Take Me On! - Rome [Day Four]

The Vatican Museum is free on the last Sunday of every month. I really wanted to go, so the fact that I saved myself €15 - stoked! The only thing was that hundreds of other people have exactly the same idea, meaning huge lines. Entry closed just after midday, so the only way to make sure you got in was to go EARLY! The universe was determined to make me work for that €15; day light savings was beginning Saturday evening. Meaning I lost a whole hour of sleep! The museum opened at 9am, so I decided to meet Maja at 8am at the metro station nearest the entrance. Random story - I was waiting in the metro station along when an Asian girl walks in and sits down. She gets her phone out and starts playing music loudly. Take on Me by A-ha. Then Karma Chameleon by Culture Club. All of a sudden she just starts signing... There is only the two of us down in the metro station, and I'm starting to think there is a hidden camera somewhere...

All Roads Lead To Rome... The middle of Nowhere! [Day Three]

Day three started off pretty poorly, and did not improve. I woke up, once again, feeling like crap. I think the main reason is that I am just pushing too hard; huge days out walking, not eating properly if at all, and not getting as much sleep as I probably should.

So I felt like crap. I decided I should probably take it easy, maybe check out a few touristy spots, relax, take it slow. Sem suggested joining him to check out a few parks and relax in the sun. That sounded like a perfect idea, so we set off...

Along the way I asked if we could call into a supermarket to pick up a few things, as I had not eaten a that morning, and it might be cool to take some food to the park for a bit of a picnic. That was all good. Sem said he also needed to call into a bike shop quickly to pick up something, but don't worry, it's not far. No problem-o. Well, actually there was problem-o, it was a decent ride and already I was running out of puff. I just had no energy, and just generally felt like shit. Anyway, we made it, and after 15 minutes at the bike store they did not have what he needed. Sem then said that he wanted to go to a sports shop to find a tent, but it was just down the road.

Hangin' with Mr Cooper Benedict - Rome [Day Two]

I was pretty keen for a sleep in after the previous nights escapades, but I was meant to be meeting Maja, a Croatian girl from CS that was also doing the tourist thing in Rome. Maja is a cool girl. A really relaxed, friendly and an interesting person; a perfect tourist buddy! With the green machine just sitting there looking at me, I decided to jump on and cycle into town. No public transport = freedom, no queues, no crowds, no cost! I realised it was a bad idea as soon as I started cyclying - my thighs and ass were killing me! But it was now too late to take public transport, so I carried on. I made it, a little late, but I got there.

Our first stop was the Colosseum. I am sure that I don't need to tell you what it is... But what I can tell you is that photos do not do it justice. It is a huge, imposing structure, and actually very intracately designed. There was this whole underfloor area where the sets and animals were kept, with trap doors and pulleys to keep it all working smoothly.

When in Rome... CYCLE! [Day One]

The trip down to Rome was really beautiful. Think rolling, green hillsides, blue skies, sun shining. A perfect day! I got into Rome at about 3:30pm and decided to make the most of the afternoon. Following my tourist map Petra had kindly given me, I made my way to the closest church. The cool thing about Rome is that all (or most) of the churches are completely open to the public. Anyone can go in and check em out, take a few photos. You would think this would be normal, but try getting in to St. Pauls in London - it costs you about £15!

The exterior of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major was fairly plain looking... But the interior? blew my mind. I have seen a whole lot of
churches in a lot of countries, but this was the next level. (I think I am going to be doing this a lot, but) I cannot explain how amazing this place was, so just check out the photos!

Quick stop in Siena [Italy]

I arrived in Siena about midday, stopped in at the information centre to confirm my investigations; that there was only one hostel in the city. I was correct. And it was nowhere near the city centre. The buses ran every 30 minutes, and took about 15 minutes to get to the hostel. But it was also only 30 minutes walk. So I threw on my backpack and headed off. I might have reconsidered walking if I knew the hostel was on top of a hill!

When I got to the hostel I found a sign hanging on the door 'Open at 3:30pm'. What the ..? What am I meant to do for three hours. Checked for wifi, negitive. So I did all you can do in those situations, found the McDonalds located 50m down the road, chilled out and read my book.

Penis Galore! - Florence [Italy]

A quick explanation of the title for this post; no, I have not switched teams. Florence just seems to be the world capital of statues hanging out with their wang out... Just sayin'

I arrived into Florence at about 2 in the afternoon and had a quick wander around, but my backpack was way too heavy to lug around. I decided to go to meet my host. A lie down, maybe an afternoon nap, a bit of food - it was sounding like a great idea. My host, Leonardo, is a cool guy that lives by himself in the east of the city. He was really giving and was a great host. So I met him at the bus station, and I will be honest - he looked a little... ummm... rugged. He threw my backpack in the back of his car and told me to jump back on the train and go sightseeing for the afternoon. It did make sense; it was a beautiful afternoon! But I was a little reluctant. Firstly I was HANGING! But other than that I was a little worried... I had checked out Leonardo on couch surfing and he had some great references, but to me he is a complete stranger. That bag contained my life! They say at some point you have to trust someone... So I got on the train.

Getting loose in Pisa [Italy]

I arrived in Pisa at about 7pm, found my hostel and chilled for the evening. The place was clean and warm, all I needed. Most of the evening I spent uploading photos for your entertainment. I did meet some cool Canadian peeps, Logan and Jessy, in my room. It was actually Jessys birthday the following day, and they started talking me in to staying an extra night so I could go out and party with them. Having not even gone out on this trip once so far, mainly because I have been sick, it was sounding pretty good. But I wasn't going to make any promises.

The following morning I got up at 8am, packed my gear, stowed it in the left luggage, and joined a walking tour of Pisa. It was really good, but there was a bit of information overload. I learned all about Pisa's history, different buildings, the story of the tower... Pisa actually used to be a huge city, and a major European power, but mainly due to one man (a traitor!) it has reduced in size to the city it is today.

Have I died and gone to heaven? - Cinque Terre [Italy]

The sun was still shining when I stepped off the train in La Spezia, and I was plesantly surprised to be greeted by what seemed like a cute little town, rather than an industrial city.

I followed the directions provided by my hostel to the bus stop, and got there with about 10 minutes to spare. Just as well as the bus after mine didn't arrive for another two hours! I dropped my bag and waited... and waited... and waited. Thirty minutes after the scheduled time I decided it was not coming, so tried to get hold of the hostel. Problem - the number I had was not working. So here I was alone in a foreign city where hardly anyone speaks English, I don't know how to get to my accommodation, I know for a fact that all the budget accommodation is booked out and it is starting to get dark. Shit. You start to feel pretty alone in situations like that.

I made my way down the street to see if I could find an internet cafe so I could get the correct phone number. I stumbled across a normal cafe, where one of the old guys spoke a little English. He was very kind and tried his best to help, but in the end he just walked me back to the bus stop I had already been waiting at. But while there he did speak to some of the locals, who said the busses were all screwed up because it was a national holiday. So I basically just had to wait.