Corinne’s friends (Laura) the next day.

In the morning, we toured the area viewing the famous Mosque and various shops in all of Old Town Cordoba. We found ourselves in the new town and browsed the shopping district before heading back to our hotel to meet Laura. She arrived and took us around; answering the questions we had about the history of the town and various other interests. She treated us to a late lunch in the main square before walking us back to our hostel and to the bus stop. We boarded and headed back to the train station where, after some confusion, we purchased a ticket for the next train heading West.

Madrid, Espana

We arrived in Madrid with directions Corinne’s friends’ (Alex and Sebas) apartment and easily navigated the subway to the neighborhood. Once we arrived, we stored our things before heading out to a café for local snacks and coffee. Later in the afternoon, we set out for an early dinner at El Tigre, a popular tapas bar that gives you a free full plate of food with each drink (2euro beer with lemonade) you buy. It was both delicious and incredibly affordable. From there, we walked the streets of downtown Madrid, passing statues and squares and stopping in various bars along the way. Finally after a few hours, the four of us headed home for the night.

In the morning, both Alex and Sebas left early for work so we had the day to ourselves. We returned to downtown to stroll in the park and do some shopping with plans to have lunch again at El Tigre but were surprised and confused to find it closed (still no explanation). As an alternative, we found a local grocer and instead bought supplies to cook ourselves a meal back at Alex’ apartment before we had to catch our train. We ate our fill, packed our things, and headed out to catch the next train South.

Barcelona, Espana (Spain)

Saturday evening we arrived in Barcelona and headed to our hostel on the main shopping street in town. We, as usual, arranged our things and quietly prepared for a night out (people were sleeping). At around 11pm we set out in hopes of festivities but were quickly informed that it was still dinner time and the parties don’t start until at least 1am. Hungry, we sat for a meal of Paella before finding a small pub on a side street that had cheap drinks. We had a few rounds in the casual atmosphere until it was nearing 1am. With a free pass to a club on the strip we headed that way. We finally found it with the help of the promoter and avoided some older gentlemen before ordering a round. We were shocked at the 9euro each prices but the drinks were made so we had to have them. We went from the main upstairs room down to the dance hall and out to the patio, checking out the place and people watching. After some dancing and such, we decided to call it a night and make the short walk home. On the way, Corinne found an abandoned bicycle and quickly took to riding it through the streets, happy as a clam. When we arrived back, she even brought it inside in the hopes it would be there waiting in the morning (no such luck). We settled in for bed and were soon asleep.

The next day, we had plans for a full day of shopping (our first for the trip) as Barcelona is known for its cheap finds. However, it was Sunday and as we all know, Spain is a very Catholic country and, Sunday being the Sabbath, everything was closed. Disappointed, we walked the streets window shopping and searching for someplace to dine for lunch. We chose an outdoor patio but soon regretting our decision as the combination of the pushy waiter and more sub-par food was less than desirable. We finished our meal and walked through the outdoor market before heading back towards the hostel to warm up. After some time of internetting and avoiding the resident creeper, we donned another layer of clothes and went out in search of a grocery store to buy supplies for dinner. We returned and had another run in with the resident creeper and spend the rest of the evening cooking, eating, internetting and avoiding him. Finally, we returned to our room and settled into bed with plans for another early train in the morning.

Liverpool, England

After a 6 hour bus ride, we arrived in the Liverpool bus terminal. After a little confusion as to which direction we were supposed to go, we successfully made the walk to our hostel in one of the old fashioned suburbs. We arranged our things, put a load of laundry in and headed out for another attempt at finding fish and chips. We succeeded this time, kind of, as the meal was incredibly cheap but equally sub-par. We returned home for showers and a continuation of laundry late into the night.

Saturday morning, we stored our bags and headed into town for a tour of the Beatles landmarks. We began at the Hard Days Night Hotel before passing the Cavern Club (the first performance venue for the Beatles). We browsed the shops on the main street in town on the way to the Beatles museum but unfortunately didn’t have time to do the tour. Instead we headed to a lesser known bar where John Lennon had done the murals in the basement in exchange for food which he was in art school. We arrived just at opening time and one of the knowledgeable staff members told us of their performances and John’s artwork all with entertaining tidbits of insider information.

We headed back towards the bus station passing the Cavern Club again on the way hoping it would be open. It was and we descended the winding stairs for a photo op of the now famous stage. Afterwards, we grabbed some English meat pies for lunch before grabbing our bags and heading off to the airport. Another flight awaited us.

London, England

We arrived at London Heathrow airport and took the tube into town to our hostel in the Bayswater neighborhood. Tired from the journey, we arranged our things and retired for an early bedtime. In the morning, we met the free walking tour beginning in the corner of Hyde park, descended the constitution hill towards Buckingham Palace and saw the royal carriage on the way (complete with the queen’s Bentley on its way to collect her).

From the Palace, we continued on to Price Charles’ abode and from there, passed the gentlemen’s clubs on the way to the square at the National Gallery. We passed the Prime Minister’s abode on the way towards the Cathedral and Big Ben. We ended our tour with a history story before we ventured up towards the theater district to see about ticket prices. We succeeded in getting half priced student tickets to Avenue Q for that evening and soon found ourselves with a few hours to kill.

We made the walk back to the National Gallery which boasts an excellent collection of quality works rather than a high quantity of unknowns. After a while of perusing the well known arts, we ventured around in search of internet, finding it at the local McDonalds. We stopped in a few shops on the way back towards the theatre and finally settled in for the show. It’s appropriate theme (a recent college graduate with no job or plan and a seemingly useless degree) hit home for us as we laughed along with the ridiculous puppetry and songs.

After the show, we set out on a recommendation for cheap fish and chips and, after finally finding the small tavern, decided against the 14pound price for each serving. Instead, we opted to make the long walk home and head straight to bed as it was growing late.

The following morning, after another tasty breakfast at the hostel, we set out for a full packed day walking all around London. We walked through Hyde park and over to Harrads, the huge department store, before viewing the change of the guards at Buckingham Palace. From there, we headed to Big Ben and crossed the river to the other bank. We passed the London Eye and various street vendors on our way to the Tower Bridge at the opposite end of town. Finally arriving after hours of walking, we crossed and sat overlooking the Tower of London, the former fortress which houses the Crown Jewels. After our rest, we continued on past Saint Paul’s Cathedral, stopping for a snack along the way. We visited the London Museum where we saw the Rosette Stone among other famous objects. From there, we walked towards downtown London and had a cheap but delicious dinner before doing a little browsing of the shops on our way home.

After our 9 hour excursion of consistent walking, we were pooped but this being our last night in London, we rested for only a few minutes before donning a coat and heading out to a pub for cider. Barely able to walk due to our painful feet, we hobbled our way home at closing time (11pm) and crawled into bed. We had a bus to catch in the morning, which we missed. However, we were able to book the next one at a cheap price which also granted us some free time. We took the subway up to the suburbs for a photo op at Abbey Road. After a few attempts, Camille was finally satisfied with a shot at the famous Beatles cover site.

We returned to the bus station and soon were on our way north, continuing the Beatles theme we had just begun.

Athenai (Athens), Greece

We arrived in the Athens bus station around 5am and were quickly confused as to where we needed to go from there. After some direction from the locals, we boarded a city bus into town and transferred to the subway towards our hostel. We arrived around 6:30 and knocked on the door in the hopes someone would be awake. Thankfully the staff was up and let us check in early and take a much needed nap before our day out.

We set out from the hostel after a few hour nap and stopped by the tourist information booth to get a map and some tips on things to see. We had lunch at the number one rated Slouvaki stand before making the walk towards the Acropolis.

We bought tickets (half price for students!) and began the ascent to the infamous ruins. Atop the Acropolis, we visited the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena and the ceremonial gateway. With views overlooking all of Athens, we spent some time picking out the famous buildings below. We saw the Temple of Zeus as well as the former Olympic track, home to the first modern games. Eventually, we made our way down from the Acropolis and walked the pedestrian streets over towards Zeus’ Temple and the Olympic track for a closer look. Afterwards, we headed home for a bit before dinner time.

In the evening, we took a tip from our guidebook and had dinner at a traditional yet quite modern restaurant, being greeted with shots of some traditional Greek alcohol. Afterwards, we walked up to the City Hall building to view the changing of the guards. We managed to arrive for the 8pm show and it was quite a spectacle. The dancing (high kicks, toe points, moon walks and spins) along with the pleated miniskirts (400 pleats, 1 for every year in the 400 year war) and not to mention the pompoms made for quite an exhibition. If you don’t believe us, watch this.

After that exhilarating performance, we returned for the night. In the morning, we rose for breakfast before storing our bags and heading out for another excursion in Athens. We passed by more ruins (Adrian’s Library and the First National Cemetary) before stopping by the market and having a pomegranate snack. We ended our time with an attempt to watch the guard change show again but were disappointed to find out that the dancing show we had witnessed the night before is not performed every hour. We walked back to our hostel, gathered our things, and headed to the airport via subway. This time, we had a plane to catch.

Kepkypa (Corfu), Greece

Upon check in at the Pink Palace, we were greeted by the cheery front desk girl and a free shot of pink ouzo. She showed us to our room complete with a private balcony overlooking the ocean. We arranged our things, set an alarm and took a much needed nap – vowing never again to use night transportation.

After a few hours, we donned our bathing suits and flip flops and headed down to the beach for a sea side walk along the coast and brief tanning session to the soundtrack of the waves. There, we watched the beautiful sunset before heading back up to the hostel for dinner time (our hostel included not only breakfast, but a 3 course Greek dinner every night). After eating, we returned to our room and decided to begin a book Corinne had been carting around since the beginning of our trip. Camille read aloud for almost an hour before we finally drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, we rose for breakfast before heading out to rent ATVs for the day. We got a quick lesson on how to use the vehicles and soon we were on our way, free to do as we pleased with a basic map of the island and a few recommendations on things to see.

Our first stop was a small village town. We rode through the weaving streets, wind in our hair, up to the mountaintop looking over the entire island.

From there, we descended to the nearby beach where we couldn’t help ourselves and went in for a swim. Afterwards, we laid in the sun until dry enough to continue our ATV journey.

Another beach stop took place before heading across the island to the main city of Corfu Town. It was a fun experience to drive on the main highway on an ATV (a legal street vehicle in Greece, apparently). We arrived in Corfu Town and toured the city’s different neighborhoods before stopping for a Greek lunch at a marina side restaurant. Afterwards, we stopped by the ruins of an ancient castle before heading back across the island to another beach.

The sun was setting and it was growing cold on our ATVs with only a light sweater. We planned the quickest route back to the Pink Palace and began our return which took longer than expected. Trying our best to ignore the cold wind and our numbing fingers, we finally arrived back and quickly ran up to our rooms, crawled into bed and did our best to get warm.

After some story time, we descended for dinner, another 3 course meal, and conversed with some of the more mature visitors at the hostel (rather than the spring break like enthusiasts whose sole goal was to get drunk). We finished the meal with discussions on plans to celebrate Halloween. The youngens were sporting some ridiculous outfits and had began the party so we went upstairs to change into our makeshift costumes and join the festivities. However, by the time we made it to the party, the others were too drunk with alcohol and flirtatious behavior to notice our presence. Being tired from our long day of ATVing, we had a drink or two then returned upstairs for a much needed night of sleep.

In the morning, we woke up early to shower and pack before check-out time. We stored our luggage and spent the day lounging around on the beach and such. We came across a praying mantis and spent a few moments figuring out how to reach the pomegranate tree across the way (we never came up with a plan that worked) before it was time for our bus into town.

The local bus, however, had been suspended for the season and we, along with some other girls from the hostel, had to make the hike back up to the Pink Palace with our luggage and pay the 5euro fee for them to drive us in. We had elected to take the night bus to Athens and boarded the full greyhound like vehicle and began our nine hour drive.

We learned two things on this drive: 1, Greeks do not believe in the “silent” function on their phones even if you are on a crowded bus at 3 am. In fact, the man behind us had not one, but two phones and was talking on one and texting with the other continuously. 2, a 20 minute stop for a smoke break is necessary every hour or so even if it means making the 415 kilometer drive into a 9 hour excursion. Anyway, we made it to Athens after a sleepless night.

Bari, Italy to Corfu, Greece

Once in Bari, we asked about directions to the port for our night boat to Greece. After fending off the pushy cab drivers, we boarded the bus to the port and were thankful to meet a fellow traveler, Matthew from Australia, heading the same way. We boarded together, stored our things, and sat for a drink in the restaurant. Quickly making friends with one of the waiters (a 50something year old Greek man named Ikram), we downed our bottle of wine and were gifted more from Ikram. After a few rounds, we bought some snacks and joined Ikram on the deck (his shift was over) and he gifted us some Ouzo for our first experience of the Greek spirit.

After all the drinks and conversation, we were again faced with the dilemma of our company having differing interests than ourselves. Apparently age is no factor in the romantic endeavors of European men as Corinne has come to find out. After declining invitations to private quarters, we made our escape to the very public sleeping room and did our best to get some shut eye before our arrival in Igoumenitsa, Greece. Forgetting the hour time difference, we were shocked when we arrived not only ahead of schedule, but at 4am according to our clock! We quickly packed up our things and were directed off the boat.

At the Igoumenitsa port, we were to catch a connection boat to the island of Corfu. Unfortunately for us, the ticket offices do not open until around 7am so we found some benches in the ferry terminal to lay down for a rest. Finally, we heard the bustle of human activity and were directed to the next port for the ferry to Corfu.

After some confusion as to what actual route we wanted, we bought our tickets and boarded our 1 hour ferry to the island of Corfu. We were thankful to see the van with our hostel logo on the side waiting for us. We loaded in and made the drive to the West side of the island to the Pink Palace.

Napoli (Naples), Italy

Wednesday evening, we arrived in Naples and made the way to our hostel where we were greeted with an incredibly spacious and modern abode. We happily settled in before heading out in search of dinner. With a recommendation from the staff, we found the then empty restaurant and sat to order our food. After a few minutes, patrons started flooding in and we were soon surrounded by the sights and sounds of an Italian meal. Our gracious waiter aided us in choosing our meal (stopping us before ordering too much) and at the end, gifted us with a basket of nuts and a bottle each of Lemoncello and Meloncello (complete in their own cello shaped bottles). We downed the delicious (and strong) drinks and made the wobbly walk back to the hostel.

The next morning, we ate a full breakfast in the hostel gardens before dressing, checking out and storing our baggage. We walked through downtown Naples, visiting some shops and passing through the main square before ending up at the marina.

Our time was growing short so we returned to the hostel to get our bags, and made our way to the train station to catch the next train to Bari, a port city on the east coast of southern Italy. We were concerned to find out that the train was full (the later train would cause us to miss our connection) but after some probing (and a change of ticket tellers) we were able to get a first class seat for only 8euro more. Thankful, we boarded our train and headed down to Bari.

Pompei, Italy

On Wednesday morning, we boarded an earlyish train to Pompei. For those who don’t know, Pompei is a civilization from around 60BC that was covered and lost by the explosion of a nearby volcano in 79AD. However, in the 18^th century, ruins were discovered and the ongoing process of uncovering the well preserved city began.

We toured the main parts of the city including former temples, shops, villas and brothels, all amazing preserved and seemingly so ahead of their time. Some of the buildings have the remains of humans and pets caught in the volcanic downfall and their perfectly preserved remains are chilling to view in person.

We ended our day at the Pompei coliseum, an impressively huge structure for such an ancient civilization. Afterwards, we picked up our luggage from the free luggage check and headed back to the train station to continue our tour through Italy.

Roma (Rome), Italy

We arriving in Rome in the evening and took to the streets to make our way to the hostel. We ended up, as usual, turning what should have been ten minute walk into a 30 minute roundabout until we finally ended up at our destination. We checked in and were shown to our room where we arranged our things and met some of the roommates before heading out in search of food. We strolled the main avenue in our neighborhood before deciding on a nice looking restaurant with cheap eats. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that they (like Kitsch in Florence) were offering a buffet with the purchase of a drink. Our drinks were fabulous and the food was both healthy and delicious. Satisfied, we made the short walk back to our hostel and prepared for bed. We opted to take showers that night rather than fighting the masses in the morning but were disappointed to find out the water was cold. We doused ourselves quickly in the attempt to get clean before finally going to bed.

We rose early, had breakfast and headed out to the bus station. We previously purchased hop-on hop-off open top bus tour passes for Rome and were excited to use them to see the city. It proved to be a helpful way to get around the city, view the sites and hear some historical information along the way. After a few stops, we chose to descend and begin our day at the infamous roman Coliseum. We waited in line and bought tickets for entrance which also granted us passes to the Mostra, Palatine and Foro. We started in the Coliseum itself, admiring the architecture and design and reading about the historical events that had happened at the site. We followed a few English tour groups around and heard accounts of the gladiator battles as well as the hunting games that were organized for civilian entertainment.

After exiting, we used our passes to enter the Mostra and Palatine areas of the grounds. Both are extensive ruins of ancient temples, bathhouses, mansions and other things dedicated to the gods. We finished looking down to what used to be the roman track.

We headed back to our bus stop and boarded for the continuation of the circuit around the city. We passed the chariot race track, important governmental buildings and the Vatican. A few stops later, we got off at the Triton fountain and made the short walk to the Spanish Steps. Along the way, we stopped at the Blue Ice gelato shop and had what we agree to be the best gelati each of us has ever had (and cheap too!). We ended up adding this gelato shop to our itinerary for the following day as well.

After descending the Spanish Steps and taking photos of the views, we walked back up to the bus stop at the Triton fountain and awaited the bus. It finally came and we finished the loop back towards the stop near our hostel. We returned home as our hostel offers wine and dinner at 6pm and we were excited for the free food and drink. We settled in the lounge to eat, drink and use the internet to book future plans (a time-consuming process). Finally, after some conversation and solidifying of plans, we prepared for bed.

We rose early again on Tuesday and donned our nicer clothing for today we were going to the Vatican (no shorts or bare shoulders allowed). We ate breakfast as the hostel before heading to the bus stop (our passes were good for two full days) and took the bus to the Vatican.

We entered Saint Peter’s Basilica and were immediately awe struck by both its size and splendor.

On our way out, we passed by the Swiss Guard post. They were sporting some festively awesome outfits so we stopped for a photo before continuing on our tour of the Vatican. Our next stop were the tombs of the popes (including the latest) where the tombstones vary in style, size and décor based on the era of the Papal Papa it is devoted to.

Next we made the walk through Vatican City, stopping for a snack on the way to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. After buying tickets, we toured through the museum with the masses of people through room after room before finally arriving at the famous Sistine Chapel. As usual, photos are not allowed but we snuck a few.

After the long museum tour, we excited the Vatican and headed back to the bus. We headed to our next destination, the Trevi Fountain. Its impressive size and detail makes for quite the photo and we each took turns throwing in our coins for both a wish and to signify our fated return to Rome someday.

After the Trevi Fountain, we walked through the streets perusing the shops and people watching before choosing a place for lunch. We ate our full of pizza and pasta (neither of which was that impressive, sadly) before continuing on to the bus stop. We rode a few stops before descending again at the Triton fountain for Blue Ice (delicious). Afterwards, we rode to the Rome City Hall, an incredibly large and lavish building designed by Michelangelo.

Growing close to dinner time, we decided to finish the loop heading back towards our hostel. At our stop, we visited the Santa Maria Cathedral, another impressively large and lavish roman cathedral. We were afforded the rare experience of viewing a traditional Latin mass, complete with the priest facing the alter away from the people in the original mass format, with chanting galore. We silently took in the experience before heading back to the hostel for dinner.

Unfortunately for us, this night’s dinner was pasta with red sauce with tuna mixed in. Corinne dislikes tuna and in general the dish had the air of cat food so we opted to pass on the meal. We found a friend from the night before, Chris from Seattle, and asked him if he’d like to join us for dinner and drinks at the restaurant we’d told him about the first night. He agreed and after some brief preparation, we headed out. After the meal we ventured to a small pub down a side street and chatted with the American bartender about travels and such. After a long conversation of various topics, we headed back to the hostel, said our good byes and headed to bed. This was our last night in Rome and a new adventure awaited us in the morning.

Observations Abroad

1. Ketchup is different in every country. Sometimes it tastes like sweet and sour sauce, while sometimes it has a zesty curry-like spice. You never know what you’re gonna get.

2. The original Nokia ring tone is alive and well in Europe.

3. The French like to turn their historical monuments into roundabouts.

4. It is an accepted pastime for local men (regardless of age) to loiter at tourist destinations on their days off from work in hopes of meeting women (regardless of age as well).

5. Gelati.

6. Employees tend to have a rude disposition in general.

7. If you are walking through a market, do not touch, point or even look at anything you might be interested in. The salesman will be there in an instant to pressure you into buying it (or in our case, awkwardly saying no).

8. Europeans do not like Americans.

Pisa, Italy

We arrived for our short stop in Pisa at the main train station. We stored our bags and (with our unlimited train passes for each travel day) caught the next train to the station closer to the Leaning Tower. With no map at all, we headed in the general direction we thought it to be and were elated when our sights were set upon the tower. We entered the grounds and passed the various booths and shops before stopping for photos with the piece de resistance: the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

After admiring the building and its neighboring church, we headed back to the train station, back to the main train station, got our bags and boarded our train to continue our journey heading South.

Firenze (Florence), Italy

We arrived at the train station in Florence with simple directions to take the 23 bus 5 stops, look for the Blue River bar and turn left. However, there are 3 23 line options, the routes were changed (we asked an English speaking woman on the bus for help) and the Blue River bar is not within view of the bus stop (we didn’t find it until our last day). After wandering the streets of the neighborhood for a good 45 minutes, some passersby helped us out by mapping the address and pointing us in the right direction.

We entered our hostel (a huge converted apartment) and were greeted by a less than enthusiastic employee with little English. We stood awkwardly while he made our beds and were glad when two other hostel dwellers entered (we hadn’t seen anyone else in the whole place). We paid for our room and conversed with our roommates before settling into bed.

We rose the next morning at 9am and set out with a full plan for the day. After the first 3 stops on our plan ended up either having higher prices, ridiculous lines or just being closed all together for Saturday, we ended up on the steps of the Duomo with a full day on our hands to plan. We decided to browse the leather shops and squares on the way to the Piazza de Michelangelo, a hilltop space with views of the city and countryside. We hiked up to the top and enjoyed the scenery, sitting on a bench for a bit to rest our legs.

After hiking back down, we passed a small sign for a free museum. Curious, we entered the former home of NAME to view his collection of art. He had lived in the WWII era and devoted his life to collecting works of art in the hopes of saving them from the Nazis. Upon his death, he left his home (and the collection within it) to the public of Florence to be used as a free museum so that anyone could enjoy art. We toured the main floor of his home, all the while being followed by the museum staff (friendly but little English). At the end, they gifted us with small bookmarks before we exchanged ciaos and exited the estate.

We returned to our hostel to use the internet to make plans for the next leg of our journey. After a while, we were growing hungry and excited for our dinner plans. We donned another layer of clothes and headed back out into town. Along the way, we passed through a street market full of foods, trinkets and leather goods galore. A salesman, seeing Camille eyeing the leather jackets, brought us into his shop and had Camille trying on jacket after jacket even though she’d said she couldn’t afford one. He lowered his prices more and more, even offering to make a custom jacket to her exact specifications but alas, the commitment and pressure was too high and Camille had to decline. We exited with apologies but they fell on deaf ears as he was clearly so upset he couldn’t even say good bye.

We continued through the market before turning up the street towards our destination. A bar and lounge called Kitsch that our friends in Venice had told us about. For 8euro, you get a full size drink (any drink you want- Camille had a mojito and Corinne a pimm’s cup) and an all you can eat pass to the buffet full of fresh veggies, various salads, other delicious mixed goods. We ate our full and enjoyed the ambiance of the bar itself, a bohemian Middle Eastern vibe with chill thumping music and mood lighting and décor. After finishing, we cleared out so that our table could be used (we got there just in time before the crowd) and headed back to the hostel.

We used the internet for a while before settling in to watch Finding Nemo (Corinne fell asleep in the first 20 minutes) before heading to bed. We had, again, a morning train to catch.

Venezia (Venice), Italy

We arrived in Venice on Thursday evening and made the easy walk to our hostel winding through the small streets and bridges over the famous canals. We were greeted by a friendly staff and, after storing our things, we settled in for an evening with the other hostel stayers. Dinner was included at this hostel so everyone enjoyed sangria and music in the kitchen while our hosts prepared the meal. After a while of drinking (sangria and a jungle juice concoction) we finally ate our paste meal. The mood soon turned back into party mode and we enjoyed an evening full of random conversation with cheerful guests. Finally around 1am, we settled into bed for a much needed rest. Or so we thought. Camille was kept up almost the entire night due to bed bugs (apparently they don’t enjoy the taste of Corinne). She woke the next morning covered in bites, itching and red. After slathering on some cream, we set out for our day in Venice.

Along with some friends we’d made the night before, we made the winding walk to San Marco’s Square. We were hoping to catch a ferry to the nearby island of Lugano but the ferry-men were on strike. With a boat taxi costing 60euro each way, we decided to opt for something else. We toured the inside of the cathedral on the square and wandering the small streets before finding an agreeable place for lunch. After the meal, we took a 50cent gondola ride across the biggest canal. The speedy ferry is packed so full you have to stand for the duration of the ride (ignore that no standing in a boat rule). We wobbly made it across, clutching our neighbors in the hopes of not tipping the boat. Successful, we celebrated with gelato with our friends.

After returning to the hostel, we grabbed our bags and headed to the train station. As usual, we had another train to catch.

Milano (Milan), Italy

We stopped in Milano for our first afternoon in Italy. After storing our bags we began the walk into town. We stopped at a cute restaurant where we heard a lot of Italian being spoken so we figured we’d give it a shot. After a huge meal of pasta, pizza and wine, we were stuffed. We had about an hour before our train so we ventured further into town, however, we do not think we ever found Milan, or at least not the Milan we believed it to be. Expecting fancy streets of fancy shops we were confused by the financial district feel full of random bistro type cafeteria restaurants. Slightly disappointed to not have more time to find the true heart of the city (assuming there is one), we returned to the train station and awaited our train.

Grand Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland

We arrived just after 9pm at Lucette’s apartment still unsure that she had gotten the call from Camille’s mom that we were coming. With the lights out, we carefully tried the door which proved to be open. Lucette was in the back living room and after finally hearing our entrance, was overjoyed for our return. She sat us down for dinner and poured us a glass of wine for Camille’s birthday meal. After dinner, a cake (complete with candles) was had and we finally retired to a good night’s rest in a familiar place.

We decided to spend two nights in Grand Saconnex so we spent a good portion of the following day doing the three loads of laundry we had accumulated on our journey. Two of Camille’s cousins joined us for lunch. We ran errands with Lucette before stopping by Camille’s uncle’s house to use the internet. With no one home, we sat in the garden huddled under an umbrella to hide from the rain. Thankfully, Camille’s cousin came home and let us inside just in time. We planned a few things before heading back to Lucette’s once the rain had subsided.

That evening, Camille’s two girl cousins picked us up for a night out to celebrate Camille’s birthday. We went to a Geneva University bar called Calamari (whose logo is actually a moose). We ordered dinner and drinks and enjoyed an evening of conversation about travels, the economy and various other topics. After a few rounds, we called it a night and returned to Lucette’s to gather our now dry laundry and pack our bags. Our time in Geneva was over again as we settled in for our last night before another early train and sad goodbyes from Lucette in the morning.

Paris, France

We arrived in Paris via the Paris Airport Station as it was the only train with seats available. Upon arrival, we had to figure out the subway system into town and, while waiting in line to buy tickets, were rushed to catch the last train into town (for free!). From the main Gare du Nord station, we routed our way to the hotel we reserved for the night. Like Prague, a small hotel room ended up being cheaper than a hostel for the first part of our stay in Paris. We arrived at the Andre Gill Hotel in Montemart and were shown to our room. We had to take turns riding up the elevator to our fifth floor abode as the small lift could only fit one person and a bag at a time.

We settled in for bed, which was quite comfy, and watched some TV until sleep time. The following day, we went out to breakfast as a small café just next to the famous Notre Dame cathedral. After eating, we walked to the meeting point for the afternoon free walking tour of Paris.

With the tour we passed by Notre Dame, the river, pont neuf, the Louvre, the Louvre gardens, the Egyptian sprire, passing famous palaces and hearing the history of Paris along the way before ending in view of the Eiffel Tower. Once the tour ended, we walked to a nearby market and headed to the Eiffel Tower for our own tour of the famous architectural facet.

We waited in line before taking the lift up to the very top. On our way up, we had to stand in the rain waiting for the next elevator but it (thankfully) died down before we summated. At the top, we took photos all around of the city below, pointing out the famous landmarks we’d visited that day, and enjoyed the sunset on Paris. Growing cold from the wind, we found a bench inside and sat to enjoy our French meal we had brought for the occasion: a baguette, some salami and a round of cheese. Full, and after taking another glance at the twinkling lights of the city, we descended and headed home for the night.

On our next day in Paris, we were faced with confusion about our hotel reservation. Our attempt to extend it at the same rate was denied so, after a little research, we moved to a nearby hostel just up the hill. We were greeted by a friendly staff and after dropping our bags we headed out for our second day in the city.

We took the train out to Versaille and spent the day moseying along the palace grounds. After a disappointing lunch from a local shop, we bought a full pass ticket which gave us access to the palace interior, the gardens (including the musical fountain), and Marie Antoinette’s chateau and separate gardens. We began in the palace itself, a humongous building full of both original furniture and décor as well as more museum like area to learn about the history. We spent a good two hours walking around with our audio guides, punching in the codes for each room and hearing the explanations. Finally, when we finished, it was just in time to catch the end of the musical fountain spectacle.

We exited the mansion and entered the gardens, lavish and manicured to a T. We found a good seat and waited for the musical fountain show to begin as we were told another started at 5pm. We sat on the main steps and counted down to our expected Bellagio-like experience. However, it turns out the show finishes at 5 and the music that had been playing (we thought it was just general background music) WAS the show. At 5pm, the music stopped and the fountains were turned off. Versaille apparently can’t afford to run their fountains all day.

Disappointed we were able to catch the last musical spectacle in another part of the garden, the Neptune Fountain. A much more dramatic show took place as the build up of the fountains matched the booming music this time. The show ended and we hurriedly made the 10 minute walk through the gardens down towards Marie Antoinette’s portion of the estate as it was 5:40 and the last entry into that area was at 6pm.

We arrived at the gate to Marie Antoinette’s house at 5:50pm ready to show our passes but there was no one to be found. The gates were closed and locked and, not being the only ones confused, we finally tracked down an employee who simply said it had already closed. Disappointed, not only to have missed that entire portion of the Versaille experience, but also that we had paid for the full pass and been given the wrong times for things, we angrily headed back to the main palace to have a word with the ticket lady in hopes of a partial refund. However, upon our return, there was absolutely no staff to be found besides the bathroom attendant. Apparently Versaille employees not only leave the premises, they leave early. We wondered about the security since the garden grounds were now opened to the public and joggers and bicyclists were passing through. We sat to watch the sunset before heading back to the train station to go back into Paris after our long day at the palace.

That night at the hostel, we were awoken around 2am by our Australian roommates who were apparently sneaking in a female friend as well. We pretended to just be asleep while they chatted and arranged their things before finally heading to bed. Thankful, we went back to sleep. But this was not the end of our Australian roommate shenanigans. At 7am, the sounds of kisses filled the air and as breathing quickened, we had our first experience as witnesses to a roommate’s happy ending morning wakeup. Shortly thereafter, our alarm went off and we began our last day in the city with much relief to be leaving our Aussie “friends.”

We began our self guided tour around the city at the Bastille.

Next we went to the Pantheon.

Another stop at the Notre Dame, this time going inside.

We stopped for lunch on a cute street of shops before heading to the Louvre. Happy not to have a line, we entered through the famous pyramids, bought tickets and got maps of the enormous museum. We made the rounds, seeing famous masterpieces all around, among them the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Royal Crown (which was adorned with cameos rather than the expected jewels). After three hours of walking and getting lost in the museum our feet were tired so we sat on a random bench to plan the rest of our evening. We finally mustered up the energy to exit the Louvre but not before passing by the famous inverted pyramid.

We caught the subway over to the Champs Ellysee to take in the sights of Paris’ most famous avenue. We browsed the huge Louis Vuitton store and a few others before arriving at the Arc de Triumph.

After a photo session, we again caught the train back towards our neighborhood of Montemart, stopping at the Sacre Coeur cathedral. We found a grocery store and bought another Parisian meal this time with the addition of a bottle of wine. We climbed the steps of the church and took photos of the city below. We watched the Eiffel tower light up and settled in on the steps for our meal as the setting sun commenced its descent.

After a while, and the bottle of wine, we were making conversation with the locals which included the beer salesmen. (These guys buy a 24 pack of Heineken, hike up to Sacre Coeur and sell them for 2euro a piece). After some chatting, they gave us a deal of 2 for 3euro. We soon found ourselves accompanied by two random Parisians and another round was had, then another. The four of us walked to Les Escaliers Allumes (the stairs of light) and admired the twinkling LEDs lining the steps. We sat and chatted for a bit before we decided enough was enough (we clearly had differing intentions than our accompaniment) and bid them adieu. We began our walk back to the hostel (a 10 minute journal that turned into 40 due to a not to scale map) and soon realized the Camille’s ipod touch had been lifted. The only plausible explanation is that our “friendly” chap had taken it. Sad to have such an unfortunate ending to a good last day in Paris, we finally found our hostel and settled into our new room for the night.

We were greeted by friendly roommates and spend the evening chatting, laughing and counting down to Camille’s birthday at midnight. Shortly thereafter we all retired to a good night’s sleep. In the morning, we packed our things and sat down to use the internet in hopes of some sort of plan. At this point we were either going to London or Spain, each of which depended on messages back from friends in those locations. After an hour of confusion and frustration, we finally decided to take the next train back to Geneva, our home away from home. Happy to have a plan, we set out towards Gare du Nord only to find out that trains to Geneva leave from a different station. With the hopes of catching the next train, we quickly jumped back on the subway and prayed to make it in time. Successful time-wise, we were disappointed to find out that the train was full and we would have to wait another hour for a train via Lyon. We sat for lunch at the train station restaurant where Corinne treated Camille to a birthday meal. Finally, we boarded the train and began our journey back to where we had started, Geneva.