Emily's Adventures

The finale

emily_b — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:27:00 GMT

On Sunday we had a sleep in then steph Jess and I went to paddington station to get a photo with the paddington bear statue. From there we walked to Hyde park to hire some bikes. Steph and I hired a bike from the machine and then it stopped working so we ended up putting our bikes back and we walked through Hyde park. We saw quite a few squirrels much to our excitement. Two of them were chasing each other and others we digging for food. We got a photo with the peter pan statue and continued our walk to marble arch at the top end of oxford street. We walked Dow. Oxford street o get some last minute gifts then caught the train from bond st station to meet Maria and her friend mottie for tea at our hostel as it was Sunday roast night. Jess steph and I got a chicken roast but they weren't very hot when they came out and my chicken on the bone was raw so we gave them back and got our money back. Maria was tired and had work the next day so we walked with her and mottie towards tower bridge where their car was and so we could see London at night all lit up. The next morning we had to check out at 10 but we didn't have our train to Paris until 8pm so we put the bags- and there were a lot of them, into storage. Katene steph Jess and I caught the train to Westminster to see Westminster abby, big Ben and parliament then walked past downing street to trafelgar square where we had lunch. Next we went to the national gallery and saw van gough's sunflowers and monet's waterlilies. After that we walked to leister squar and piccadily circus where we got the train back to the hostel. At 6.30 we got a taxi with steph to the train station to get onthe eurostar to Paris. Maria met us there and we said our goodbyes. There were a few tears then katene Jess and I went through customs. The train was so quick we were there in just over 2 hours. We got a little confused about where to walk to our accomodation but we got there on the end. our last day in Paris we wandered around montmartre looking at the painters and getting some souvineers. We are flying out of Paris at 10pm tonight and I get into chch at 3.20pm on thurs- so I think I have at least 27 hours to complete the journey home. It's hard to believe that 3months of travelling has been and gone. We have met some amazing people along the way and had so many laughs. It has been the best time!!! But now that the weather is cold I think I am ready for home and for being in the same bed for more than 3 nights. We packed a lot of cities and countries for that matter, into our trip. Rest is definitely needed when I get home. Can't wait to see everyone and catch up news from back home. Au reviour from Paris and from this journal I hope you enjoyed the stories and keeping up to date with all we have been up to.

London :)

emily_b — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 22:43:00 GMT

We woke up after the pub crawl very tired but had to be out of our room at 10am. So we packed our bags and went and sat in the common area for a bit. Then we walked up to the royal mile to get some souvineers. steph and I got Tammy hats, just the cheap ones not made from wool- they were way too expensive for our budget. We were going to get the bus to portobello to go see the beach but the Scotland rain set in. We ducked into a pub for cover and stayed for lunch. We ended up being there for over two hours to avoid going out into the rain. Eventually it eased and we decided we had overstayed our welcome and went back to the hostel to wait until 5pm to get the airport bus to the airport. We got to the airport and found we wernt flying into gatwick but into lutin- I said to Jess - that better be in London, I had a we panic that we had tickets to a random airport in another country. Steph and my bags were over the carry on limit but noone checked luckily- although we did go to the bookshop and get a magazine so we could use the bag to put heavy things in and it would look like it was just things that we got at airport. The plane was full- they don't have allocated seating so you sit where you like. We got into lutin just after 9. Then had to wait for stephs bag as it had been put in the hold due to there being no room in the overhead storage. We got a 10am bus to finchly road- then on the tube. Bryan picked us up from the station after 11.20. We sat up at the house having a catch up with Bryan and Steve before bed. The next day was the move to our hostel in town. I took until 2pm from when I woke up to repack my pack and little bag. Bryan came past at one point when my things were everywhere and all he said was "oh". Haha. We got to the hostel in town at 4 and met steph. We had tea in the bar then Maria and her friends joined us before walkng to the old school yard bar which played awesome music I hadn't heard since we were 18. So much fun. That night didn't get any slepp as there was a live version of Jeremy Kyle going on outside on the street. Was pretty entertaiNing but jeez itcwent on for ages. We didn't get much sleep that night. The next day we went to harrods. Wow what a place. So big and so pretty and expensive. Jess and k went to the natiral history museum while steph and I went to see the lion king with Maria and her friends. It was a great show and the costumes were spectacular but I enjoyed billy Elliot more. After that steph Maria her friend mottie and I went to soho to get Chinese. Had a yummy tea then back to the hostel to get Jess. We had a jug of cocktail in the bar then got the train to Camden and went to a few a bars. It was good- alternative. We taxied home around 3 by the time we found a mini cab office. You can't wave the cabs down here which is wierd. We got back to find a fight happening outside the bar so we stayed on the other side of the road. A girl was stopped at the lights in her mercerdes and the fight came her way. One guy tried to punch the other and missed and broke her whole back window- smashed all over the ground.

Ireland/scotland

emily_b — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:04:00 GMT

we had a look around galway in the morning. we walked to the port and then the rain came down. it poured, we had to run for shelter under a bridge along with a few other people. once the rain eased, 5 min later, we had a look around the town then got in the car and jess drove us to dublin. it took about two hours. we got into dublin around 4.30 then we had to go on the hunt for accomodation. we had a list and we began the search by foot. we walked to soo many places and they were all full for the night. two hours and several hostels later we finally found a place above a pub in temple bar. that night we went out with some guys from dublin that katene had met in munich. jess and i peaked too early so were home by 1.30 in bed.....the next day we all slept in and didnt get moving til after one. we got some lunch then went for a walk around the city. we headed to wheelans the pub from p.s i love you. it was quite a long walk and when we got there it was closed. in the window there was a poster for supermodel- my cousins band, which was crazy!! after that we walked down to the guiness storeroom to have a look. we didnt have enough money to go in, but we thought we could have a look in the shop- apparently not without paying. we got back to the hostel pretty tired from all the walking then we made nachos for dinner. our hostel kitchen it joint onto the pub next door so you can see people through the window while we were eating dinner- welcome to ireland :). we had an early night as we had to be up at 4am for our 6.30 am flight to edinburgh. we got to the airport just after 5am the next morning, very tired. we then looked up some hostels at edinburgh airport. with our list and map we got on the airport bus then walked for ages to the first hostel only to find that there was no longer any availability....so they pointed us in the direction of another one. we got the same answer, they had just sold their last room, luck was not in our favour. luckily that hostel rung their sister hostel and got us a room. we stayed at a hostel right next to edinburgh castle. we got to our hostel just after 10.30 and they wouldnt check us in until 2pm, even when we asked at 1.50pm. so we slept on the couches in the common room until that time. we went for dinner at a pub down the road, then we watched american beauty. our hostel plays two movies a night n a big screen which is cool. the next day we did a walking tour at 1pm. it was really interesting to learn about scottish history, the tour went until 5pm. we went to the supermarket and got some snacks for the movie they play at the hostel and got some thai for tea. the next day we hired a car and drove up to inverness pass the loch ness via glen coe. the scenery was amazing- very similar to home. in fact it felt like we were back at home. we took our time and stopped many times for photos so we didnt get into inverness until 6.30pm. this time we had booke accomodation. jess was really sick with a head cold and katene was really tired, so just steph and i went and got tea. inverness was dead it took us ages to find somewhere to go that had people at it. needless to say we all had a very early night. the next day we wandered around inverness then headed home to edinburgh. we stopped at the most beautiful picnic spot in scotland- it said on the pamphlet so it must be true. it was very pretty and had an old castle- eisleen castle in the middle. we sat by the lake for about anhour enjoying the sunshine- it was very pretty. we got back on the road at about 3.30- to find the traffic held up by a car that had burst into flames. not sure how, we just drove past the shell of a car, dont think anyone was hurt. we got back into edinburgh at 7pm then drove around for ages trying to find petrol. then at the train station where we dropped the car, jess put the key in the wrong drop hole- so we had to find a worker to get something to pull them out with. they found those tong like things you pick up rubbish with to get the keys out thankfully. we then had to walk over the hill to our hostel which we got to finally, at 8.45pm. we had tea then joined a free pub crawl... free means not very good. oh well. tomorrow evening we fly back to london for our last few days before home. it has been a blast and i cant believe it is already coming to an end.

Ireland

emily_b — Fri, 5 Oct 2012 19:28:00 GMT

We left the house at 8am to get to the airport by 11. We nearly gave bryan a heart attack, with how close we were to missing the 8.58 train. he wanted to leave home before 8, but due to our lack of organisation we didnt leave til 8am so got stuck in all the school traffic. so what should have taken 20mins took close to an hour. we got on the train wita minute to spare and off we went to gatwick airport. we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, carry on luggage in tow. stephs bag was over 10kg so ty were going to charge her 100pound to check her bag on as it was 11.5 kg. so off she went to the toilet and came out with two bras on and 5 t-shirts. we had breakie at the airport and then our flight was dealyed an hour and a half. what do they say about cheap flights..... you should watch this clip. brian and steve showed us this clip when we said we were flying ryan air and easy jet. it is very funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAg0lUYHHFc we finally were on our way to cork just after 3pm. we hired a ford fiesta from budget car rentals and we were on our way. we drove around town trying to manouver the one way streets. some of the streets were ridiculously narrow. we found a hostel owned by a new zealander above a pub. we got a beer, then headed down the road to find some tea. none of the pubs we found served food. so one pub said if you order fish and chips from across the road you can eat them there and the fish and chip shop will even deliver them to you at the bar. sounded like a plan. the pub we were at was very small with no music, but the locals were friendly. the pubs are mainly for the over 50's that we found. possibly becase it was only a tuesday. the next day we looked around the town then got on our way to killarney. we went to blarney to the castle on the way. the grounds the castle are on are very pretty. just as we walked towards the castle it bucketed down. so we took shelter in a little cave while we waited for it to pass. to get up to the blarney stone you have to walk up a very steep winding stair case and the steps get smaller and smaller and steeper and steeper. near the top the railing becomes a vertical rope hat you have to hold onto, thats how steep the steps are. at the bottom is a sign that says you are entering at your own risk. the blarney stone sits out from the castle so when you lean back your body is over open space that has a bar through it to stop you from falling to the ground. a little freaky. i wasnt going to do it, but i did. we had lunch in blarney then hit the road to killarney. we found one place above a pub but they were full for the night, so they recommended another hostel. we got our own room and ensuite for 12 euro each, bargain. we went exploring down the main street and found a place for tea. steph and i got an irish stew for tea, made with guiness. it was really tasty. then we went to the singing pub where there was a duo playing irish music. when they finished for the night they played the irish national athem while everyone stood. after that we went to another pub that also had a night club. they had a band on that played popular rock songs with an irish twist. i really enjoyed it. then we went into the nightclub for a boogie. we went home to bed at two. the next morning we had breakfast in town then drove into the killarney national park to ross castle. after that we drove towards gallway taking the scenic route. we got on a 20min car ferry to take us across the estuary to save us 2 hours. we stopped just before the cliffs of maohar for a very late lunch- at 4.30 then drove to the cliffs of mohar. it was soooo cold. the drive to the cliffs was in pouring rain which stopped just as we pulled up. we hurried around and took some photos then got back in the car to drive to galway. we were on a highway, but i wouldnt really call it one. the road was so narrow and there were little stone walls on either side and it was very winding. what i pictured the roads in the irish countryside to be like, not a motorway. we got into galway just after 7pm. we had a quiet night as we were very tired, especially jess from driving. steph and i went to a pub to listen to some music. it was a cool pub with mezzanine floors and had four bars, even though it was smaller than all the pubs at home that only have one. the band was really good. they played old rock and roll- the beatles etc. we stayed until 12 then came back to the hostel for bed. today we will look around galway then go to dublin where we end our irish adventure.

London 2

emily_b — Tue, 2 Oct 2012 09:07:00 GMT

Katene jess and I decided to do a hop on hop off tour. we decided to go with the cheapest company, which in the end didnt turn out to be the wisest decision. we got on the bus at the national gallery and sat at the top of the double decker bus, as you do, and off we went. we drove past st peters cathedril, over the tower bridge and to the tower of london where we got off the bus. we took some photos and then got on the boat, which was part of the hop on hop off tour, down to the london eye. this is where it became difficult. we couldnt find the bus stop to get back on the bus. the map was terrible and didnt have some of the main streets. we finally found a bus stop and got on, but it ended up being the 3hour tour with the same company not the hop on hop off, so we got to buckingham palace, which was good. after that we wanted to get back on the bus to get to westminster. we searched for ages and couldnt find a bus stop, a bus drove past us, but it didnt stop anywhere we could see. we gave the company a call and they told us to come and see them. we did and they gave us 20 pound of our 60 pound back and took our ticket. the refund was good, but them taking our ticket meant we had to pay for the train during peak hour back to covent garden, whereas we should have got back for free, as we had paid for the hop on hop off tour and didnt get a full refund. jess told them this, but they wouldnt give our ticket back. we have written an email to their head office- but havnt heard back. no wonder our bus was basically empty compared to all the other companies. we met maria and steph that night in covent garden at the porterhouse for a drink. the next day jess and katene caught a bus to bristol for the weekend to see a gig. i went to stay with steph at marias friend's house for the weekend. i met steph at the train station and we went and watched the changing of the guard. it was good to see but a tad boring to be completely honest. a lot off waiting around for something to happen. after that we got some lunch then steph had an interview. so i had my first experience on a london bus and doing the tube alone/ i went to hammersmith- to yet another primark, which i swore i would never go back in. but i had to get another pair of black shoes, as mine we no longer waterproof. not the best considering the london weather. 2.5 pound later, dry shoes. then i got the tube to the huge!! westfield in shepards bush and immersed myself in shopping for a few more hours before meeting steph after her interview. which she said went really well. we met maria and her friend and took our bags to the flat, which was huge, i thought people in london lived in shoe boxes. we went to a pub, the thing to do in london, so i hear. the next day we went to portobello market in notting hill. that was really cool. i got to have my chicken paella that i never got in spain, it was really yummy. we found the house from love actually where the guys holds the signs up to keira knightly, and took some photos. then we went to a flatwarming, which from barnes, where we were staying to shoredich is a very long way away. it was very civilised in a very nice flat- id say house more than flat, flat implies a lower level of sophistication, and this was nice. although to be honest rather boring. we were all falling asleep. it was going to take us an hour and a half to get home on 4 buses so we got a taxi. the next day we went to abby road. i ran up to the studio doors and got a photo and a knock on the window from security. authorised personal only...cheaky cheaky. we did the crossing several times and got lots of photos then biked through regent park to camden market. the bike was scary as it was on the road and you dont get helmets. nothing like biking in europe where there are bike lanes. we survived, obviously. then we got the train to tin pan alley, aka denmark street to see regent studios. thanks dad for all the information on the street, yes there is a bit of sarcasm there...we got a photo outside the studio where the rolling stones recorded there fisrt album? sorry dad if that is wrong, i dint read the stuff you sent me...i also got a photo of the house where the sex pistols recorded their album. that night it was back to the grandparents, aka steve and brian. we are having a great time out there, we missed them this weekend. today I had the best day. i went to warner bros studios to see the set of harry potter. it is the original costumes and sets. it was waonderful, loved it. then i got the train to tottingham court and walked down oxford street, looked in a few shops then got the train from bond st to victoria station to see billy elliot. it was fantastic, loved it loved it loved it. it was sooo good, pity i had noone to share the experience with, but i made friends with an older couple from america, the husband noticed my harry potter bag to which i told him about the tour, which unfortunately- to him- his wife overhear, so guess where she is going tomorrow? jess and katene went to 39 steps which they really enjoyed. tomorrow we got to ireland. should be great.

london

emily_b — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:43:00 GMT

we got on mega bus and began our journey at 11am. we were expecting the bus to be like busabout where they stop every few hours. but no they dont. we went all the way to the port without a break. we got to the port at 3.30pm and hadnt eaten since breakfast. we had no idea we were even going on a ferry!! we got to the ferry port and had to go through customs. we had to wait for everyone on the bus to go through. some of the young guys got a grilling about why they were going to london, what sights they were going to see, how much money they had in their bankaccounts, so we got held up. our bus missed the 4.30 ferry so we had to wait at the port until the 6pm ferry. the bus driver said there was a cafe at the port so we could get some lunch. it ended up being just a vending machine.so so chips and choc it was for lunch. we finally got on the ferry. the sea was very rough so it was hard to walk straight on the ferry. im glad it was only a 1.5 hour journey. they had a duty free shop. so i distracted myself by looking at all the things i wanted to buy but didnt need. we got off the ferry and had a two hour drive into london where stephs aunty and bens grandparents met us. i had a sign with my name on it so that bens grandad could find us- as we had never met, and until 2 days ago had never communicated. thanks ben for helping us out. we got into london at 9pm london time, which to us was 10pm europe time, and got three trains to our new home :). they are such lovely people, and have a great sense of humour. so we have had many laughs with them. we have had the best sleep in over two months, on amazingly comfy beds with feather duvets- we are living in luxury. they wait at the door for us to leave to wave us goodbye each day as we head off down the street :). the next day, they told us to go to oxford street. so we went there. steph had an interview and was going shopping with her aunty so us three hit the shops. which means we made it to one shop- primark, a cheap shop that is massive and was so busy youd think there was a sale on. we got our shopping bags and began filling them with clothes. the changing rooms were so full we ended up getting changed in the middle of the shop. we were there for hours. by the end of it we were so exhausted and overwhelmed and over people banging into us. we got out onto oxford street and didnt know what to do next. we bought a carry on luggage bag each so decided we would catch two trains home and drop all our bags off. we got home and 20mins later and headed back onto the train to liecester square to meet steph and maria for tea at china town. it was nice to see them both. it is so cold in london and i dont have any warm clothes- really missing europe weather. its wierd being in a country where everyone speaks engligh, as we havint been in an english speaking country since home. have to remember not to verbalise my annoyance, which in europe noone understands but here they do oops lol. today we are going to do the hop on hop off around london and see some sights :)

paris

emily_b — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:32:00 GMT

woke up to pouring rain in paris. so waited until the rain stopped before we went out for the ay. we went to the latin quarter for lunch and got a three course french meal. we got french onion soup, beef bourguignon and i got choc mousse- the others creme brulee. it was a great day to have aa hearty meal. after that we went into the notre dame cathedril. it was very pretty inside as there are so many stained glass windows and the rose windows were magnificient. i decided that this was a beautiful church to light a candle to remember grandad. after that we went to pierre hermes a traditional french macaroon shop to get some macaroons to take to bens grandad who was putting us up in londaon and then we trained to the hostel to get dressed for the eiffel tower at night. we got some wine and cheeses and took our picnic to the grass infront of the eiffel tower. we wore our berets and drunk our wine, enjoyed our cheeses and waited for the lights show to begin. 2 minutes into the lights show the rain came down so we ran for cover and hurried towards the eiffel tower. we went up the eiffel tower in the rain- so could only go to the second floor. it was cool to be up there at night, so pretty :)- my shoes were soaked through from the rain, so had very wet socks by the time we left to go home. after the eiffel tower we got a crepe each with nutella and walked to the train station for the very long journey home. we caught one train and went to the platform to get on another train only to find out that the train had been cancelled. so we got on another that took an extremely long time to get home. the next morning we got up and had to catch two trains to the bus station. it was very crowded so difficult to fit on with our packs. at one point we were so squished we couldnt move. goodbye paris, see you in two and a bit weeks

Bordeaux

emily_b — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:55:00 GMT

WE ARRIVED INTO BORDEAUX JUST AFTER LUNCH. WE WENT TO OUR HOTEL AND COULDN'T CHECK IN UNTIL AFTER 2PM SO WE TOOK OUR PACKS TO THE NEAREST LAUNDROMAT AND DID SOME SERIOUS WASHING- 2 HOURS LATER WE HAD CLEAN AND DRY CLOTHES- SO EXCITING. THAT AFTERNOON WE WENT FOR A LOOK DOWN THE MAIN STREET AT THE SHOPS. BORDEAUX IS A REALLY PRETTY CITY DESIGNED BY THE SAME MAN WHO DESIGNED PARIS- SO THEY HAVE A VERY SIMILAR FEEL TO THEM BUT BORDEAUX IS LESS BUSY AND MORE RELAXED. FOR TEA WE WALKED THEKLEE NEARBY STREETS AND FOUND A THAI PLACE. WE WERE IN BED BY 10.30PM- WHICH WAS WIERD WE HAVNT BEEN IN BED THIS EARLY IN MONTHS. WE SLEPT IN UNTIL 11AM. IT WAS 1.30 BY THE TIME WE LEFT THE HOSTEL. WE WERE STARVING BY THEN SO WE WENT DOWN SOME BACK STREETS AND FOUND A BUSY PLACE WHICH ONCE AGAIN HAPPENED TO BE THAI. AFTER LUNCH WE WALKED BY THE RIVER THEN CAUGHT A TRAIN TO THE WINE MUSEUM. IT WAS A TINY MUSEUM FOCUSING ON THE WINE TRADE IN BORDEAUX. THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE LEARNT A BIT MORE ABOUT WINE- BUT OH WELL. WE GOT TO TASTE 3 WINES, A RED A WHITE AND A ROSE. THEY WERE VERY INTENSE- I COULD ONLY HVE A SIP OF THE RED WINE. FROM THE WE WENT TO THE SUPERMARKET TO BUY SOME SNACKS AS WE WERE GOING TO THE MOVIES- WE FOUND A THEATRE THAT WS PLAYING BATMAN RISES IN ENGLISH!! SO COOL, WE ALL REALLY ENJOYED THE MOVIE. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE PICKED UP BY THE BUS AT 11.30 TO TAKE US BACK TO PARIS- SO CRAZY THAT WE HAVE DONE THE THREE BUSBOUT LOOPS AND ARE BACK WHERE WE STARTED 2 MONTHS AGO!! BIT SAD TO BE LEAVING THE BUSABOUT PEOPLE BEHIND. WE GOT INTO PARIS AFTER 8PM AND THE DRIVER TOOK US FOR A DRIVE AROUND THE CITY WHILE WE LISTENED TO FRENCH MUSIC. IT WAS COOL TO SEE THE SIGHTS AT NIGHT- WHEN WE WERE HERE IN JULY IT WASN'T DARK UNTIL AFTER 10PM SO WE ONLY SAW THE FAMOUS SIGHTS IN DAYLIGHT. TODAY IS RAINING IN PARIS UNFORTUNATELY- WE WERE PLANING A PICNIC AT THE EIFFEL TOWER, HOPEFULLY IT CLEARS.

San sebastian

emily_b — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:19:00 GMT

WE ARRIVED INTO SAN SEBASTIAN TO THE RAIN AND COLD. WE SADLY HAVE LEFT THE HIGH 30 DEGREE HEAT THAT WE HAVE HAD FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS. SO ONLY HAVING LOW 20S WAS VERY COLD. WE PUT JEANS ON AND WENT WITH THE BUSABOUT TOUR GUIDE TO GET PINTXOS SAN SEBASTIAN EQUIVALENT OF TAPAS. THE FIRST PLACE WE WENT TO WE GOT BEEF CHEEK AS THIS WAS RECOMMENDED. IT WAS DELICIOUS- IT TOOK SOME CONVINCING TO GET STEPH TO TRY IT BUT SHE LIKED IT. NEXT WE WENT TO A PLACE WHERE WE WERE TOLD TO GET THE MINI BURGER. IT WAS TINY BUT ALSO VERY GOOD - BUT OVERPRICED. NEXT WE WENT TO A MUSSLE BAR- MUCH TO STEPH AND MY DELIGHT. IT WAS LIKE A FISH AN CHIP SHOP AND PEOPLE JUST THROW THEIR SHELLS ON THE GROUND. THE PEOPLE THAT LIKED SEAFOOD SAID IT WAS AMAZING. AFTER THAT STEPH AND I WENT TO BED AND JESS AND KATENE WENT OUT WITH SOME OF THE BUSABOUT PEOPLE. THE NEXT DAY WE HAD A SLEEP IN- KATENE WENT SURFING WITH MATT - IT WAS VERY ROUGH AT THE BEACH SO HE SAID IT WAS REALLY HARD WORK. JESS AND KATENE HAD SOME MORE SLEEP WHILE STEPH AND I HIT THE SHOPS. AFTER SHOPPING WE WENT TO WALK ALONG THE BEACH BUT WENT THE WRONG WAY SO INSTEAD OF A 2MIN WALK IT TOOK US 20MIN TO WALK AROUND THE JESUS HILL- CALLED THAT BY US BECAUSE IT HAS A GIANT JESUS STATUE AT THE TOP THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM AROUND ALL OF SAN SEBASTIAN. IT WAS REALLY COLD IN THE SHADE SO I HAD A SWEATSHIRT ON FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE HAD A NICE WALK AROUND THE PORT THEN BACK TO THE HOSTEL. WE GOT BACK AND THEN WENT WITH MOLLY AND RACHEL FOR A PICNIC AT THE TOP OF THE JESUS HILL TO WATCH THE SUNSET. IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A HIKE UP THE HILL BUT THE VIEW OVER THE WATER WAS BEAUTIFUL. THERE WERE TABLE AND CHAIRS UP THERE SO WE SET UP OUR PICNIC OVERLOOKING THE BEACH. IT WAS A LOVELY EVENING WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS AND GREAT COMPANY. WE WENT BACK DOWN THE HILL AT 9PM IT WAS PITCH DARK AND SO HARD TO SEE- LUCKILY I HAD A TORCH AS THERE WERE SO MANY STAIRS THAT WE WOULDN't HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE. THE NEXT MORNING KATENE AND MATT WENT FOR ANOTHER SURF - THE WEATHER WAS NICE BUT STILL NOT REALLY HOT. US GIRLS SUNBATHED AT THE SURF BEACH BUT GOT A LITTLE COLD. WE WENT WITH MATT AND KARISHA FOR A HUNT FOR A KEBAB SHOP TO GET LUNCH- IT TOOK 40MINS, WE WERE ALL SO HUNGRY BY THE TIME WE FOUND IT. AFTER THAT WE HAD A SIESTA THEN AT 5PM KATENE AND JESS WENT SHOPPING AND STEPH AND I WENT TO THE SWIMMING BEACH FOR WHAT WAS PROBABLY OUR LAST SWIM FOR THIS TRIP :(. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL STILL EVENING SUCH A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND THE EVENING. WE WENT BACK TO THE HOSTEL SO STEPH COULD GET A TRIM FROM MOLLY. JESS AND KATENE WENT WITH MATT AND KARISHALATISHA TO AN ALL YOU CAN EAT SEAFOOD TYPE PLACE. YOU CHOOSE YOUR FOOD AND THEY COOK IT FOR YOU. aS STEPH AND I DON'T LIKE SEAFOOD WE WENT WITH RACHEL AND MOLLY TO GET BEEF CHEEK AND THEN TO THE MUSSLE BAR SO THEY COULD HAVE MUSSLES. WE HAD A DRINK THEBTHEN CALLED IT A NIGHT AS WE HAD THE BUS TO BORDEAUX AT 8AM.

Madrid

emily_b — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 06:09:00 GMT

Oh madrid- what can i say, way too much tequila and sangria.....

so we got into madrid at 6.30pm and bumped into molly and rachel some cool aussies who we met a while ago on busabout. they asked us what we were doing for tea, we said wehad no plans so they took us with a few others to a place called gingers. gingers is more of a fine dining restaurant with white table cloths and napkins, but it is a training school for the chefs so all the meals are under 10 euros. we got there and it is huge but wasnt very busy, as it was a tad early for tea at 8.45 in spain. the girls said just you wait in 10mins it will be full. and sure enough by the time our food arrived the place was packed. steph and i got the lamb, and wow it was heaven!! we got two huge pieces of lamb, the size of a side plate each and it came with potato gratin and a sweet mustart sauce. now i know i mention food all the time, as mum pointed out. but as we were told on bus about you have to eat your way around europe, and that is exactly what we have been doing. after dinner we wnet back to the hostel to have an early night as we had been up til 5.30am the night before. but then the pub crawl people asked if we were going. we said we would do it the next night. and we were told that it doesnt go on the next two nights so the only night we would be in madrid for it was tonight. me and steph looked at each other, gave each other the look and decided that yes we would join the pub crawl. jess didnt want to come as she was still on her antibiotics. so we ran up to our room and quickly got changed. we were back in 15ins ready to leave for the 11.30 start. at this point we had had nothing to drink, so thought it would be a great idea to just do shots all night, as we got free ones at all the pubs. we ended up consuming 7 tequila, 1 sambucca, 2 fragelico, 3 peach schnapps and 1 vodka shot. but for some reason were still standing and felt absolutely fine- which is a huge surpise, must have been all the dancing- sweating out the alcohol lol. we got home at 5am and went to bed as we had a walking tour to do at 11am the next morning with jess and katene. i got up at 10.15am and had a shower and made it down to start the tour- i was very dedicated, before realising there is a small possibility that i may still be a little drunk- so i made an executive decision and took myself back to bed. steph and i slept until 5.30pm- opps. jess and katene really enjoyed the walking tour and went to a cool tapas bar, before joining steph and i for a seista. that evening we got burritos for dinner and walked through townto the palace. we watched the sunset over the gardens and then walked up the hill to see the eqyptian temple.unfortunately we were too early so it was too dark to see it and there was still 45 mins until the lights turned on. we waited around for the lights which went on at 9.30 pm. it looked cool all lit up. it was such a hot evening- we were still in shorts and singlets til after 11pm when we got home. after taking photos we walked back through town to find the famous-best churros place in town. churros are like long donuts minus the sugar and you get a cup of hot chocolate- which is literally melted chocolate. we shared the churros dipping them in the chocolate- it was very sickly- people in spain eat the for breakfast and on the way home from town after a night out. the next morning steph and i went on the walking tour while jess and katene went shopping. the walking tour was good. there are trees that grow around the city that have berries which naturally ferment- so of course we were taking to a bar to have a shot of the liquear that is made from the berries. it came in a waffer shot glass lined with chocolate. next we went past a monestry where the nuns have taken a vow of silence and they bake cookies. so they nominated one nun to talk to sell the cookies. you get the cookie on a turnstyle then choose the ones you want and out the money on and turn it around. we got a box of lemon cookies to share with the group. they were very tasty. after the walking tour, the same guy takes a tapas tour, so steph and i and another nz girl stayed on and did both. we managed to encourage a couple of aussies to join us on the tour. so the six of us went out or tapas which ended up being a day long drinking session. the tapas tour took us to three bars where we got a plate of nibbles and a sangria. the first place we got pieces of pork belly, the next bread with salami, the last we got a ini paella each and a piece of bread which i thought had tomato hummas but it was crab-eew!!!!!! after that we went to a proper tapas place where you buy a drink and they give you plates of food. we got given chicken nibbles, potato bravas, bread and meat, paella, cheese balls. in this and other traditional tapas places it is rude to put your serviette on the table once used so you just throw it on the floor. so liberating lol. after that we went to a bar where you get 5 beers in a bucket for 5 euros, you just have to buy a plate of food. 5 buckets later,it was decided that we should go buy sangria and tequila and go to the park where the row boats are to drink. what a day!!! i was in bed by 12 but still felt crap the next day for the bus at 8am- but not as crap as steph :) she was wondering if she could even get on the bus lol. we made it and we arenow in san sebastian. where it is raining!!

Valencia

emily_b — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 05:37:00 GMT

we got into valencia at midday. jess had just begun to get a swollen face and wasnt feeling 100% so her and katene decided to spend the afternoon chilling out in the hostel and catching up on some sleep. steph and i had slept the whole way on the bus so when we got settled into our room decided to go hit the shops. it was another beautiful day and we wandered down the main streets looking for some jandals to replace stephs beloved ones that had been with her for the past 7 years..and sadly decided to call it quits while in barcelona- although she couldnt bring herself to part with them just yet so the broken jandal was packed and brought to valencia. we walked the streets until 6pm and then went back to the hostel to collect katene and jess so that we could go to the supermarket to get picnic food. valenca used to have a river that ran through it but it kept flooding so they decided to redivert the river and turned the old riverbed into a park that goes for several kilometers. by the time we got to the supermarket and decided on what to buy it was nearly 8pm. katene decided he would stay back at the hostel and ordered kfc delivered- apparently you can get anything delivered in valencia. us girls found a nice spot in the park and enjoyed watching the sunset. it was so pretty- the sky turned pink and looked amazing through all the trees and there are a few churches around the park and these looked cool lit up by the sunset. the park had soo many people going for runs, biking and walking their dogs. they also have fitness parks- which are like childrens playgrounds but only have gym equipment so they were busy too, and free. the next morning jess face was far more swollen than the previous day so she decided to go to the hospital with katene. steph and I hired some bikes for the day and biked through the park down to the science museum and then on to the beach. they have amazing cycle footpaths here that are listed on the city map and they are colour coded so once you are on the right route it is so easy to get where you are going. the beach wasnt wow like we were expecting. there is a good couple of hundred of meters of flat grey sand from the boardwalk to where the sea is. Most of the time it was just steph and I biking along the boardwalk so there wasnt the atmosphere of barcelona with heaps of people around enjoying the sunshine. even the restaurants along the boardwalk were quiet. wegot some lunch as it was nearly 2pm then walked across the sand to find a spot near the water. beacuseit was just me and steph we had to go swimming in the Medeterraininan by ourselves so that we could watch each others bags. as with every other beach in eurpoe thereare always people walking around trying to sell sunglasses and massages. the sea was warm and therewere good waves but it would have been more fun to be able to be in the water with someone else. after we took turns swimmming we slept on the beach. i thought i was getting burn so much to stephanies amusement I covered my whole body with my sarong and my face with my hat. apparently i looked like a mummy haha. when we realised how late in the afternoon it was we walked back up to the boardwalk and collected the bikes- which were thankfully still there with all the wheels and seats- its not uncommon for bikes to be stolen even locked up. we took another bike route home which was more direct and this took about 30mins. jess hadbeen back from the hospital for a while but was sleeping as the medication had taken it out of her. she had a salvitory gland infection- so it was good she got it sorted. that nighta friend of katenes from chch was staying at the hostel so we got some happy hour sangria .75l for 2 euro and then went to a night club down at the science museum. it took us 30mins to walk there so we didnt get there til nearly 2am- but this is when people start going out in spain. the night club was amazing. it was outdoor but had this big sail like structure over it to give the impression that you were inside. therewe palm tress lining either side of the club with flash seating areas lit up with neon pink lamps and big plastic balls. down staris there was another club that was indoors. we started there first then when we got over the music we went back upstairs. we left at 5am after a good boogie. it was the first nightclub any of us had been to in a very long time. we couldnt get a taxi to take us home as there were five of us so a guy in a bmw gave us a ride. dont worry mum, katene was with us to protect us :). the next day was sooo hot. we walked to a different park of town which ended up being where the cathedril was and was really pretty and had a look around, then we had to be back for our bus to madrid which left at 1.30pm. as the bus was pulling out the wedding being held across the road from the hostel at a church had just come out and they light fire works to celebrate.though their fireworks are more about the sound than the lights. it sounded like gunfire. that was cool to see.

Barcelona 2

emily_b — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:54:00 GMT

today we slept in and jess and i walked to the beach. it only took us 40mins. we enjoyed our walk down the side streets, there is so much to see here. i wish we had a few more days. we had lunch at a place on the beach- cheese, onion and mustard sandwich. we sat on the beach- even though it was 32 degrees the wind was cold so i didnt go for a swim- the water felt pretty cold. we walked home and took some more photos. it was nice to be out enjoying the sun. steph was still in bed after a late night out and kateme was having some guy time. we got back to the hostel and then jess katene and i caught the train up to park guell- an art park where guadis work is. it was cool to walk around- so huge, and there were people jogging and tourist everywhere. the mosaics were so pretty. the rain clouds were rolling in so we decided we needed to leave to get back to the train station. when we got back steph was up so we just went to dinner at a place on the corner. we all just got hamburgers- just a pub meal- early night tonight for us i think. and tomorrow we are off to valencia.

Barcelona

emily_b — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:23:00 GMT

WE arrived into Barcelona at 6.30 after a very long day on the bus. we walked with some others into las Ramblas the main street to have a look around. we ended up going into a tapas bar and got a jug of sangria which was a refreshing drink. we shared two tapas- meatballs and ham croquettes. it was very expensive- because we were in the tourist area, and we only got one each between the four of us, and they weren't even nice. after our tapas experience we were so hungry we went down the street to wok and walk. you choose whether you want noodles, rice etc and the meat and then the sauce you want it stir-fried in. that was yummy. Barcelona is not a city you feel safe in especially after dark. everyone is walking along clutching on to their purses due to the high rate of theft in this city. barcelona is the capital of pickpocketing in europe, we are only taking a tiny bit of cash out with us at a time. at our hostel we got the dud room. we are in an 8 bedroom dorm, off reception. we are the only room where reception is. every other room is on the floors above. so unfortunately in reception is couches and all the computers, and the rooms are not soundproof. we were so looking forward to a good nights sleep after having two 10 hour days in a row on a bus. at 1pm we couldt take it anymore and katene got up to ask some young girls to please keep it quiet. one girl replied in a smart way - this is barcelona, i didnt realise people slept- can you believe her cheek!! eventually they moved on. then a guy came in at 5am telling the guy at reception he had just been beaten up and all his money and cards were stolen. i could here this entire conversation through my earplugs. needless to say the next day our whole room was full of very tired people. we complained and said we dont think that we should have to pay the same price as everyone else for a room that doesnt allow us to sleep. unfortunately as it was the catalane peoples national day- the manager wasnt on. being the national day everything was closed and all the people head to the streets with flags- trying to get independence from spain. we did a bike tour at 11am around barcelona. the streets and architecture here is very cool. I really enjoyed the bike tour, it was a great way to see the city and made me appreciate this city. it was interesting to learn about guardi the architect and his vision for the sagrada familia. it was amazing to see. the bike tour led us along the board walk by the beach. the beach here is artificial and was made with sand brought in from Egypt, as you do, for the 1992 Olympics. so the sand is finer than normal sand, and although it is gold it has the texture and look of dirt. we had lunch at a beach bar sitting on the beach with the bike tour. then had a nice cruisy bike ride back to the gothic center where we began. we got back to the hostel and had a quick nap before we had to leave for our cooking class. it was more a demonstration than a class. we had tapas to begin with and then the chef came out and made a giant seafood paella. me and steph just looked at each other. we both hate seafood. we knew seafood is the traditional dish but we thought they may have made a few varieties. while the rice was finishing off we went into the bar to learn how to make sangria. the whole evening they just kept giving us jugs of sangria- as much as we wanted. me and steph needed a few drinks before we were going to take a bit of any seafood. the rice was nice- but it did have a fish taste. the dish had whole prawns, mussles, cockles and shrimp. i tried a shrimp and two mussles. that was all i could bring myself to try. there was no way i was going to eat a prawn- especially as they were whole. steph nearly threw up when the guy was describing how you go about eating them. it was a great night out. we wernt out too late as it isnt the safest city.

Photos: Lauterbrunnen

emily_b — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:57:00 GMT

Lauterbrunnen

emily_b — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:37:00 GMT

we had a very empty bus on the way to switzerland. the scenery was amazing, so beautiful. we turned off to lauterbrunnen and wow!! i cant even find enough adjectives to capture just how stunning the landscape is. we stayed at camping jungfrau in a cute camp with little huts and a nice restaurant and chillout area. the camp ground is in a valley surrounded by steep cliffs with waterfalls, and mountains. there are alpine rivers running past the camp. we got into lauterbrunnen at tea time so went to the camp shop and got pasta, spinich and beans for tea. it got so cold in the evening. we hung out with busabout people in the common room. i went to bed earlier than the others as i wanst feeling well with a terribly sore throat, what else could i possibly catch! the next morning i was up first and went to go to the toilet, you open the cabin door and forget where you are and the view takes your breath away. the sun was just coming up over the hills so i decided to walk around the camp and take photos whilst still in my pjs. it was so enjoyable listening to the sound of the waterfalls and rivers and enjoying the majestic mountains. there is something about being up in an alpine town in the crisp morning while the sun is slowly making its way up that reminds me of autumn mornings in tekapo, and it makes me feel good, i just cant help but smile. when the others got up we sat in our cabin and had breakfast together. my throat had blistery things on it so i had a doctors appointment for 4.45 in the afternoon. so we packed our bags and headed up towards the trummelbach falls. the walk was so peaceful and everyone is so friendly, something we have missed by being in the big cities.as we were walking along people are base jumping off the surrounding hills. you suddenly hear the clap of the parachute opening just before they reach the ground. they are insane!! there are also a lot of people paragliding. the weather was so hot and no wind nor clouds- a perfect day to be out in nature. we went to the trummelbach falls which is a waterfall that is inside caves which you walk up through to 10 different viewing platforms. it was very cool, but extremely cold inside the caves. we took a lot of photos. after the waterfall we sat on the grass in the sun and had our packed lunch. it was so nice to sit on the grass and not have to worry that we are going to be told off. after lunch we walked beside the river towards stechelburg to get the cablecar up to grimmelwald. the cable car just goes straight up, so you are hanging hundreds of meters above the ground for some of it. quite frightening expecially when it starts rocking back and forth as it goes over the wheels in the cable, but we had an amazing 360 degree view. grimmlewald is a tiny little village at the top of this cable car- there are cable cars everywhere along the hills, and the village is silent, the only sound is the ding of bells from the cattle. we sat and looked out at the mountains. unfortuantely we had to leave so i could get to the doctors, otherwise we would have walked up to the next village. we got the bus into lauterbrunnen, steph came with me and jess and katene went to have a rest before tea. the doctor was really nice and i had a swab of my throat taken, never had that done before, and wasnt expecting it. had to pull away in the end cos i thought i was going to choke. i didnt have strep throat, yay, just got given some antibiotics, so now it has come right. that evening we went to the camp restaurant for tea. we sat outside and they give you blankets. we all got the local dish of potato rosti with swiss cheese, bacon, onion and fried egg on top. it was very yummy and such a big meal. we hung out with our friends in the common room and had a great laugh then went to bed. the next morning we went with a nz couple we had met a few cities ago to seilpark. seilpark is a ropes course in interlaken with ziplines, bridges and obstacles that you make your way around. it was the jungfrau marathon, i think it was its 20th anniversary and the course went past the canp ground. to get to the train we had to walk in the opposite direction to them. the atmosphere was amazing. people ringing the big cow bells, traditional bands playing and people yelling out what sounded like pop pop, which i thing meant go go. they are such lively people and the whole town comes out to support, so much energy, it was really cool to watch. we caught the train to interlaken, was a very slow train but the scenery is amazing so it didnt matter. we walked into the bush to the seilpark and had a bite to eat before beginning. we got harnessed up and given gloves and a little training session before we were left to it. you dont even get given a helmet and it is up to you to make sure you clip your carabenas on each time you move around the course. we started off with a course that was 4m off the ground, it was a challenging course and some of the obstacles required a lot of upperbody strength as your feet were on very unbalanced pieces of wood. after that we did the 11m course. this was quite high, but a lot easier obstacles. and lastly we did the zipline course which was 18m high. the ladder to get up there was quite frightening it took steph two attempts to get to the top, but she did it. i think the most nerve wraking thing was actually trusting that your carabenas and pully thing was on correctly before heading down the line. it was fun. after two zip lines you had to go up another few ladders and then zip lined to the next platform. from then the all got lower and lower. steph was a bit overwhelmed by it but she did it. one thing about these courses is that once you start and complete the fist obstacle, the only way to get on the ground is to finish it. me jess and steph went into town after that to get our souvineers and katene jo and andrew did the 20m obstacle, that they said was really hard and terrifying, they said it was worse than skydiving. us girls went to a chocolate shop and the others got a hot chocolate made with chocolate and i got a truffle cake, yum yum. we then met up with the others and got the train home. the walk from the train station was wonderful as the mountains we so clear because the sun was behind us. we got back to the camp and made sweet and sour chicken for tea. the camp was having a folklore evening, so a lot of the towns people had come down to watch the local entertainment including the alphorn, the big bells and drums. the evening was cool. they had a cheese stall that had two big wheels of cheese which they put under a hot element and the top of the cheese goes all bubbly then they scrape off the top layer and put it on the bread. it was really yummy. the next morning we had to leave :( so sad. we only had 12 people on the bus and dropped people off in lake como so by the time we got to nice there was only 8 left. we got into nice at 5.30 and walked into the old town to have a look around. tomorrow we have a long bus ride to barcelona.

Milan

emily_b — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 05:11:00 GMT

we got on the bus to milan. and for the first time this whole trip the bus wasnt full, infact there was only a handful of us on the bus. everyone kept asking us why we were going to milan, apparently there is nothing to do there as it is an industrial city. if only we were told this before we booked it! we stayed in a really nice apartment which had our own kitchen and to our delight our own washing machine. we arrived in milan just after lunch and spent the rest of the day putting loads of washing on (so domesticated). washing is expensive over here, so when we can do it for free it is awesome. we cooked honey soy chicken with lots of veg for tea and just did some more booking of trains and buses for the uk. the next morning wwe got up early to get the 9am bus to lake como (where george clooney, madonna and many other famous people have houses, and oceans 12 and casino royale were filmed). we walked 20 minutes to the train station only to find that there is a strike on and our train has been cancelled and the next train isnt until 11 and is from a different station. we started walking to the other station and then asked a local for directions who then told us it was too far to walk. we waited for a bus and then got to the train station with half an hour to spare. the train was then running 20 minutes late. we have the best luck...not. we finally got to lake como. it was a lovely day and we sat by the lake in como enjoying the sun. a wave came from a boat and nearly wet us s we jumped up to move and my camera fell out into the lake. i didnt notice, but steph grabbed it just as a wave was taking back into the lake. im so lucky my case kept the water out of it, couldnt believe my luck. we decided to get a ferry to bellagio, the most beautiful town we were told, and where the celebrities have houses. it is a cute wee village with pretty buildings. we got a pizza and sat by the lake for a while. we went for a walk around the lake and the weather started to turn. when we looked back at the village there was fog and dark clouds engulfing it. the thunder and lightening began, and then it started bucketing down. we ran for cover in a souvineer shop. but it didnt let up and our ferry was due to depart in the next 10 minutes. i got a cheap umbrella and we made our way to the dock. the lake was dark and so choppy and you couldnt see far due to the fog. the fork lightening looked like it was going straight into the lake ans the thunder followed only a second behind. we all looked at each other, thinking that none of us wanted to get on the ferry with how choppy it was. the locals told us that storms like this only last 30mins. we got on the ferry and the wind eased so the swell went down, thank goodness. 50mins later we were back on land and had to fight the rain all the way to the train station. luckily the rain had stopped by the time we got to milan for our 20min walk home. for tea we made fried rice with our leftovers. the next day our bus didnt leave until 1.30 so we got a taxi to the hostel that was the pickup point and planned to catch the train into town. the others didnt think we had enough time, so just steph and myself went. we got our return ticket and went to get on the train that had just come in, but the power was out. we waited for a while, not understandin the announcements. then we found out the train was not going and we had to go outside and get the bus. we waited for half and hour to get on a bus and by this time it was 11.30, but we though at least the bus will take us to town and to the duomo. we were wrong, for some reason the train replacement bus didnt go the whole train route, and stopped at a random station. we got off having no idea where we were and started to walk, after 10 minutes we decided to get a taxi. we got into the square at 12.15 and quickly took photos of the duomo and the mall with all the designer shops. while we were taking photos people kept coming up to us trying to put popcorn into our hands to feed the pigeons, why would i want to feed a pigeon, they are the rats of the sky!! we then had to get another taxi back to the station where we could get the bus, but this time the bus didnt go the whole way back to where we got on it, so after the bus we had to walk. we made it back to the hostel at 1.25pm, very stressed, hot and sweaty. our trip out ended up costing us a lot of time and money and we didnt really see anything cos it was all a panic.

Nice 2

emily_b — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 04:58:00 GMT

We went to the old town for dinner for marias bday. such a cool vibe the street is pedestrian only and both sides are lined with restaurants with a lot of outdoor seating. it was pouring with rain so we went into the first nice looking place we found. all the outdoor areas are under cover so we sat outside. the street has musicians playing and is filled with people dining. we got a 15 euro set menue. our starter was a zuccini and eggplant frittata salad and jess got the tuna. the salad was huge it could have been a main on its own. we got a bottle of wine from the local provence region to accompany our dinner. for main i got slow roasted beef on taglietelle. it was amazing. everyone talks about how good the food is in italy but france has beaten italy hands down. to finish we got chocolate mouse. by the end of our meal we all couldnt move we were soo full. we went back to the hostel and got a bottle of havana club and had a few drinks, in which i mean the whole bottle.....but we were fine it wasnt a big bottle. we went into town for a boogie but forgot it was sunday so it closes early. we went to waynes bar a popular spot around here for tourists. they have a band playing and it is an old pub with sporting memerabilia. That closed around 20 mins after we got there so we walked for ages to find somewhere else to go. we finally found somewhere that had a band on playing covers we had a little dance and then looked at our watch and realised we had to be back at the hostel by 3am lock out and it was already 2.30. i made it back with one minute to spare. maria left the next morning and it was pouring with rain so we slept in until midday. ,e katene and jess went to cannes for the day. steph wanted to keep sleeping. the train took 40minutes and when we arrived in cannes the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out.we looked at the convention centre where they hold the film festival and took photos of the famous handprints, although you couldnt read a lot of them as they were signed in the concrete. we looked at more superyachts then sat on the boardwalk enjoying the sun and looking at the beach which is gold sand. it was a nice day out. we got home just in time for spaghetti night at the hostel. for 2 euro you got bread with blue vein cheese, red wine (as much as you wanted), popcorn and spaghetti. so a cheap mealm we sat next to a couple from the uk and had a great laugh then me and steph went to waynes bar with them and then sat on the beach. we didnt stay out late as we were on the bus again at 8am the next morning.

Nice 1

emily_b — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 02:55:00 GMT

we had breakfast with maria on our last morning in la spezia and i may have slipped a few packets of crackers and cheese into my bag for later :). the cheeses here are soo yummy. maria had to organise her train to nice so we left her to it and looked around the shops until our bus left at 12.30. the drive into nice was lovely along the coast. we drove in past monacco and listened to abbas money money money and fegies glamourous. so much money and wealth in this town/country its unbelievable. they pointed out where the ferrari team says during the grand prix for 7000 euros a night, it looks really ugly from the outside, apparently they are paying for the view. we also were shown the church where bono got married. married arrived in nice not long after us and us girls went and got chinese from a place a few doors down from our hostel. it looked really yummy cos it was all out on display, but it was really gross and soggy and really expensive. after tea steph and jess had a few drinks at the hostel while maria and i went to find icecream. the icecream hunt ended up being a 1.5hour walk around the old town. on the way to the old town there are these wierd plastic glowing people on poles that line the street and change colour. they sort of look like jelly babies and are really tacky. not what i expected for a town on the french riviera. the shops along the old town were really cute and sold lovely gifts and nice smellies. i know my friends laura and sarah would have loved the shop too. we looked at the beach and watched the lightening on the horizon that was lighting up the whole sky. the next day was marias bday and us girls got dressed up and caught the train to monacco for the day. we started off looking at all the superyachts, so much wealth its unbelievable. we also saw more ferraris, bentlys and jaguars than i have ever seen. we hung around but sadly noone invited us pretty ladies onto their superyachts, what a shame :). after admiring what we could never afford we walked along to the japanese gardens and decided it would make a nice spot to surprise maria with her cake and candles and presents. we did the cake and gave her a scarf and earrings and then the caretaker politely told us we were not meant to sit on the grass nor have a picnic. woops. coming from nz where grass is everywhere we forget that in other countries they just look at it. then he said he could take a group photo of us. he then preceeded to take 8 photos of us as we followed him around the gardens to the 'best spots' while he said magnific. we headed to the casino which has really pretty gardens out the front and took lots of photos. we went in and sat for a while. it is nice inside. but not really wow. it has a lot of gold and navy as its colour scheme. after that we walked up to the palace. they were having some sort of anniversary for the war so there were heaps of people dressed up and the army vehicles everywhere. we took some photos even though we had no idea what was going on as it was all in french. after that we trained back to nice for a nap before dinner.

La Spezia, Cinque Terre

emily_b — Sun, 2 Sep 2012 02:45:00 GMT

WE got to our hostel at lunch time and we all had a big sleep. then maria appeared which was a surprise as she was meant to be meeting a friend in florence. but her friend ended up being sick and missed her plane. so that was a very nice surprise. maria got a room in our hotel. i was still feeling very unwell, so thought i would go to the doctors while everyone was asleep. i went with maria to where the man at the hotel showed me on the map, which ended up being triage at the hospital. i said i think i am in the wronf place, but she said are you sick and i said yes, so she said i am in the right place. i got seen straight away. she spoke really good english thank goodness, but wasnt a very good communicator. i was lying on the bed and suddenly i was having blood taking and an iv put in. maria was very good at distracting me from the needles. i was on a drip for a little over an hour then was sent home and was told i probably have a virus which should go away in a few days. that evening i at rice while the others got pizza and we sat on the steps of the post office building. then we sat at the marina which was really pretty. the next morning we woke up early to make the most of the complimentary breakfast and to catch the train to the first of the 5 terres which make up cinque terre. the weather was overcast not great for the beach, but we made the most of it. we took lots of photos at the forst terre then walked around to the 2nd. the walk in between is the love walk so there are little messages everywhere and hundreds of padlocks along the way with little inscriptions on them, and a love seat. it was cool to look at. we had lunch at the next terre then caught the train to the 4th, vernazza we were there sitting by the sea for about 40mins watching the waves crash over the doc then trained to the last terre where the sandy beach is. the sun came out a few times, and we went for a swim. the swell was really big and it got very deep very quickly. as the sea was very churned up there was a lot of debris floating around. i didnt enjoy the swim as it was an effort to stay near the shore and it felt dirty with all the floaty bits. we trained home late in the afternoon then got dressed up and went for dinner. we took ages to find a place, but eventually found one we mostly decided on. it was nice, simple italian food, we all got pasta. i got a ravioli with spinich and ricotta. we went to bed after dinner. the next morning we had our breakfast then looked around the shops some more before our bus picked us up at 12. cinque terre was nice, especially to be near the sea, but i think we were there long enough. if we were more interested in doing the walking trails then we could have stayed longer. but we did everything we wanted to. we drove to nice today along the french riviera past monaco. WOW the view from the hills looking down. so much wealth, you can see why the rich and famous live and play here. we will go exploring tomorrow.

Florence

emily_b — Sun, 2 Sep 2012 02:29:00 GMT

Got into Florence at 3pm and checked into our hostel which had the smallest lift i have ever seen. it looked like you were walking into a closet. it was a very small room and had a shower on a raised platform in the corner of the room. Just in the corner, no door, just a shower curtain. Needless to say none of us had a shower there, and we were glad we were moving hostels to where Maria was staying the next day (Plus Florence- so much nicer). Steph and I went to where maria was staying to see her. it was just like old times, it felt like we had only been hanging out with her last week in chch, not two years ago almost. we sat and chatted for ages and then realized we were really hungry so went and found somewhere to eat. we walked towards the duomo and found a little Italian restaurant. we got a set menu so i got tortellini, a mound of spinach and escalope chicken. Far too much food, couldn’t finish it. After dinner we took photos at the Duomo. I loved the atmosphere in the square. It was a beautiful summers night and there were people everywhere and musicians all over the place, singing and playing instruments even at 10pm. Such a cool vibe. After wandering the streets we got gelato, a must after dinner and then dropped maria back at the hostel for bed. the next day we had to move to plus florence. for lunch we went to mc donalds. yes we were in italy searching for a mc d's (more the others than me) cos maria knew where it was. after lunch me steph and maria looked around the shops for a bit, then went back to the hostel for a siesta. that night we took some nibbles up to the Michelangelo square to watch the sunset over Florence. it was beautiful, i enjoyed it more than the sunset in Santorini. cos the light looked amazing over the city and the hills. we had our nibbles after the sunset at the top of the hill. steph opened her bubbly wine and the cork shot out across the parking lot and nearly killed an old women. the lady was fine. it was hilarious, i think we were all in shock!! after our nibbles we caught the bus back to the hostel then went out. there wasn’t really anywhere to go in Florence so we found a pub which I’m sure was run by the illegal street sellers and they played music off youtube, i have never seen that before in a pub. The next day me and steph were under the weather with a tummy bug so we were in bed for the whole day while jess and maria went the the afizzi gallery- the line was very long so they paid extra for express tickets. They really enjoyed the gallery and were there for several hours. i started to feel a little better by late afternoon so went and took a photo of the famous bridge- Ponte Vicchio. It was the only bridge that Hitler didn’t bomb during WW2 because apparently he found it so beautiful. its hard to explain what it looks like, but it has shops all the way along it that used to be butchers but are now all jewelry shops. You can get a great view of it from the Michelangelo Park. That night we went to Chinese for tea, had gelato on the way home and ate it in the park with all the homeless people. We felt a bit uncomfortable as we were being stared at by the said homeless people so we left. the next morning we got on the bus to go to la spezia. Florence is a very pretty city and a lovely place to visit and feels very safe. I really enjoyed my time there and wish id had more than three days.