Italy

Again, I must apologize for not updating sooner and the lack of pictures but Italy leaves you no time for those sorts of things. Also, Neal is experiencing some difficulties with is camera so the pictures will have to be delayed again. Instead you will just have to read my beautiful and delightful prose and imagine all that is Italy. After Rome we went up to Frienze (Florence) and stayed there for four days. We took day trips out of Frienze to Cinque Terre and Venice. The Cinque Terre national park was a 12km hike along the most gorgeous stretch of coast I have ever been on. Along the way, there are five little towns that up until the 1940's were accessible only by boat and today can really only be reached by train. This gives them the frozen in time sort of appearance that even with all the tourists is extremely charming and fun. We spent a night in Corniglia which is the smallest of the towns and in the evening is almost devoid of everyone but locals. I could have probably stayed there for a week if there weren't thousands of other things to see. Then it was over to Venice for the day. We didn't do any of the sites but instead just wandered around. We would pick a place out on the map and try to get there. It is a lot more challenging then it sounds but it is the best way to see the city. On our last day in Florence we wanted to get in and see the David. We had a train to Perugia at 1pm. We got up and were in line by 9:00am but to no avail. We waited for about three hours and got crapped on by pigeons. Oh well, you cannot with them all.

We spent two nights in Perugia. Or should I say we spent two nights near Perugia because our guesthouse with a pool and kitchen only a 1km from the city center turned out to not have the kitchen available and be a km from the center of one of Perugia's suburbs. Even the taxi driver got lost trying to find it. We spent a half day in Assisi and then spent the rest of the day and night at the Umbria Jazz festival. This is a huge two week festival in Perugia and features a bunch of free concerts, carnival food, and lots of beer. The concerts were fun, especially Funk Off who put on a great high energy show. We stayed out there until about 1:00am and it was still packed when we left. A word of advice if you are ever in Perugia don't use the bus system. You will get pickpocketed, lost, and sick to your stomach from the smell. The taxi drivers may be crazy but they get you where you need to go.

It was then south to Sorrento, on the Bay of Naples. We went out to the Isle of Capri and did some hiking and then laying out on the beach. We also spent a day in Pompeii. It was all very interesting and gorgeous. The best part was the hostel we were in had a kitchen and a lemon orchard out back. All three nights we ate extremely well and then relaxed and chatted with other guests until the wee hours of the morning. A couple of girls from Canada even helped us cook one evening and took part in our feast. It is probably the best we have eaten all trip. Colin, Liz, and Jerome headed back to Rome after three nights in Sorrento to catch their plane. Neal and I made our way by bus to Bari to get a ferry to Greece. That is where the next update will be from. Ciao.

Its has been a while since the last update mainly because we have been on the go the whole time. We had just gotten into Madrid when I wrote the last post. Since then Aaron has headed home, Neal and I took a train from Madrid to Rome ( it took about 33 hours), and we have met up with Colin, Liz, and Jerome in Italy.

We did make it to the bullfight in Madrid which was well worth the five euro. There were three matadors and they fought two bulls a piece. There are plenty of pictures but I don't have the camera with me at the moment to upload them so you'll just have to wait. Let's just say that I wouldn't be near any of those bulls and they run straight at it and stab it with a sword. Also of note was the fact that not only was there beer vendors walking the stands but also scotch and cigar vendors. The Palacio Real in Madrid was also worth a visit and it includes the armory. We got audio guides which were very informative, too informative actually. I now know more about the armory of Charles V then any one person should. Our last day in Spain was spent in Toledo and most of that was spent napping in a park. We didn't feel like spending the eight euro to see the cathedral and had only got about four hours of sleep the night before due the heat and drunk people in the street.

It was then off to Italy and Rome. The train ride involved two late night passport checks and a seat (mine) that didn't recline all the way. We made it and it was worth it. In the last three days we have seen the Vatican, Sistine chapel, the Colosseum, the roman forum, catacombs, art by Raphael and Michelangelo, had some great food and ice cream and hung out with an Australian who kicked our ass in pool and caused us to drink way too much wine. I wish that my writing skills were better because I cannot even begin to describe the amazing history that Rome has. It has been the best place we have been too so far. It lives up to all its billing. For having studied this buildings, places, paintings, and events for years now to see them is an unbelievably fulling experience. Also the no one has been pick pocketed, the locals are very friendly and helpful, and the gypsies haven't thrown any babies at us. So we were worried for nothing. Tomorrow its off to Florence for a few days. Hopefully I can get some pictures up then.