hellbent hikers

Roma!

globetrottingwanabees — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:24:00 GMT

day 2......... What a sleep! 12 hours or more. We got up at 9am. Today is Vatican day. You need to wear the proper clothing or they wont let you in to the Basilica. We took the shuttle to the Vatican instead of driving,made it alot easier. The shuttle was a few euro from our campsite and the price included a return trip. Once in the Basilica we were amazed at the size. Enormous,huge dome {cupola}.In the centre is the famous canopy by Beninni,situated directly over the tomb of St. Peter. The foot on the bronze of St. Peter is actually worn out from so many people touching it. We gazed at Michelangelo Buonarottis' "Pieta",a magnificant marble sculpture.WE encircled the Basilica picking up bits of info from all of the tour guides. All the frescoes,sculptures,paintings.........totally interesting. We tried to get into the Scavi tour but had to book 3 months in advance. The Scavi tour is all about the underground excavation work beneath the Basilica. Catacombs,the tomb of St. Peter etc. For a few euros we were able to climb the stairs to the cupola {dome} where you can get a true perspective of how massive the Basilica really is. The people looked like ants down below. The dome was huge,supported by 6 butrices absorbing the enormous weight. The frescoes were all hand painted and some were done by Michelangelo himself. Another great experience was walking on the roof of the Vatican. A little souvenir shop and restaurant up there, how cool is that! great view of Roma too! We were glad the long lines to get into the Vatican didn't intimidate us,we were walking through the massive doors in no time. The Swiss army guards with their colourful striped uniforms gave the Vatican a bit of a fairytale atmosphere.The Swiss have been guarding the Vatican for centuries. We took the metro down to Termini Station to check out the bike rental shop Bici Baci.....27 euros for 3 days but if the bikes get stolen you have to pay for it. The owner said if its not locked up they will disappear so we decided against it. I've seen many locked bikes disappear! Took the metro back to our camp but not before a quick stop at the Spanish steps to take a few pics of "bob" our intrepid turtle that travels with us. We got back to the grocery store in time to buy a salad,apples,wine,bread,grana padano and water for tomorrows trip to Napoli.

Roma!

globetrottingwanabees — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:12:00 GMT

day 1 It's hard to believe we're sitting on a plane again heading to Europe! Me and Angie are stoked!!!!!!!! All the research on the net is going to pay off big time. I googled a lot of sites from googleearth.com so we have a good idea of the general direction to go after leaving the airport. I know what Camping Roma looks like from space! Angie says shes gonna fill me with heleium and tie a string to my foot so I can float high above everything cuz thats the only way I'll recognize places. The plane was smaller than the one we flew to Seoul in and alot more noisy. We had a few hours of sleep,dozing in and out. Left toronto at 7pm and flew for 8 hours but with the time change we arrived at Rome Flaminio airport just in time for breakfast. After the smooth flight we picked up the car and off to Camping Roma. Didn't even need a map but we did need some precise directions from a gas bar attendant cuz the road to the camp was a little tricky. Within 1 hour we were lying on a nice soft bed in a cabin 1 metro stop from the Vaticano. Hows that for being downtown Roma! After a rest we found ourselves driving down Via Aurelia checking everything out. Went into a few shops but everything closes at 5 on Sunday so we headed back to the grocery store to pick up some Acrio cheese,salami and some incredible italian buns. I swear I've never tasted a sandwhich soooooo good!so diferent from Canada. A nice glass of wine.........it was perfect! Angie high fived me cuz we still couldn't believe where we were.What an ending to our first day in Roma. This is what I call living,travelling the world,different cultures,languages,food and music. We recomend this to anyone who can overcome the initial fear of taking an adventure out of your comfort zone. Things that work for us...........1 dont think about anything.2dont get mad.3dont make precise plans,only a rough guide.4let things happen and everything will fall into place.5stop and reflect on where you are and how lucky you are to be there.6dont rush,layback attitude works best. The two of us fell asleep by 7.30pm. It was still daylight but we had nothing left,flying will do that to you. All you do is sit on a plane for 8 hours so makes you wonder what was so exhausting.

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globetrottingwanabees — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:33:00 GMT

day 13......Sad to leave Lefkada Island!!!!!What a little paradise! Drove down the coast back to Patras,our original starting point. We had managed to encircle a good part of the country.We crossed back into the Pelponese via the Rio- Antirio bridge that connects the mainland. The toll was 10.90 euro. The entire drive was about 4 hours. Returned the car,put our luggage in storage and walked to Ermimiou taberna again. Enjoyed a bowl of Stifado,{stew] and fresh bread. The family run eatery was a great place to eat. The old man and his wife sure know how to cook. They can't speak english so you just point at some pots to show them what you would like to try. Only a few dishes to choose from but the food is what they eat too. Its like eating in their kitchen!Price is right ! only 4.50 euro for the hardy stew. Read about the place in a Greek travel book and was well worth the effort to find . We jumped on the first ship to Bari,no extra charge from Patra. Our tickets were good from Igoumenitsa. Nice seats on the ship. Comfort and smooth sailing! what more can you ask for! Im just checking the map of Italy right now. We have no idea where we're headed next.What a cool way to travel........just let it happen! Angie says we can never get lost because we never know where we're going..how true!It always works out. 14 hours later we're in Bari again.We decided to change it up a little and hop on the trenitalia to Roma. The train will give us a chance to kick back and enjoy the scenery. Tickets were 72 euro to Roma and 6 hours .Different way to see the countryside . Its just covered in grape vines. Vineyards everywhere!! Sitting here on the train is giving us a chance to reflect on the incredible adventure of travelling through the ancient land of Greece. An experience of spectacular ruins,contrasting landscapes,magnificent sapphire seas and last but not least the friendly, cheerful,hospitable people!!!!!!!!An adventure with hidden treasures around every corner. A distinct land that filled our minds with unforgettable impressions.

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globetrottingwanabees — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:54:00 GMT

day 12....Another day in paradise! Just" chillin like a villin" as our son mikey would say! Sat around the beach getting darker. Angie's darker than me. Did more snorkelling off the island. Amazing schools of fish you can swim with. Some swim toward you seemingly not intimidated by the large awkward looking object in front of them. Later we walked the main street in Nydri once again. The carnival-like atmosphere is like a magnet for us. We love the shopping,the people,the food! It was around 8pm when we sat down at a great taberna facing the harbour. What we thought was going to be a quiet evening of fine dining turned into a typical Greek festival with music,stomping feet and broken plates. A whole huge family of greeks and their friends started the festivities with each one of them showing their dancing expertise,plate smashing and all!!!!!!! This was the place to be in Nydri. We ordered souvlaki {grilled pork on a skewer} gemista stuffed tomato with rice and green pepper,feta cheese,olive oil and balsamic dressing. The two of us could'nt believe that once again we were totally immersed in the Greek culture. The evening was a blast! You only see parties like this in movies. this one made our day. What an experience!

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globetrottingwanabees — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:24:00 GMT

day 11......snorkelling was primo! Tons of tropical fish,calm waters,can see underwater forever!Just float around and look at the ocean floor as marine life swims past you.crazy beautiful! Got up late this morning at 10am ,hit the beach for 4 hours of solid tanning. Did I mention the beach is just steps from our tent? Drove into Lefkada Town for a little touring. You can still see visible damage from the earthquakes that this region experiences. The Fortress of Agia Mavra is just across the causeway.The town is quiet during the day, beautiful setting and harbour. was great to explore. More snorkelling on the way back to Nydri. Found a great lagoon with deep trench drop offs that reminded me of the movie "The Abyss". A bit scary gazing into those dark spaces down there! Back at Dessimi beach we were just in time for the best Paputsaki on the island!Angie and I watched as two old Greek ladies prepared the eggplant and spiced lamb for the dish. Paputsaki is like Moussaka. We bought the spices needed to make the dish. Hopefully we can duplicate the delicious taste of this traditional Greek dish when we get back to Canada! Explored some back roads around Nydri and found some pomegranate groves. Picked a bunch. Sweet,juicy,1st time to see them grow.thought they were apples at first glance. Nydri is the place for nightlife on the island. Wandered around the harbour front listening to greek song and dance coming from the many tabernas. Live bands,plate smashing,retsina and ouzo flowing freely. Island life! nothing like it! To end this beautiful day Ange and I shared some Kataifi. Its shredded phyllo{much like angel hair pasta} drenched in honey and sprinkled with nuts. Leave it to the Greeks to honey dip everything.Nectar of the gods,"mead" is an alcoholic drink made with honey too.

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globetrottingwanabees — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:56:00 GMT

day 10... An absolutely incredibly unique experience while staying in Ioannina?.....touring the Perama limestone caves! Although Ioannina is not far from the Albanian border and a quick side trip into the Albanian countryside was tempting we opted for these crazy underground caverns.Perama is a small village located just across Lake Pamvotis from our campsite. These incredible underground caverns were discovered in 1940 by the locals trying to hide from the Nazis during the 2nd world war.The caves have a huge array of stalactites and stalagmites.As we walked through the dark passages I remembered my geology teacher describing how to remember the difference between the two.A stalactite holds "tight" to the ceiling.The constant dripping of the mineral laced water over the millennium created beautiful limestone-based icicles which hang by the hundreds from the ceiling of these caves. Many chambers and passageways wind through 1100 meters of underground cave. The damp water-filled air creates a very special habitat for some unusual spiders.Through evolution, because of the lack of light and sound, these spiders are both blind and deaf.The guide was a friendly Greek kid who put up with me using a flash while taking pictures. A flash wasn't allowed because it would adversly effect the spiders and bats. A skeleton of a bear was found in the early years. Some how it found its way into the labyrinth of passageways but couldn't find its way out. We walked for an hour going deeper and deeper until a slow steep climb led us back to the surface. Huge cavernous spaces filled with stalagmites and stalictites,water dripping everywhere, 17 degree constant temp.......we loved it! .......What is a roadtrip around Greece without spending some time on a Greek isle? With that in mind we headed for Lefkada and within six hours we found ourselves at Dessimi beach only minutes away from the small village of Nydri.Found a great place on the edge of the water overlooking more azure seas filled with tropical fish and greek fishing boats. Truely postcard material and we're here with the sea lapping at our tent once again!What a life! Swam for three hours, walked on the beach and caught a few rays from that intense greek sun. The island has a lot of charm. Off the coast we can see Skorpios, the final resting place for the Onassis family.Aristotle was the Greek shipping magnate that once was married to Jacqueline Kennedy. We swam out to a moored fishing boat and floated on the anchor rope while admiring the tropical- like paradise.Nydri,located 11 k's south of Lefkada town, is a busy place and at times reminding me of Keys West Florida. Lining the narrow streets of this island town were many shops,ouseris,tabernas,gyro and silver vendors. We walked main street for hours stopping for a guick salad at an outdoor taberna. Nice and lite. Hit the spot. An Othodox priest with some friends walked in so we knew we were at a "locals eat here" place. We took a ride down to Poros to check out the camping down there but decided that we had found quite the lttle gem of a campsite and were parking our butts and not moving for a while.Its great being on the island.Gives our Greek odyssey a whole new side. Ruins,busy city,natural wonders and now island life. A good cross-section of life in Greece. I just learned something interesting. An explanation as to why the land is so barren in certain areas of the country.Its because of the olive tree! The tree was so highly prized for its oil that most of the forests were cut down and replaced with the olive tree. The trees have a big tap root which enables them to get water from deep down therefore not requiring a whole lot of rain. The down -side is the root system doesn't hold soil together so erosion takes place resulting in what we see today,barren mountain sides. Anyhoo........ another fantastic day in Greece with a twist ........island life!

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globetrottingwanabees — Sat, 3 May 2008 21:09:00 GMT

day 9........We began our day leaving the beautiful town of Delphi and slowly making our way north to Kalambaka. Again the landscape changed to fertile plains nestled between mountain ranges. Kalambaka looked fairly modern as we circled the town looking for the road that would lead us to this magical place called Meteora.After a slow steady climb and some crazy sharp curves our mouths opened as we caught the first glimpse of a monastery atop a huge needle shaped mountain. As if it were stuck on the side of a pinnacle of rock with some "super like" glue, this monastery looked as if it never moved an inch in 600 hundred years.The main road led us to the monastery of the Great Meteoron. This one is the oldest and largest of the six monasteries in the area and the year marked the 600th anniversary of continual habitation.After parking and making our way through the gauntlet of souvenir vendors,we climbed the staircase to this mystical place perched on top of a narrow spear of rock. You are greeted at the entrance by a monk making sure you are properly dressed before entering this holiest of holy places. If you happen to be wearing a tank top and shorts you will be given a long skirt and shawl. A self guided tour along with the Meteora Itinerary helped us through the things we were seeing. At one point in the tour we were faced with a wooden door in front of us with only a small round hole in the middle of it. Having no idea of what was in the darkened room I inserted my camera through the hole and snapped a pic.What was illuminated was completely beyond belief. It was a room filled with the human skulls of monks . Hundreds of them all lined up beside each other on old wooden shelves! This ossuary was not in the itinerary book nor was it easily found, we just happened to come across the door off to the side. A walk through the central dome gave us a chance to view the ancient frescoes depicting Christian persecution by the Romans................ The monks live in isolation to avoid temptation. Angie says the monk at the little gift shop must be loaded! She saw him with a wad of 50's that he was stashing in a safe. Religion is profitable and tax free. No temptation up here? All six monasteries have their own unique position on the various rock outcrops. The Monasteries of Meteora are absolutely a "must see" when in Greece.The road to Ioannina was back to back hairpin curves. Up and down with no straight sections kept the excitement in the two and a half hour trip from Meteora.I'm writing this while sipping hot chocolate that angie made. Were at our campsite {Limnopoula Camping} on the edge of Lake Pamvotis,just chillin and reflecting on the days amazing adventures.An incredible day filled with magical,mystical mountaintop monasteries. A day that will be etched in our memories forever!

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globetrottingwanabees — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:41:00 GMT

day 8 ...Sure its nice to get a campsite in the city but I'm sure most travellers don't factor in the traffic noise that can go on through the wee hours of the morning. Just as I was getting used to it,it was time to move on. Angie sleeps through anything! She says if you're tired enough it shouldn't be a problem.Anyhoo, nice day to make our way up to Dephi. Road E94 to E962 to Thiva was again scenic and winding. Steep banks led us to an unexpected stop at Viliza where a crowd of people huddled around a few tents at the top of a mountain pass. There was a makeshift church with alter and hundreds of candles sitting in a huge pool of wax. People would light candles and then proceed to the various tents to buy figs,olives and the sunday treat known as Kavlas.{ I think the spelling is correct?]. Its made from sugar,flour ,nuts and cut into pie pieces then purchased by the kilo. {very expensive but delicious} This was the first time we had ever come across this type of dessert. The beautiful mountain setting with a spring running through it,hundreds of candles and the kavlas made for a weekly destination for many Greeks in the area. A stop in Lievadia for water, honeydew and phyllo stuffed with ham and feta allowed us to have an interesting encounter with a cashier who spoke perfect english and had relatives in Ontario, Canada.The landscape now changed from mountainous to flat valley farmland which was when we first noticed fields dotted with millions of small white balls. Thinking they were flowers on potato plants we soon discovered that we were looking at a cotton plantation. Driving down a dirt road brought us to the middle of one of the many fields where we were able to pick cotton for the first time. Both angie and myself realized then how backbreaking it must have been for the slaves in the American deep south. Hours later we entered the village of Delphi. Perched on the side of a mountain, these lucky residents get a daily view of the Strait of Corinth and a valley of olive and cypress trees. Three roadways run through the town at different levels with stairs joining the narrow passages the europeans call streets. One of the seven wonders of the modern world should be the sight of huge tour buses navigating the streets of Delphi with the greatest of ease. With barely enough space for a mercedes "smart car" these bus drivers have no problem getting their passengers to where they need to be. Stolling the beautiful village of Delphi brought us to an interesting shop where we purchased a goat bell and a sheep bell. The talkative shopkeeper explained that each one had its own unique sound which helps the herders keep track of their flock. Later we climbed a small hill to get a birdseye view of ancient Delphi. We could see the sanctuary of Apollo, the theatre and the temple of Apollo. The museum contains excellent pieces including the famous "charioteer" and the Sphinx of the Naxians.We wandered through the streets and shops until we found a great little curbside taberna. Awesome outdoor table overlooking Corinth.We could see the lights eminating from the small towns of Galaxadi and Itea in the valley below. Just a perfect setting to enjoy pasta,salad,feta and moussaka, that awesome tasting aubergine dish that Greece is so well known for. Dessert was yogurt with honey. So simple and so unforgettable. An absolutely incredible taste sensation, a stunning view and an exciting curbside table. Angie and I completely enjoyed evey minute!!!!!! Our caravan room was spacious and overlooking the valley. Great pool too. We had the place to ourselves. As we lay in our bed that evening we could hear the ring of distant bells around the necks of sheep and goats grazing on mountains above us. Two distinctive sounds that we now know are listened for by herders around the country.

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globetrottingwanabees — Fri, 4 Apr 2008 17:34:00 GMT

day 7 .........Up at 7 bells,coffee,and back on the local transit for a short ride back to Plaka,Hadrians library and Temple of Athena Nike. Just amazing touring these old relics of history.How little the average person knows about the ancient past, but enough of the ruins, it was time to spend hours at Monastiraki,the local market in Athens.Just exploring all of the different shops while trying to navigate the narrow streets was an experience!Angie bought more jewellery,beautiful hand crafted silver with Greeces'two most recognizable symbols,the inverted letter L and the spiral both meaning "eternal life".Plaka is a great area if you want a sitdown meal while listening to traditional music. After a greek salad we were on the metro line to Syntagma Square.We were lucky enough to watch the changing of the guards which was totally bonus cuz we had no idea what time that would take place. The guards wear the strangest uniforms and stand perfectly still for hours. Cute pleated dresses with pointed shoes topped with pom poms did,nt leave us with much confidence in the Greek military force but they were certainly interesting to look at! OH YA!!!!!!!! time for spanakopida, the delicious cheese and spinach wrapped in phyllo, just a quick bite before angie tackles more of these intriquing shops . Angie has an insatiable appetite for jewellery! "she cant get enough" was my thought as I stared down at my single wedding band.While sitting waiting for angie I spot a 10 euro on the ground. That makes a total of 60 euro found. Not bad!!!!!!! but now I find myself constantly looking down at the ground in hopes of finding more cash but thinking of what a waste. I could conceivably walk by some of the worlds greatest antiquities completely oblivious to them with only the thought in my screwwed up head of searching kilometres of Greek streets looking for petty cash dropped by careless tourists. Krazy Eh? Later were going to have moussaka with ouzo and water. Ya! thats the way you drink it,the water turns it milky. Hours later we were back at Camping Athens for a little tea and internet cafe.We mailed a bunch of postcards. Great stamps with the Parthenon on them,anyway the day was unforgettable. Amazing sights,mouth watering food and friendly people all made this day a travellers dream.

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globetrottingwanabees — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:26:00 GMT

day 4 ahhhhhhhhhhhhh......... what a glorius day it is when you get up in Greece next to the ocean! Angie says it was the subtle laps of the Saronic Sea that gently lulled us into that celestial slumber. I say it was the annoying crashing of those damn waves that kept me up most of the night! After a cup of coffee it was off to Ancient Epidavrous Theatre. Its a small amphitheatre set in the side of Mt. Arahneo. As we walked around the ruins of the temple of Asclepius and the Stadium we watched as small teams of excavators methodically unearthed their countrys hidden treasures. A short drive later we were climbing the steps of the 3rd century theatre that is said to be some of the best preserved and renowned for its amazing acoustics.Angie dropped a coin in the centre of the limestone theatre where it could be heard from my top row seat! Its a lot bigger than the sanctuary. This puppy holds 14,000 people. During the Hellenic festival one can enjoy many performances but as we found out most of them are scheduled during summer months. The museum was kool. Numerous marble statues stare you down as you make your way through the single corridor. Great stone carvers, these greeks! While walking back to the car I just happened to glance down and notice a 50 euro bill staring back at me. After asking around if anyone owned it we were satisfied that it was put there by the Greek Gods and only meant for us. At about 2 o'clock we headed back to our campground for a little r&r. A nice swim in the sea was refreshing.Washed out a few clothes and went downtown Epidavrous to buy Baklava and Boughatsa. The lady at the bakery was nice enough to write the name and receipe for this traditional phyllo and custard pastry. The town of Epidavrous was scenic but pricey. Hung out by the pier watching fishermen come in with their daily catch,shared some honey- soaked baklava and gazed out to the sunset both thinking the same,that we could'nt believe where we were. Day 5............. on the road for 8.30, taking E94 up the coast to Korinthos and then on to Athena. This was definetly a "hustle and bustle" environment from the peace and tranquiliy we had just left. Found Camping Athens after a few quick directions and set up under a huge shaded olive tree.Driving time was about 4 hours but with stops it was 7 hours later that we set up the tent.This was a day that we decided not to do much but chill and rest up for an action packed experience in the city tomorrow.Athens Camping,198 LEOF. Athinon.Day 6................. Athens is huge!! Traffic was heavy so taking the bus and subway to the Parthenon was a wise thing to do. 20 minutes to the Acropolis without the hassle of traffic or parking........priceless! The Parthenon, perched on top of the Acropolis, is the largest Doric temple in Greece. Pentelic marble was used to construct this world renowned monument but this marble becomes very slippery as your making your way up the side of the Acropolis. We were informed that on rainy days it becomes deadly and slicker than a skating rink. Took some crazy nice pics. The Erechtheion was well preserved with all six Caryatids in perfect condition. The Parthenon itself was off limits to human traffic. {much to my surprise as I remember exploring the area within the gigantic columns during my first visit here 30 years ago!}12 euro each gets you in and includes Hadrians Library,Ancient Agora,Theare of Dionysos so see the Parthenon first and use that ticket to explore the others. The Parthenon only took nine years to complete. It was dedicated to the worship of Athena. The Theatre of Dionysos was partially destroyed but still visible. The Herodian theatre was empty but we imagined performers like the late Luciano Pavarotti and the 3 tenors belting out some classical masterpiece. We hooked up with a guide at the Stoa of Eumenes. He gave us an explanation of what we were looking at. Free tour guide.......sweet! We're riding the transit system for free but don't get caught, you'll pay a hefty fine. We stopped for lamb souvlaki. {excellent, every place makes it a little different} After about 12 hours of walking and checking out ruins,Monastirki,Plaka and Omonium Square we jumed on a subway and bus and headed back, but not before we made one more crucial stop at a bakery for more baklava and walnut cake with honey. My pants dont fit anymore. Were gonna catch a few zzzzzzzz's now. Big day tomorrow.