Day 15 - 22 Sept 09:
A lot of people decided to rent cars today to get into town and Bec, Amanda and I decided to try and catch the bus into town because it was heaps cheapest option.
We get up and dressed and decide to try and catch the 11.30 bus into town. There are about 10 of us that are waiting to catch the bus. We all waited for about 30 minutes and then some people gave in and got cabs and so Amanda, Bec and I waited until 12.45 for the bus. We then decide that we were going to lay by the pool instead and catch up on some sleep. We walk to the market up the road and get some snacks. The biggest ice cream cone EVER!! And a packet of chips. We take our food and go to lay by the pool and 10 minutes later….what shows up….THE BUS!!! “Oh well!” We lay by the pool and some other people show up and we are having a good time.
We had dinner by the pool and then rented our sheets for the Toga Party later that night. We headed back to our room and got ready for the Toga Party. Only I paid attention during the demonstration of toga making so I dress Amanda, Bec and myself. Bec went on the hunt for greenery and comes back with an awesome find; so much stuff to choose from!! We get dressed and decide to have some pre-drinks in our room because we bought Grappa in Sorrento and did not want to carry it around anymore. Grappa is pretty much the Italian version of Eau d’Vie. We each have a shot of it and just about die. We head down the hill and find some other people partying on their balcony. We go and get the Grappa and convince some others to have some shots as well. The pictures are priceless!!
Finally get down to the Toga Party and roll in Posse style! The drinks and dancing commences and Amanda even danced!!! It proceeded to be a messy night and whoever decided that a tile dance floor would be the best was stupid. People are spilling their drinks, which I contributed to as well, and dropping bottles and such. I definitely got taken out on the dance floor and hit my knees pretty hard as well as my head. Bec buys me a drink and we do yoga breaths and Amanda takes me up to the room to make sure I don’t have a concussion. So my night is cut short but the stories the next morning are amazing!!
25.9.09
I’m On a Boat!
Day 14 - 21 Sept 09:
Waken up by a call at 8.30 fro Chachi that says, ‘The bus was meant to leave 2 minutes ago, get down here.’
After the mess of last night, no one knew what time breakfast and George’s Boat was! During Chachi’s introductions of the optionals, he did not give us a choice, we had to do this one; 30E gone.
Definitely 30E well spent. We got onto George’s Boat and got an introduction and we were off to do some water sports at our first stop. We get there and I was not planning on doing anything but sleeping on the beach and trying to catch up on my sleep from the night before that I did not get.
But after watching the first few people do Parasailing, it looked way too fun to not do. Bec and I decide that the 32.50E is worth it to parasail. We are watching everybody take off and some are graceful and some almost hit the deck during takeoff. It was Bec and my’s goal to look at least a little bit graceful.
We were number 12 and when Bec was running down the deck to take off, she couldn’t run properly and we didn’t realize that the reason she could not run properly was because she was not sitting in her harness correctly. Now she wasn’t going to fall to her death, but she was definitely uncomfortable for the 5 minutes we were up in the air. While I am sitting in the harness, Bec is definitely star fishing it in her harness. Bec’s camera is waterproof so we took it up in the air with us and got some photos.
After parasailing we had lunch and fought with the wasps. Who would have thought that there would be some big ass wasps and hornets in Greece? Not me, that’s for sure. We had our first take of Tziki (sp?) dip. Garlic and cucumber!! Yummy!!
After lunch a bunch of us decided that we were going to ride on the banana raft. The Banana is a raft that holds 10 people sitting in 2 lines of 5. It was tons of fun but the hardest thing to get back into when you fall off! There were lots of sore people the next day from trying to get back into that dang banana!
We laid on the beach for a while, while everyone was doing tubes and stuff and we left about 3pm from water sports.
We then headed to Skinny Dippy Island. Yes, the name implies exactly what you are thinking, and I’m thinking, “When in Greece…” 41 out of 50 partook in Skinny Dippy Island #1. My tip for skinny dipping, take your swimsuit with you into the water and go first!
We then got back on the boat, George informs us that that was a practice round and we were now going to the real Skinny Dippy Island. Only 20 of us partook in Skinny Dippy Island #2, still great fun though.
When we got back we took a nap in our room and woke up for dinner. There was going to be a pool party later that night and we wanted to be fresh for the party. We got up for dinner and decided to take another nap between dinner and the party because we had about 2 hours. We woke up 14 hours later at 9 the next morning…Whoops!
Waken up by a call at 8.30 fro Chachi that says, ‘The bus was meant to leave 2 minutes ago, get down here.’
After the mess of last night, no one knew what time breakfast and George’s Boat was! During Chachi’s introductions of the optionals, he did not give us a choice, we had to do this one; 30E gone.
Definitely 30E well spent. We got onto George’s Boat and got an introduction and we were off to do some water sports at our first stop. We get there and I was not planning on doing anything but sleeping on the beach and trying to catch up on my sleep from the night before that I did not get.
But after watching the first few people do Parasailing, it looked way too fun to not do. Bec and I decide that the 32.50E is worth it to parasail. We are watching everybody take off and some are graceful and some almost hit the deck during takeoff. It was Bec and my’s goal to look at least a little bit graceful.
We were number 12 and when Bec was running down the deck to take off, she couldn’t run properly and we didn’t realize that the reason she could not run properly was because she was not sitting in her harness correctly. Now she wasn’t going to fall to her death, but she was definitely uncomfortable for the 5 minutes we were up in the air. While I am sitting in the harness, Bec is definitely star fishing it in her harness. Bec’s camera is waterproof so we took it up in the air with us and got some photos.
After parasailing we had lunch and fought with the wasps. Who would have thought that there would be some big ass wasps and hornets in Greece? Not me, that’s for sure. We had our first take of Tziki (sp?) dip. Garlic and cucumber!! Yummy!!
After lunch a bunch of us decided that we were going to ride on the banana raft. The Banana is a raft that holds 10 people sitting in 2 lines of 5. It was tons of fun but the hardest thing to get back into when you fall off! There were lots of sore people the next day from trying to get back into that dang banana!
We laid on the beach for a while, while everyone was doing tubes and stuff and we left about 3pm from water sports.
We then headed to Skinny Dippy Island. Yes, the name implies exactly what you are thinking, and I’m thinking, “When in Greece…” 41 out of 50 partook in Skinny Dippy Island #1. My tip for skinny dipping, take your swimsuit with you into the water and go first!
We then got back on the boat, George informs us that that was a practice round and we were now going to the real Skinny Dippy Island. Only 20 of us partook in Skinny Dippy Island #2, still great fun though.
When we got back we took a nap in our room and woke up for dinner. There was going to be a pool party later that night and we wanted to be fresh for the party. We got up for dinner and decided to take another nap between dinner and the party because we had about 2 hours. We woke up 14 hours later at 9 the next morning…Whoops!
Corfu-licious
Day 13 - 20 Sept 09:
We had to be on the bus by 7 to make our 2pm ferry to Corfu. Everyone slept on the bus and Idim being the machine that he is, we skipped our first services stop and went straight onto the second.
Now that we were heading into Greece we had to learn that everything runs on ‘ish’ time. So this means that if the bus is supposed to come at 2.00, it won’t actually come at 2, it will come at 2-ish. Trying to drive us punctual Americans nuts, they are! Haha.
So our ferry was supposed to leave at 2, but being on -ish time, it definitely did not leave at 2, more like 2.45; our first lesson in -ish time.
Once on the ferry we ordered our tour t-shirts, and then I went for a mad nap!! I woke up in time for dinner and joined everyone on the back patio for some convo. Dinner was good and despite leaving the dock late, we arrived into Corfu on time.
Once we got to Corfu Village we loaded our bags into a van to get them up the hill, after the hill in Sorrento, I’m thinking ‘This hill can’t be worse than that…’ WRONG!!!
We meet the reps and go up to our rooms. This hill is like driving up the side of a mountain doing switchbacks….and we have to walk it because our rooms are halfway up the hill, not as bad as they could have been, but not the best either.
We get our bags and go explore our new rooms. After 4 nights of having no room where we were sleeping, our room was HUGE in Corfu!! Bec, Amanda and I decided to room together because at the end of the day, we do not have to be social with each other, we can just lay in bed and sleep, good choice!
They opened up the bar for us and we met Spiros…..Spiros is the best bartender in the world!! He makes mad strong drinks for the 5E we are paying for a cocktail, definitely worth it. In most of his drinks, there is 2/3 alcohol and 1/3 mixer!! Needless to say that after 3 of Spiros’ cocktails and a flurry of no sleep, there is some nakedness that ensues at the pool downstairs later.
Finally went to bed and 4.30am.
George’s Boat Tomorrow!!
We had to be on the bus by 7 to make our 2pm ferry to Corfu. Everyone slept on the bus and Idim being the machine that he is, we skipped our first services stop and went straight onto the second.
Now that we were heading into Greece we had to learn that everything runs on ‘ish’ time. So this means that if the bus is supposed to come at 2.00, it won’t actually come at 2, it will come at 2-ish. Trying to drive us punctual Americans nuts, they are! Haha.
So our ferry was supposed to leave at 2, but being on -ish time, it definitely did not leave at 2, more like 2.45; our first lesson in -ish time.
Once on the ferry we ordered our tour t-shirts, and then I went for a mad nap!! I woke up in time for dinner and joined everyone on the back patio for some convo. Dinner was good and despite leaving the dock late, we arrived into Corfu on time.
Once we got to Corfu Village we loaded our bags into a van to get them up the hill, after the hill in Sorrento, I’m thinking ‘This hill can’t be worse than that…’ WRONG!!!
We meet the reps and go up to our rooms. This hill is like driving up the side of a mountain doing switchbacks….and we have to walk it because our rooms are halfway up the hill, not as bad as they could have been, but not the best either.
We get our bags and go explore our new rooms. After 4 nights of having no room where we were sleeping, our room was HUGE in Corfu!! Bec, Amanda and I decided to room together because at the end of the day, we do not have to be social with each other, we can just lay in bed and sleep, good choice!
They opened up the bar for us and we met Spiros…..Spiros is the best bartender in the world!! He makes mad strong drinks for the 5E we are paying for a cocktail, definitely worth it. In most of his drinks, there is 2/3 alcohol and 1/3 mixer!! Needless to say that after 3 of Spiros’ cocktails and a flurry of no sleep, there is some nakedness that ensues at the pool downstairs later.
Finally went to bed and 4.30am.
George’s Boat Tomorrow!!
The Vatican, Real Italy (Sorrento), and the BEST Gelato EVER!!
Day 11 - 19 Sept 09:
This morning we got to go to the Vatican.
Yesterday Chachi had told us to not join a tour that we didn’t pay for because it was tacky…but today he tells us to do so because that way we don’t have to stand inline between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica…this is our plan for the day.
We get to the entrance to the Vatican and have to stand in line because it isn’t open yet. Chachi leaves us and meets us later.
Once inside the Vatican you can only go into the Sistine Chapel building from the security checkpoint. The building winds its way through a museum of sorts of Christian art. There is everything from tapestries to paintings to contemporary art as well. We finally got to the Sistine Chapel. I was surprised that it wasn’t round, I had expected it to be round, it was square instead. At first while inside I was not sure that it was the Sistine Chapel but after looking around and seeing all the people and guards walking around making sure that people weren’t taking pictures. Of course Bec and I got some sneaky pictures…who do you take us for?
After leaving the Sistine Chapel we tack onto a tour and walk through the tombs of the Popes. The only security guards were around Pope John Paul II’s tomb. After walking out of the Sistine Chapel we realize that the tour we tacked onto isn’t speaking English…haha…so we find a tour that is speaking English and attempt to follow them into St. Peters Basilica. We made a mistake, it looked like the building of St. Peter’s Basilica was the building we just came out of so we left the tour we were following and just decided to get in on our own.
After we got into St. Peter’s Square we took a look at the line to get into St. Peter’s Basilica and it was horribly long….so what do Bec and I do? Cut about 3,000 people in line! YAY for acting like pushy American Tourists!!! So at this checkpoint to get into St. Peter’s Basilica they are just checking bags. There is a wooden fence that starts the line and then the line wraps around St. Peter’s Square. Bec and I walk over to the wooden fence, just where it ends and when the line moves, we just cut in line….and it works!! We only waited in line for about 10 minutes.
Once inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the church that they have pulled apart Rome for, it is beautiful. There is so much to look at, from the floor to the ceiling and everything on the walls.
Chachi meets us after St. Peter’s Basilica to take us to lunch and a pizza place that is quick so that we can get on the road to Sorrento. The pizza place is small and so we don’t all fit inside. I get inside and get lunch for me and Bec. I get just what looks like bruschetta and cheese pizza. Its only when I get outside that I realize that the ‘bruschetta’ had anchovies on it….Bec and I spilt the cheese pizza and Bec, with her traveler’s hat on, Bec decided to try an anchovy. She spits it out immediately and then gags…needless to say that we threw out the rest of the pizza.
We walk to the train station to meet Idim at the end of the line to get on the bus to drive to Sorrento. We go into the train station and Chachi sends us down to the platform to get on the train. When the train comes, my group assumes that Chachi is with the other group and vice versa. It is about 30 seconds in, that we realize that Chachi isn’t on the train…what to do, what to do….he didn’t tell us exactly where we were going, “Oh Well.” There were too many chiefs and not enough Indians when this problem arose. We get off at the second stop and decide to wait to see if Chachi is on the next train. He is! We get on and meet Idim at the end of the line.
We drive to Pompeii and get our first experience of the mafia. They pay the coach’s parking fees in return for us eating at their restaurant. We have about 20 minutes and then have to meet our tour guide for our walking tour of Pompeii.
1/3 of Pompeii is still under ash and will never be recovered. We saw everything from bakeries to a snack store to the city brothel!! Inside the brothel there were frescos on the wall for the customers to pick as to what they wanted.
On the drive from Pompeii to Sorrento we saw a Lemonade Stand!! It was a giant plastic lemon complete with lemon squeezer!! Too bad we didn’t stop to see how their lemonade compares…
Once in Sorrento it was nice to be in ‘Real Italy.’ There were no other tour buses and we were not hassled at all. We had a bit of free time before dinner and walked around a market street. Some of the stuff was beautiful!!
Dinner was very nice and very Italian!! After dinner we had some more free time until we went to the campsite. Bec, Andrew and I walked to the end of the street and went into an Italian Supermarket and bought some grappa. Chachi told us about his favorite gelato place in all of Italy. There were probably 100 flavors of gelato. It took me about 15 minutes to decide what flavors to get. I decided on chocolate orange, chocolate mousse and a Kinder flavor (Kinder is a brand of candy). It was very very good, if anyone ever goes there it is on the main street in Sorrento and about 3 blocks up on the right-hand side with a waterfall on the inside…you cant miss it.
Once we got to the campsite, we had to walk down a giant hill After getting to our closet of a room, Bec and I walk back up the giant hill to get Wifi!! First Wifi of the trip!! On the way back to our cabins we get lost….we walked around the campsite in the dark for about 30 minutes before meeting up with Amanda and T who are also lost. We get to a point where we see our cabin name on a sign but can’t find it. We start calling ‘Chachi!!!’ and who walks down the hill with his suitcase, CHACHI!!! We are laughing and cracking up so much that he first asks who is sober, Bec and I raise our hands, and he points us in the right direction. Our cabin had a beautiful view of the water. We were bums that night and went to sleep cos we had to leave early the next day.
This morning we got to go to the Vatican.
Yesterday Chachi had told us to not join a tour that we didn’t pay for because it was tacky…but today he tells us to do so because that way we don’t have to stand inline between the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica…this is our plan for the day.
We get to the entrance to the Vatican and have to stand in line because it isn’t open yet. Chachi leaves us and meets us later.
Once inside the Vatican you can only go into the Sistine Chapel building from the security checkpoint. The building winds its way through a museum of sorts of Christian art. There is everything from tapestries to paintings to contemporary art as well. We finally got to the Sistine Chapel. I was surprised that it wasn’t round, I had expected it to be round, it was square instead. At first while inside I was not sure that it was the Sistine Chapel but after looking around and seeing all the people and guards walking around making sure that people weren’t taking pictures. Of course Bec and I got some sneaky pictures…who do you take us for?
After leaving the Sistine Chapel we tack onto a tour and walk through the tombs of the Popes. The only security guards were around Pope John Paul II’s tomb. After walking out of the Sistine Chapel we realize that the tour we tacked onto isn’t speaking English…haha…so we find a tour that is speaking English and attempt to follow them into St. Peters Basilica. We made a mistake, it looked like the building of St. Peter’s Basilica was the building we just came out of so we left the tour we were following and just decided to get in on our own.
After we got into St. Peter’s Square we took a look at the line to get into St. Peter’s Basilica and it was horribly long….so what do Bec and I do? Cut about 3,000 people in line! YAY for acting like pushy American Tourists!!! So at this checkpoint to get into St. Peter’s Basilica they are just checking bags. There is a wooden fence that starts the line and then the line wraps around St. Peter’s Square. Bec and I walk over to the wooden fence, just where it ends and when the line moves, we just cut in line….and it works!! We only waited in line for about 10 minutes.
Once inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the church that they have pulled apart Rome for, it is beautiful. There is so much to look at, from the floor to the ceiling and everything on the walls.
Chachi meets us after St. Peter’s Basilica to take us to lunch and a pizza place that is quick so that we can get on the road to Sorrento. The pizza place is small and so we don’t all fit inside. I get inside and get lunch for me and Bec. I get just what looks like bruschetta and cheese pizza. Its only when I get outside that I realize that the ‘bruschetta’ had anchovies on it….Bec and I spilt the cheese pizza and Bec, with her traveler’s hat on, Bec decided to try an anchovy. She spits it out immediately and then gags…needless to say that we threw out the rest of the pizza.
We walk to the train station to meet Idim at the end of the line to get on the bus to drive to Sorrento. We go into the train station and Chachi sends us down to the platform to get on the train. When the train comes, my group assumes that Chachi is with the other group and vice versa. It is about 30 seconds in, that we realize that Chachi isn’t on the train…what to do, what to do….he didn’t tell us exactly where we were going, “Oh Well.” There were too many chiefs and not enough Indians when this problem arose. We get off at the second stop and decide to wait to see if Chachi is on the next train. He is! We get on and meet Idim at the end of the line.
We drive to Pompeii and get our first experience of the mafia. They pay the coach’s parking fees in return for us eating at their restaurant. We have about 20 minutes and then have to meet our tour guide for our walking tour of Pompeii.
1/3 of Pompeii is still under ash and will never be recovered. We saw everything from bakeries to a snack store to the city brothel!! Inside the brothel there were frescos on the wall for the customers to pick as to what they wanted.
On the drive from Pompeii to Sorrento we saw a Lemonade Stand!! It was a giant plastic lemon complete with lemon squeezer!! Too bad we didn’t stop to see how their lemonade compares…
Once in Sorrento it was nice to be in ‘Real Italy.’ There were no other tour buses and we were not hassled at all. We had a bit of free time before dinner and walked around a market street. Some of the stuff was beautiful!!
Dinner was very nice and very Italian!! After dinner we had some more free time until we went to the campsite. Bec, Andrew and I walked to the end of the street and went into an Italian Supermarket and bought some grappa. Chachi told us about his favorite gelato place in all of Italy. There were probably 100 flavors of gelato. It took me about 15 minutes to decide what flavors to get. I decided on chocolate orange, chocolate mousse and a Kinder flavor (Kinder is a brand of candy). It was very very good, if anyone ever goes there it is on the main street in Sorrento and about 3 blocks up on the right-hand side with a waterfall on the inside…you cant miss it.
Once we got to the campsite, we had to walk down a giant hill After getting to our closet of a room, Bec and I walk back up the giant hill to get Wifi!! First Wifi of the trip!! On the way back to our cabins we get lost….we walked around the campsite in the dark for about 30 minutes before meeting up with Amanda and T who are also lost. We get to a point where we see our cabin name on a sign but can’t find it. We start calling ‘Chachi!!!’ and who walks down the hill with his suitcase, CHACHI!!! We are laughing and cracking up so much that he first asks who is sober, Bec and I raise our hands, and he points us in the right direction. Our cabin had a beautiful view of the water. We were bums that night and went to sleep cos we had to leave early the next day.
When In Rome....
Day 10 - 18 Sept 09:
Today was a whirlwind of events. Because of the ferry schedule for Corfu, we only got 1 night in Rome instead of 2, but we got 1 night in Sorrento instead, a bonus of sorts for us.
Today we were on the bus at 7 after a long night out at Space. Everyone on the bus slept until 10, when we had to get off at the services. Even Chachi got in some shut eye!! We got into Rome at about 12.
Once in Rome, Chachi took us to see the Spanish Steps, which get their name because the Spanish Embassy is right across the street, way to go you lazy Italians with your naming of stuff! He also took us to see the Trevi Fountain which I did throw coins into for good luck! Bec’s mum messaged her with her tips of the day for Rome. The most important one was that Mum had the best gelato she reckons she’s ever had near the Trevi Fountain…so what do Bec and I do? We get gelato, it was only after getting gelato that we realize that Chachi had left us! So…we ran to catch up with the group. After catching up with them, Bec and I realized that the only 2 things we will ever run for are alcohol and gelato!! The Trevi Fountain was short and sweet because we had a walking tour to get to.
For our optional walking tour our guide’s name was Gabriella. We met her and immediately walked to the Roman Forum. I couldn’t believe that Rome is a city on top of a city, meaning that Rome from the Romans time was 5 meters below what Rome is today. There are 4 levels of Rome going as deep as 10 meters!! Gabriella didn’t give us as much information as I had hoped. It was a combination of being hungover and really hot that made all of us not pay a whole lot of attention. Gabriella then took us to the Coliseum (?). The Catholic Church stripped the seats from the Coliseum for St. Peters Basilica.
After leaving the Coliseum we were all hankering for some water, and we found the best thing of all!! FROZEN WATERBOTTLES!!! I didn’t care that they were 2E apiece, they were fabulous indeed!!
At the Coliseum one of the girls on the tour, Tegan, collapsed and we found out that she had left Australia with appendicitis without having it removed. We call Chachi and he meets her and Alana at the train station and take her to the local emergency room.
After the Coliseum we meet our tour back at the meeting spot and wait for Chachi for about 30 minutes. Chachi meets us and takes us to see the Pantheon. While we were there we couldn’t get in because there was a wedding inside the Pantheon!! I got a peek inside and it was beautiful. The Pantheon has no electricity going to it, the only light is the hole in the ceiling.
We then walked to have our walkabout dinner in Rome. Chachi was heading back to the hospital to meet Tegan, so Idim was going to pick us up in the Piazza Navona after dinner. Bec, Amanda and I met up with a couple of the other girls and I had pasta with red sauce and bacon…very, very good!!
We meet Idim after dinner and head back to the campsite in the dark for our quick turnover in Rome.
The Cabins were very nice! The rooms were huge and the cabins are new this year, its too bad that we don’t get to stay there another night.
Today was a whirlwind of events. Because of the ferry schedule for Corfu, we only got 1 night in Rome instead of 2, but we got 1 night in Sorrento instead, a bonus of sorts for us.
Today we were on the bus at 7 after a long night out at Space. Everyone on the bus slept until 10, when we had to get off at the services. Even Chachi got in some shut eye!! We got into Rome at about 12.
Once in Rome, Chachi took us to see the Spanish Steps, which get their name because the Spanish Embassy is right across the street, way to go you lazy Italians with your naming of stuff! He also took us to see the Trevi Fountain which I did throw coins into for good luck! Bec’s mum messaged her with her tips of the day for Rome. The most important one was that Mum had the best gelato she reckons she’s ever had near the Trevi Fountain…so what do Bec and I do? We get gelato, it was only after getting gelato that we realize that Chachi had left us! So…we ran to catch up with the group. After catching up with them, Bec and I realized that the only 2 things we will ever run for are alcohol and gelato!! The Trevi Fountain was short and sweet because we had a walking tour to get to.
For our optional walking tour our guide’s name was Gabriella. We met her and immediately walked to the Roman Forum. I couldn’t believe that Rome is a city on top of a city, meaning that Rome from the Romans time was 5 meters below what Rome is today. There are 4 levels of Rome going as deep as 10 meters!! Gabriella didn’t give us as much information as I had hoped. It was a combination of being hungover and really hot that made all of us not pay a whole lot of attention. Gabriella then took us to the Coliseum (?). The Catholic Church stripped the seats from the Coliseum for St. Peters Basilica.
After leaving the Coliseum we were all hankering for some water, and we found the best thing of all!! FROZEN WATERBOTTLES!!! I didn’t care that they were 2E apiece, they were fabulous indeed!!
At the Coliseum one of the girls on the tour, Tegan, collapsed and we found out that she had left Australia with appendicitis without having it removed. We call Chachi and he meets her and Alana at the train station and take her to the local emergency room.
After the Coliseum we meet our tour back at the meeting spot and wait for Chachi for about 30 minutes. Chachi meets us and takes us to see the Pantheon. While we were there we couldn’t get in because there was a wedding inside the Pantheon!! I got a peek inside and it was beautiful. The Pantheon has no electricity going to it, the only light is the hole in the ceiling.
We then walked to have our walkabout dinner in Rome. Chachi was heading back to the hospital to meet Tegan, so Idim was going to pick us up in the Piazza Navona after dinner. Bec, Amanda and I met up with a couple of the other girls and I had pasta with red sauce and bacon…very, very good!!
We meet Idim after dinner and head back to the campsite in the dark for our quick turnover in Rome.
The Cabins were very nice! The rooms were huge and the cabins are new this year, its too bad that we don’t get to stay there another night.
SPACE!!!
Day 9 - 17 Sept 09:
Today was our free day in Florence.
We started off at a leather demonstration as Florence is famous for its leather. We had a crash course on how to tell the fake stuff from the real stuff…look for suede! They also had a gold and silver shop where I bought a Turkish puzzle ring. If you take if off it falls apart.
After the leather works tour we had some free time to wander around Florence before our walking tour. Bec, Amanda and I went to a market and I bought a leather tie on bracelet for dirt cheap, don’t really care if its real leather or not haha.
On our walking tour the main thing we saw was the Duomo. It was an absolutely huge building with green and white stripes and designs on the outside and a red dome. The thing that suck out to me the most is that it is all naturally colored!
After our walking tour, we had an Italian lunch of pizza and bruschetta and to line up to see David at the Academia Gallery. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to get inside. David is made from one block of marble and is absolutely HUGE!! I didn’t expect it to be that big. There is no taking photos of him, but Bec snuck one anyways haha, that rebel.
Tonight was the optional Tuscan dinner. Everyone on the tour did it. It was so much food that by the time it got to the main dishes, after having bruschetta, 2 types of pasta, and bread I was so full that I didn’t even eat the mains!! Wine and water was also included in the dinner, although these waiters were not as lenient as our French waiters were with the vino.
After dinner we walked to the Space Electronic Disco! Immediately after leaving dinner we saw a bar that advertised 5E for 5 shots!! So what did Bec and I do…went to the bar to get our 5 Euro worth and then had to run to catch up with the group!!
It was only after we got to Space that Bec remembered that she needed to get money out. I went with her and we walked for 20 minutes through a pretty dodgy part of Florence to get her the money so she could drink.
At the bar they are cash free and you get a card to give to the bartender to punch every time you get a drink. Once one section is full, you pay for what you have drunken at the cashier and get another card. Our bartender was Gigi, even though the bar was cash free, if you gave Gigi a cash tip, he would make you a very stiff drink!!
I don’t even know what time I got back to the campsite, but I knew that we were leaving at 7 am the next morning for Rome.
Today was our free day in Florence.
We started off at a leather demonstration as Florence is famous for its leather. We had a crash course on how to tell the fake stuff from the real stuff…look for suede! They also had a gold and silver shop where I bought a Turkish puzzle ring. If you take if off it falls apart.
After the leather works tour we had some free time to wander around Florence before our walking tour. Bec, Amanda and I went to a market and I bought a leather tie on bracelet for dirt cheap, don’t really care if its real leather or not haha.
On our walking tour the main thing we saw was the Duomo. It was an absolutely huge building with green and white stripes and designs on the outside and a red dome. The thing that suck out to me the most is that it is all naturally colored!
After our walking tour, we had an Italian lunch of pizza and bruschetta and to line up to see David at the Academia Gallery. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to get inside. David is made from one block of marble and is absolutely HUGE!! I didn’t expect it to be that big. There is no taking photos of him, but Bec snuck one anyways haha, that rebel.
Tonight was the optional Tuscan dinner. Everyone on the tour did it. It was so much food that by the time it got to the main dishes, after having bruschetta, 2 types of pasta, and bread I was so full that I didn’t even eat the mains!! Wine and water was also included in the dinner, although these waiters were not as lenient as our French waiters were with the vino.
After dinner we walked to the Space Electronic Disco! Immediately after leaving dinner we saw a bar that advertised 5E for 5 shots!! So what did Bec and I do…went to the bar to get our 5 Euro worth and then had to run to catch up with the group!!
It was only after we got to Space that Bec remembered that she needed to get money out. I went with her and we walked for 20 minutes through a pretty dodgy part of Florence to get her the money so she could drink.
At the bar they are cash free and you get a card to give to the bartender to punch every time you get a drink. Once one section is full, you pay for what you have drunken at the cashier and get another card. Our bartender was Gigi, even though the bar was cash free, if you gave Gigi a cash tip, he would make you a very stiff drink!!
I don’t even know what time I got back to the campsite, but I knew that we were leaving at 7 am the next morning for Rome.
Firenze
Day 8 - 16 Sep 09:
Today was a travel day from Antibes to Florence.
On the way we stopped at a traditional French Perfumery to see how perfume is made. They use all natural ingredients and use a steaming process to make the perfumes. They make traditional perfume, eau de toilette, eau de parfum and cologne. They all have a different concentration of perfume, with perfume being the highest at 24% and cologne being the least at 5%.
Our next stop was in Pisa. The tower was so incredible. You can’t believe that the tower is leaning that much. We just stopped to see the tower as there is nothing of interest in Pisa besides the tower. The tower is in the middle of a courtyard with other buildings around it! I was under the impression that it was by itself, not with other buildings around it. Amanda, Bec and I then proceeded to take the traditional photos of holding the tower up. We tried to get creative and succeeded a bit.
We got to the Florence campsite and drove back into Florence to go to a Karaoke Bar called the Red Garter. The karaoke bar is an American Bar. We were there for happy hour and got a 1 Liter pitcher of cocktails for 15 Euro!! Bec and I split a pitcher of Long Island Californian…so instead of the coke it had orange and cranberry juice.
All 3 of us made the smart decision and went back with Idim on the coach at 10.15. We would be thanking our stars tomorrow.
Today was a travel day from Antibes to Florence.
On the way we stopped at a traditional French Perfumery to see how perfume is made. They use all natural ingredients and use a steaming process to make the perfumes. They make traditional perfume, eau de toilette, eau de parfum and cologne. They all have a different concentration of perfume, with perfume being the highest at 24% and cologne being the least at 5%.
Our next stop was in Pisa. The tower was so incredible. You can’t believe that the tower is leaning that much. We just stopped to see the tower as there is nothing of interest in Pisa besides the tower. The tower is in the middle of a courtyard with other buildings around it! I was under the impression that it was by itself, not with other buildings around it. Amanda, Bec and I then proceeded to take the traditional photos of holding the tower up. We tried to get creative and succeeded a bit.
We got to the Florence campsite and drove back into Florence to go to a Karaoke Bar called the Red Garter. The karaoke bar is an American Bar. We were there for happy hour and got a 1 Liter pitcher of cocktails for 15 Euro!! Bec and I split a pitcher of Long Island Californian…so instead of the coke it had orange and cranberry juice.
All 3 of us made the smart decision and went back with Idim on the coach at 10.15. We would be thanking our stars tomorrow.
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