Thinking of Europe

Saying goodbye to this blog is so hard...

2008-04-29T21:14:00.006-04:00

We've been back for two weeks now and I still can't detach from this blog. I didn't feel closure on my last post (and I'm not really sure that I ever will).
A common question has been how we've adjusted to life back in the US and at work. Some days I think we've adjusted fairly smoothly and quickly. At other times, a certain feeling creeps inside of me...deep in my soul reminding me of life in other places.
I can smell the baker in Florence and feel the cool and damp air in my face as I stuck my head out the kitchen window as far as I could to see down the street. I can hear the cats fight in the ruins across from our Crete studio with the full moon shining behind the cathedral's tower. I feel the heat on my shoulders and can taste the honey on my fruits as we ate breakfast in our favorite corner cafe under the Greek sky. I can feel the warmth of the wool throw in our Barcelona apartment and smell the freshness of the clothes drying in our kitchen as I feared hanging it from such a high floor. I feel the snow flakes falling on my head and face as we paced around canals in Amsterdam. I live the excitement of seeing my parents exhausted from their long trip finally meet us amidst the rising waters in Venice. I can see, truly see, the Eiffel tower sparkling sometimes slower, sometimes faster but always so beautiful.
All of these things I feel so deeply and passionately. I realize that the transformation was, perhaps, greater than I had expected. That the impact of this journey is like the ripple caused by a water drop or a stone in a pool of water. That the greatest adjustment is not about going back to a more standard lifestyle, but about learning how to be the new person that has evolved from this and about recognizing the changes that only the soul can know.
The journey continues.

Just a few thoughts hours before our departure home...

2008-04-15T19:54:00.001-04:00

When we embarked on this journey we feared the unknown and soon into our journey it was the unknown that became familiar. Not knowing the languages, customs, foods, streets, and sounds of each place simply became a part of life. We tested our ability to adapt to new circumstances with every new location. However, now that we are just hours from returning home to what is technically familiar, I find myself anxious to leave all of this behind.
More than a long (and dream) vacation, this was a journey of discovery for me. A well deserved time to reflect on my direction, to challenge myself in new and exciting ways, and to learn about life in other places. I learned that across lands people are just people. That you find good and bad everywhere and that every place has its strengths and weaknesses. I learned that home really is what you make of it and that only one has the power to change the course of one’s life by pursuing the dreams that inspire us to become more centered and better people. The reality is that it would take me pages and days to put into words what this experience has taught me and how it has transformed my way of thinking.
I thank God that our journey was a safe one and for the family and friends who joined us through these pages showing their love and support even when we were so far away.

Looking back

2008-04-15T19:01:00.002-04:00

This is Ian. Well, it was inevitable that this night would come... its the final night of 222 nights in Europe.

Tonight we watched the Eiffel Tower twinkle its final show and as I look back on the journey, some other vivid memories come to mind. I couldn't capture all of them in this post but here are a few of my sentimental highlights in no special order:

-Stepping into the main hall of the Academia in Florence and seeing Michelangelo's 17 foot pure white marble David waiting at the end of the hall.

-Standing on the deck of the ship at night while it sailed through the straight of Gibraltar with the lights of Africa to my left and Europe to my right.

-Sitting on a beach on the coast of Portugal, peering out over the Atlantic in the direction of Miami where countless times I've sat on the beach and looked out toward Europe.

And my favorite of all....

Being out in the world for close to 8 months on a journey to nowhere, without a reason or a care and with Valentina smiling right beside me the whole way.

I'll cherish it always.

Prague Pics

2008-04-14T21:59:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful time when JD and Vanessa came and met up with us. We had great beer, great conversation, and a great location to enjoy. My laptop situation still stops me from posting pictures but luckily JD took these and sent them by email.

Hanging out in Prague drinking beer with JD and Vanessa.

A shot of one of the main squares. Prague was a killer destination that definitely lived up to all the great things we'd heard about it.

A shot of Charles Bridge from Prague Castles cathedral tower. I had to add this pic because JD and I put in a lot of work getting to the top. The views were worth it though.

As JD put it 'The 4 of us drinking over priced coffee in Old Town Square'.

Prague has so many photo opportunities it's sick, I just wish I could actually get them from my camera to the old laptop in our Paris apartment.

Trip Stats

2008-04-09T09:17:00.005-04:00

Now that we are at our last city on the trip, here are the final stats that I can think of:

Nights in Europe: 222

Countries visited: 16 (Italy, Greece, Croatia, Tunisia (North Africa), Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Holland, Belgium, The Czech Republic)

Cities visited: 55

Longest City Stays: Barcelona (31 nights), Florence (22), Sorrento (19), Paris (17)

Estimated miles travelled by planes, trains, automobiles, and ships since leaving Miami: 23,400 which i believe is pretty close to the circumference of the earth.

Most expensive McDonalds McChicken meal in USD: $14 in Switerland

Pictures taken: Around 1,600

Hair cuts: 5 for Ian, 2 for Valen

Baguettes consumed: 73.5 (this one is a joke, we stopped counting these at around 40)

Total cost of the trip: ummmm, who cares?

Blog stats to follow later.... c ya.

Voila... we are in Paris!

2008-04-08T08:48:00.002-04:00

Without a computer it is hard to post pictures of Berlin and Prague, but we'll try! Prague was a really beautiful city and having Vanessa and JD visit made it so much more special. I'll blog about our week later today when I have the patience to figure out this French keyboard!

Off to meet Vanessa and JD!

2008-04-01T15:57:00.001-04:00

Berlin was an interesting place to visit -- we squeezed in so much in two days! Tomorrow we leave to Prague where we will meet up with friends! We are excited to have company again Ö

Goodbye Laptop

2008-03-29T10:04:00.003-04:00

When things get too easy you need a curveball every now and then to keep you on your toes. This morning, my laptop died. No, not a software problem, or something that a lot of computer trouble-shooting can fix... the hard drive has gone kaput. Luckily I have been backing up my pictures on an additional hard drive that I bought so no worries about the pictures. Despite the initial frustration, the only thing I've lost that I can't recover is my trip finances tracking spreadsheet. I'm transferring my backed-up pictures to a new hard drive here in an internet cafe in Bruges and I'm writing this blog while it works. We can still get email and maybe even do some text-posts to the blog using my sweeeeeeet iPod Touch so hopefully we don't get too out of touch in our last 3 destinations.... Berlin, Prague, & Paris.

Belgium - Easter in Turnhout

2008-03-28T17:48:00.005-04:00

We had a great Easter in Belgium. Our best-friend in Europe (Steven) invited us to his Mother's home in Turnhout where the rest of his family would be gathering for Easter. It was a big highlight to our trip.

We started out admiring all the art-work that his mother had amassed over the years inside her house. Where did she get it all? She made it! She's a fabulous painter and sculptor. It was like walking through an art gallery. Emotion and depth just poured straight out of her sculptures and paintings. What talent!

We were treated to some live music as Steven's daughter Elisa sang while Steven played the organ. Later, she recited some poems in French (one of her 3 languages). We will miss those two when we're back in the USA - we had some great times together on this trip in Barcelona and now in Belgium too.

When it got later, Steven took us to a bar in Turnhout where you could just tell the "beer-genius" (that's what I'll call him) what you felt like tasting and he would match a beer to your taste from over 300 different Belgian beers. I actually don't like beer... so I told the beer-genius to bring me a beer that people who don't like beer like to drink. He thought about it for a while, then nodded and scribbled something down on his pad. The result... a beer that I liked! A yummy beer that didn't taste much like beer! Valentina got something cherry-ish and enjoyed hers too.

The next day, on Easter, Elisa and her cousins ran around the garden searching for Easter eggs that had been dropped by flying clocks from Rome (or so the legend goes in Belgium). Valentina and I had been craving some good home-cooked food and Steven's mom provided a ton of it. Belgians really know how to eat... we seemed to be getting called to the dinner table every two hours. Needless to say it was pure happiness. In between meals, we all spent the day running around the yard playing games with all the kids and sweating in the cold weather.

Also, it turns out that Turnhout is the playing-card creation capital of the world. As a surprise parting gift, Steven's mom gave us 4 decks of playing cards made in Turnhout. I thought we shouldn't accept such gifts as they had been with Steven's mom for some time, but Valentina believes that one shouldn't deny a gift. Leave it to a woman to come up with a "belief" like that.

So that concluded two days full of fun, art, food, & family. What could be better?

Amsterdam baby.... Amsterdam

2008-03-28T16:41:00.009-04:00

It's really tough to do justice to Amsterdam in pictures but here are some anyway.

And bye the way, taking pictures is strictly forbidden in the red-light district so unfortunately there won't be any pictures of the girls here. My last comment on this is that we were pretty shocked at how good-looking these girls were! These weren't no "8th-street-in-Miami-hangin-by-the -Jamaica-Motel" prostitutes. No offense to any 8th street prostitutes who read this blog but 80% of the Amsterdam girls we saw could be Playboy models. Now that I have your attention, here are some pictures of buildings and canals... enjoy!

Un traduccion rapido y crudo: Amsterdam es mas bonito que estes fotos puede mostrar. Un punto interesante es que no puedes tomar fotos en el distrito con luces rojas (el uno que tiene las "mujeres della noche"). Y una otra cosa interesante es estes chicas no son feo como las prostitutas de calle ocho en Miami... la verdad es que la mayoridad son muy muy bonita! Ahora que yo tengo tu attencion, aqui son los fotos de los edificios y canales.... disfruta!

A typical canal on a typical street in the not so typical city of Amsterdam.

My favorite girl in Amsterdam!

Bikes are everywhere - they say there are about a million in the city.

Skinny houses are common here because they used to be a tax based on the width of your house.

House-boats are all over the place too. They have running water and electricity and pay a fee to the city.

Reflections from Brugge...

2008-03-26T20:07:00.003-04:00

While the idea that this adventure will come to an end in just three weeks pops into my head every now and then, it hasn't stopped me from enjoying every single moment in the fairy tale streets of Brugge. I don't know how I had never heard of this place before -- it is by far one of the loveliest and dreamlike towns we've visited. Everywhere I turn I see something of outstanding beauty calling for my camera to capture it. The history of the city dates back to 851...can you imagine that? Somehow, it has managed to maintain a medieval charm that seems almost too picturesque to be real and not simply the movie set of Hollywood's latest romance story.
The videos and pictures just don't do it justice because the beauty of this place can't just be seen in images. It has to be felt...in the mist rising up from the water and covering the fronts of stone facades; on the bottom of your feet as you step on the uneven cobblestones that form narrow and romantic streets; under your skin as the town transports you back to a time long ago. This is one I would encourage everyone to experience for themselves.

Let's catch up - Rewind and fast forward.

2008-03-21T22:55:00.003-04:00

Ok, the blog posts have been slow lately as Valentina and I have been on the move. Here's a run-down to catch us up to today:

Munich - One more thing to say here: I had an Italian hair dresser in Munich who spoke Italian and German so our conversation was all in Italian. I said to him: "Ho bisogna un taglio di cappelli." (I need a hair cut). It appears that he heard: "Please chop my hair off with reckless abandon because I want my head to look like a tennis ball."

London - After a lot of time travelling, we got to relax with my Uncle Morais, Aunt Jane, and my cousin Tara-Jane Nicole Armstrong Kerpens-Lee. She has a great name, so I figured I'd use the whole thing. :) I don't call her that of course, I usually just shorten it to "Tara-Jane Nicole Armstrong KL." All kidding aside, we had a great time. My Aunt and Uncle cooked some absolutely mouth-watering meals. It was great fun to hang out with my young cuz too. She'll soon be off to University so I hope for her sake that she can duplicate some of that cooking!

Belfast, Northern Ireland - It's a great, up and coming city with an absolutely intriguing political history (and present!). An interesting fact about Belfast: There are 27 walls sprinkled around the city dividing protestant and catholic communities in order to minimize violence. It's eerie to see them but apparently they work as violence between the groups is at a minimum.

Ok, one last one... the beautiful... AMSTERDAM!

I have to say that I believe Amsterdam is very UNDER-rated. There's so much more to this city than legalized prostitution and marijuana. While those things were definitely interesting to see (especially the red-light district), the city itself has a LOT of beautiful sights to see. The canals, bridges, and the architecture of the homes are straight out of a fairytale. It's a little like Venice but it's actually better (and I love Venice)! I can't wait to post some pictures. I will definitely dedicate more time later to talking about Amsterdam because although we just had a few days there, we both fell in love with this city and are sure to return one day. On our last day it snowed heavily which had a strange effect. Although it was very cold outside, the snow fall in front of the bridges and homes added a feeling of nostalgia - It was like we were on the inside of a snow globe and nothing else mattered. :)

That's it... we're all up to date! We're in Brussels.

Pics: Dublin, Coast of Northern Ireland

2008-03-20T21:44:00.009-04:00

One of the most famous bars in Dublin.

Having fun on St. Patrick's Day.

Same day, different location in Dublin. St. Stephens Greens is a gorgeous park. Also, we decided to lose the hats for the picture.

Salmon fishermen have been building this rope-bridge on the coast of Northern Ireland for over 350 years.

Walking over a rickety bridge a hundred feet over the water isn't for the faint of heart!

SHEEEEP!! They litter the Northern Irish countryside like little white clouds against the green hills.

Pics from Vienna, Munich, London

2008-03-20T21:25:00.008-04:00

In order to catch up, we're going to just post a few pics from each city.... so here's a fast look back at Vienna, Munich, and London

The Opera house in Vienna.

The cool/dirty looking Munich town-hall (Rathaus).

This picture isn't about me... it's about the dude behind me in full traditional attire-check him out!

Hanging out with Family in London... my Uncle Morais & Aunt Jane. My cousin Tara-Jane was there too but someone had to take the picture!

One of London's main squares with Big Ben far in the background.

The beautiful London Tower bridge.

Dublin: una ciudad con algo especial

2008-03-14T23:31:00.009-04:00

Yo creo que este "post" va a tener un espanol muy basico... y cuando yo no se una palabra, voy a escrivirla en ingles. Ademas, esta noche ya Valentina ha ido a dormir entonces no me puede ayudar.

Cuando tu llegas a Dublin encuentras la ciudad que es un poco sucia y vieja pero la verdad es que no importa mucho porque la ciudad es lleno de vida y lleno de encanto ("charm"). Esta noche sentamos en una taverna llena y escuchamos a tres hombres tocando la musica tradicional de Irlanda. Unos jovenes Irlandes bailaron en un circulo y nosotros (con mil otras personas) tomamos 'guiness' mientras miramos ellos. Hay algo encantando y significado ("charming & meaningful") sobre Dublin. No estoy seguro qual es. A lo mejor es la gente, o la musica, o la historia de los escritores de Irlanda pero cuando caminamos las calles y sentamos en las tavernas tengo un sentido que estoy en un sitio con un identidad muy rico y profundo. Hay algo especial en el sentido ("feeling") que este ciudad tiene. Pienso que estoy traduciendo mal. Verdaderamente, no se si lo puedo explicar en qualquier idioma! Dejame a decirlo asi- Con algunas ciudades tu sabes exactamente porque son bella. Y con otras la belleza existe en el ambiente. No es algo tu ves y no es con quien tu hablas... es simplemente como te sientes cuando estas alli. Esto es que Dublin tiene... un sentido "intangible".

YAY...we are in Dublin celebrating St. Patrick's Day like crazy!!!

2008-03-14T09:49:00.003-04:00

Well, the truth is we had to stay outside of the city center because it was so horrifyingly expensive, we still haven't taken the 30 minute tram into the city, and my ankle is sprained and swollen!
I'll have to post again after I've drank a Guinness.

A solemn experience at Dachau concetration camp

2008-03-10T09:28:00.004-04:00

I hadn't realized how alive the memories of the Nazi invasion and Holocaust would be in this side of the world. We've visited some truly amazing museums that recount this time of history. I felt connected to this time in history more than ever and regretful not to have learned the stories directly from my own grandparents who lived through such horrors.
This is why in Munich we decided to visit Dachau concentration camp -- the first Nazi camp built in 1933 and the 'model' camp for all others erected around Europe. I would rather not post the pictures of this site but if you are interested in seeing them, let us know and I'll share them with you.
While some of the buildings were reconstructed, others were original structures including the crematorium and gas chamber. Standing inside such a place felt surreal -- I had to remind myself that this was not a model room in some museum...this was real. This was the final resting place of thousands and thousands of prisoners, most of which were Jews. This was a place where bodies had been piled high on top of each other with no regards for human dignity; a place built to break down the human spirit.
Above all, this site made me sad for being so young when my grandparents told their stories; too young to value their struggles for survival and to learn through them about this moment in history which pierced through me as I stood inside the Nazi gates reading Arbeit Macht Frei ("Work sets you free").

Quien es El Z?

2008-03-10T09:20:00.002-04:00

Por mas emocionante que es poner un 'post' nuevo en nuestro blog para dejarles saber en donde estamos y que hay de nuevo...para mi es mas emocionante leer sus comentarios y sentirnos conectados a medida del blog. Por eso me pregunto, quien c@$o es El Zorro? Ja, ja, ja! Pense saber quien era pero ahora tengo mis dudas y sospechas. No importa quien sea, me alegra que El Zorro cause esta intriga y espero anime a otros a escribir sus comentarios.

The much awaited 'darker side' of traveling...

2008-03-09T14:26:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about what has been the 'darker' side of our travels. We've been exceptionally lucky so far (knocking on wood right now) and hope that our travels will continue this way until the end. We don't have 'nightmare' stories to tell, but I was able to come up with a list of things that are annoying when it comes to travel. While they pale in comparison to the positive aspects of traveling, I agree that they are worth noting for the sake of presenting a balanced picture!
Most annoying things about traveling for so long:
1. Public transportation: having people standing so close to you that you may be able to smell their breath or other bodily odors; dealing with the person who coughs or sneezes on you; grabbing on to the bars that I'm sure are covered in nasty germs.
2. Intermittent internet connection: trust me, you don't realize how dependent you are on the internet until you can't find a freaking signal to jump on.
3. Not always being able to express yourself or get the information you need: English is commonly understood, however, it's not always enough. It can be really frustrating not to know a language when you need to ask for information.
4. Carrying luggage: I've managed to bring my luggage weight down to 20 kilos but pulling your luggage up and down subway stairs can become really annoying and sometimes plain painful!
5. Flying: it's just a hassle in general...train travel is exponentially better.
6. Looking for a place to sleep within a budget: I've gotten used to the idea that we'll be moving around, but finding a decent place to sleep requires time and research. It's very different from when you plan every detail of your trip from home -- we need to improvise all of the time and it can get a little stressful at times.
7. Eating: moving around (not the case when we had apts) can be challenging when it comes to eating healthy. Also, each country has its own cuisine and you don't always know what to order or even understand the menu! It's something that is probably a novelty on a short vacation but can become a nuisance on a trip as long as ours. I'm looking forward to some familiar foods (although I'm also really looking to eating in Paris again!).
8. Wearing the same clothes: I've learned to live out of a relatively small suitcase -- no blow dryer, the tiniest bathroom bag ever (Mary's mom gave it to me for Xmas...do you remember it Mary?), two jeans, three pairs of shoes, etc. I feel like everyday I look the same...and I probably do. I told Ian we should have just bought uniforms to come on this trip.
9. The feeling of being a tourist: we are really good about making a place feel like home in a short amount of time. However, one is ultimately a foreigner in these exciting places and little things can often remind you of that.
10. Stamina: It takes a lot of energy to keep up with the travel pace. We're relatively slow travelers in that we like to spend a lot of time in one place and take it 'easy'. I don't like to be on a 'tour' schedule, but lately we've moved around a lot and it can get physically tiring after some time.
11. Family and friends: this is probably the longest amount of time we've been away from family/friends -- thank goodness for email!
I'm sure there are tons of things I missed that I would have considered annoying if I was here on a short vacation, but our perspective on travel has changed so much during this journey.

It's true...we've been slacking with posts!

2008-03-09T11:04:00.002-04:00

It's been called to my attention that we need to post more pics and stories! I completely agree, but it's become a little more challenging now that we are moving around so often. I'll make sure to post some new pictures soon while we have internet in London.

Pics from Luzern / Mount Titlis / Innsbruck

2008-03-02T19:03:00.013-05:00

Me- shortly after getting to Luzern, Switzerland. This picture can't really capture the beauty of the iPod touch held in my left hand.

Luzern was a great Swiss city on a beautiful lake.

... with swans and stuff.

After a short train ride from Luzern we took this shot from the cable car on the ride up to the top of Mt. Titlis.

Having some fun at the top - 10,000 feet up!

One of the many breathtaking sights. Views like this could be seen in every direction for as far as the eye could see.

Riding the "Ice Flyer" over the glacier!!

A few minutes later we were inside the glacier itself. They dug these incredible ice caves where they play classical music and lights change the color of the ice.

Innsbruck, Austria... and the girl who's always getting in my photos and generally following me around.

Innsbruck and its river at night.

Our hotel in Innsbruck was nearly 600 years old!!

Arrived in Austria

2008-02-25T14:52:00.004-05:00

Internet access has been tough but we're in Innsbruck Austria. I'll let Valentina blog about our "interesting" and finally short-lived time at the bed and breakfast that we left early to find another hotel. We've been extremely lucky on this trip, but we do need to do some blogging on the dark side of travel: places, people, and apartments that blow. I smashed a lamp (by accident) in the "Aladdin" room at the "Magic" hotel in Switzerland and that seemed to kick off 48 hours of weirdness. We'll write about it soon.

Bern and the Swiss Alps...

2008-02-20T16:43:00.008-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I saw the most heavenly sight from the top of Gurten mountain. The rolling hills and Swiss Alps made my heart race in excitement. We spent over two hours at the top of the mountain just strolling through winding pathways and even taking a nap on a bench under a tree. Well, Ian did as I couldn't bring myself to miss one second of the most peaceful scenery I had ever seen. The pictures can't do this moment justice, but I felt we needed to post them anyway.

The Swiss Alps as the sun was setting over Bern.

The history museum of Bern where a fantastic Einstein section is housed. Einstein discovered the Theory of Relativity in 1905 while living in Bern. In fact, we visited the apartment in which he lived during that time -- the actual living room where he wrote up his paper!

The famous clock tower in Bern, which marked the first gate into the city in the 1200s, with one of the many Medieval fountains that still remain.

A panoramic view of Bern in the background -- right behind our big heads:)

A few memorable images from Lyon!

2008-02-17T16:59:00.007-05:00

The Tour Metallique behind us on Fourviere hill

A typical street in the old part of Lyon

Standing on a bridge over the Saone River

One of the towers of Notre Dame de Fourviere

Notre Dame de Fourviere from across the river

Lyon by night - breathtaking!

La vie est merveilleuse à Lyon!

2008-02-17T16:08:00.004-05:00

Just when I thought I had seen beauty, I find Lyon. There is something magical about this place -- maybe it's because it reminds me of a petit Paris. The streets, storefronts, bakeries, cafes, and bouchons all seem fantasy like. I have to remind myself that this is not Disney World...that this is Lyon! These places were not made to look French...they are French! During our weeks in France, I've spoiled myself to the best breads, croissants, crepes, and gaufres (giant waffles)!

The city was founded during Roman times on the hills of Fourviere where now stands the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere, one of the most beautiful I've seen on this trip (and I've seen tons!). A funicular takes you to the top of the hill where an incredible view of the city awaits. Lyon was also notable for its silk which was weaved in the hills of Croix Rousse where the houses were built taller to fit the silk weaving machines. Still today a few of the original silk ateliers exist but the hand process utilized makes the silk products they sell very expensive. In 1808, during a slow down of the silk business, Guignol was born. You may recognize Guignol if you saw a picture of this notable French puppet. I didn't know he was Lyonnaise, but the marionette tradition is very much alive here with several Guignol theaters around the city still entertaining the French.

Tomorrow we leave France again and I take away wonderful images of these dreamlike places and its people.

Lyon - Vive la Résistance!

2008-02-16T13:29:00.008-05:00

Last night we enjoyed a great meal at a typical Lyonais "Bouchon" recommended by our hotel owner. Generally the Bouchons are small rustic restaurants with a warm family-and-friends type atmosphere, fantastic service, and great food. I ate the juiciest yummiest piece of pork. It came in a crock pot bathed in an incredible red-wine sauce (the consistency of a marsala type sauce) with oven roasted potatoes... mmmmm mmmmm mmmm. I couldn't stop eating it until the pot was empty.

In fact, if you've ever eaten at the little French place in Coconut Grove (as Valentina and I have a few times in the past) you might notice that it boasts Lyonnaise food and the name of it is... "Le Bouchon". In terms of the decor of the restaurant, that's pretty close to how it looks here in Lyon! I can't remember if the food and service in Miami was authentic though? At any rate, if you can't make a trip to Lyon in France, I'm quite sure that Coconut Grove in Miami is the next best thing. ;)

Video: Lounging by the Rhone in Avignon

2008-02-13T19:44:00.003-05:00

Here's the video I shot while we sat out by the river just outside the walls of Avignon. You get the complete experience as I added the Carla Bruni song that I was listening to.

Pictures from Provence...

2008-02-13T19:22:00.009-05:00

A typical street in the South of France -- this shot was taken in Aix en Provence

Van Gogh painted many of his most famous works in Arles. The cafe behind this picture is the one he painted in Cafe Nuit. We also stood at the very same spot where he would have placed his easel when he painted Starry Night over the Rhone!!!

The Arles' Arena in which at one point in time there were over 200 homes and 2 churches!

Standing on the Pont Saint Benezet with the Pope's Castle in the background

The Saint Andre Fort across from Avignon -- a medieval fortress built in the 10th century.

Avignon, known as the City of Popes, is in the background with the famous Pont Saint Benezet

What's more beautiful? Avignon or my new iPod Touch?

2008-02-13T06:21:00.005-05:00

We've returned to a more normal travel schedule here in the South of France. A few days ago the weather warmed up slightly and we spent a couple hours sitting in the grass by the Rhone river. The scene was a relaxing one: some locals laid out in the sun, families walked along the path by the river, couples of all ages sat on benches and strolled, and teams of rowers made small wakes as they sliced through the serene Rhone river. I listened to Carla Bruni's soft melodies and smooth French syllables on my new iPod Touch. I plan to post the video I took there. I will try to add the Carla Bruni music too so you can get the full effect of what it's like to lounge on the banks of the Rhone in the South of France.

A few pics from Barcelona...

2008-02-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

A panoramic view of Barcelona from Tibidabo -- you can make out La Sagrada Familia!

Gaudi's famous La Sagrada Familia -- it has taken over 100 years to build.

By the magical fountains of Montjuic castle

Gaudi's famous La Pedrera on Paseo de Gracia -- a great example of Modernist architecture.

Ian at the famous Mercado de la Boqueria on Las Ramblas.

Leaving Barcelona behind...

2008-02-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning we boarded a bus to Avignon...and left Barcelona behind. I read in a book that Barcelona "was like a sorcerer...it got under your skin and stole your soul." There is something special about that city -- maybe it's the architecture, the combination of mountains and sea, the small city feeling in a big city, or its international flair.

One thing is for sure, in just one month Barcelona felt and was our home. On our last night I realized just how familiar I had become with our neighborhood -- walking two blocks down to the supermarket, down the street to the "chino's bodega", a couple of doors down to the bakery, to the corner for fantastic Japanese food, or across the street for authentic Italian. Yet, we had to move on. Learning to adapt to new places and not become complacent along the way is key to our journey.

The morning of our departure was, in some ways, a reflection of the way it is in Spain.
I walked over to the lottery booth asking to buy the 'big 130 million euro ticket' and was told that I was at the wrong booth. When I asked the harmless looking old man working the booth where I could buy the grand ticket (which I had already won and divided amongst family in my head) he replied by saying that he only sold "La once" tickets and that he was not (emphasis on the not) an information booth.

From there we flagged a taxi at our usual street corner. Once it stopped, another taxi driver insisted we needed to ride with him because he was next in line in the queue. The two drivers began to argue in the middle of the street exchanging words that became more foul by the second. Eventually, we got in the car and delivered the disappointing news...we were just going to the nearby bus station and not the airport.

The interesting part is that neither of these instances bothered us at all. While either situation may have unsettled us months ago or back in the States...here it was just the way it was and we knew that.

Good bye Barcelona...we'll see you again sometime.

The quest to speak another language

2008-02-06T00:05:00.000-05:00

One of my big goals on this trip was to come back nearly fluent in Spanish. Unfortunately, I must say that I haven't done as well as I had thought I would. Living in Miami and having huge exposure to the language at Valentina's parents house had given me a great head-start but I have a long way to go in training my ears to truly understand specifically what's being said. It's quite difficult to listen effortlessly without re-counting each syllable and translating them in my head.

One obstacle is purely mental too. English has been my only language for so long that sometimes before I even hear the Spanish phrase from someone else I'm already convinced I won't understand. A woman in a department store asked me a three word question and although I knew each word I still blanked out a bit because I hadn't heard them in that way before. Valentina saved me thankfully. More confident listening would go a long way for me.

I have made improvements though, mostly in speaking. And I'm definitely proud of myself when I'm reading reviews on hotels and I come across them in Italian and Spanish and I have no need to skip over them! Also, I used to feel embarrassed speaking to Valentina in my Spanish but I'm cured of that now so this journey will definitely continue long after I leave Europe.

Video: Magic Fountains in Barcelona

2008-02-02T03:49:00.000-05:00

This video was taken tonight at the Montjuic fountains in Barcelona just in front of the National Palace which houses an art museum today. I know, it's shocking to see a blog post that is actually up to date!!

The combination of the classical music, water acrobatics, and colors make it very beautiful to watch.

Sleeping schedule chaos - our Barcelona life

2008-02-02T03:22:00.000-05:00

During this long relaxing break in Barcelona, our sleeping schedule has been turned upside down. Prior to Barcelona we already had what Valentina thought was a very lazy schedule: We would go to sleep around 2am and wake up at around 11am. Somehow it has become even worse!

We usually head to bed in Barcelona around 5 or 6 AM, sleep for 9 to 10 hours and wake up around 3 or 4PM in the afternoon! Talk about messed up. To make matters worse, while our living room faces the street and gets light through the French doors, our bedroom faces a small inner courtyard that really doesn't get that much daylight. So basically we stay in a little cocoon until the light is almost gone.

A few nights ago we thought we had corrected our schedule by going to bed "early" the previous night at 2am. The following night, however, we found ourselves sitting in our kitchen eating a huge meal of leftover Chinese food at 3:30am. We could only laugh about it while we stuffed ourselves!

Our home in Barcelona

2008-01-28T11:32:00.000-05:00

Barcelona has been a wonderful place of relaxation for us. I always enjoy this city when I visit, but this time it has specially felt like home. We are living in a wonderful fifth floor apartment on a semi pedestrian street just three blocks away from Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona's most upscale boulevard. The architecture in Barcelona is unique from anywhere else in the world having had a huge influence by Modernist architects such as Gaudi. The buildings we face are some of the most photographed in the city.

We've spent much of our time here just reading, lounging, and taking leisure walks to the Gothic quarter or down Las Ramblas. We actually haven't done much sightseeing since we've visited the major tourist places in previous trips. I've been hooked on a wonderful novel that takes place here in Barcelona, The Shadow ofthe Wind, and have enjoyed long days reading without feeling the rush or obligation of a long list of 'to dos'.

Here are a few pictures of our place -- this will get you a better sense for where we are actually living. Life is good.

Did I already mention that I loved Paris?

2008-01-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

We've decided that since we liked Paris so much, we would end our trip there by going back one more time. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of the magical city.

Notre Dame Cathedral - a tiny bit blurry but we'll take a better one next time!

Paris in all its splendour from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

The Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde. Notice all the trees are lit up in blue -- it was beautiful!

Standing by the Arc de Triomphe -- we climbed the 300+ stairs to get to the top for Paris' best view (much better than the Eiffel Tower)

On our first night at the Eiffel Tower!

Wiggin' it...

2008-01-20T17:20:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve dinner in a posh Madrid restaurant -- for the amount of money we payed, they better let us wear our wigs.

Chilling on New Year's eve.

Later that night...Europe hasn't changed Ian a bit!

We have to get up to date!

2008-01-20T16:46:00.000-05:00

We've fallen slightly behind with pictures and stories to tell! While these are a bit out of order, I find it hard to skip such fun moments without blogging them. At least through pictures, we can try to get up to date with our current location before we are ready to leave Barcelona!

Christmas dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Marin. I had not seen my aunt in about 13 years!

My sister, brother, and aunt in Marin

At the courtyard of El Escorial in Spain

We caught Melanie in Madrid peeking in and she won't say what she saw!

Love it or hate it -- Paris

2008-01-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

The last couple of months have passed me by too quickly. It's been hard to put into words the emotions felt at each place and although each has left an impression on me, trying to recapture them for the blog would be a very difficult task. I've decided instead to blog more recent events in attempt to get up to date with our current location.
After a crazy and messy Madrid visit, we moved on to Paris. I had concerns about Paris given the many stories I had heard about the French's dislike for Americans and the poor service one receives for not speaking their language. I realize many of those stories were based on other people's travels and perhaps founded on limited exposure with the French and their city of lights. I, however, fell in love with the city almost instantly upon seeing the Eiffel Tower on our way to the hotel. Our days in Paris were also spent with my sister, brother, and sister in law -- which of course added a certain emotional element to our visit.
Paris is by far one of my favorite destinations of this trip. It seemed that everywhere I turned I could find some building of outstanding beauty to admire. The Seine river running through the city only added to Paris' air of romance and elegance. The sparkling light show of the Eiffel Tower captured me every time. The art of the Louvre, the Van Gogh's at Musee D'Orsay, Rodin's The Thinker, the Champs Elysees all dressed up in sparkling blue, the food at the Latin Quarter, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe...and so much more that left me breathless.
On our last night in Paris, Ian and I sat down at the Trocadero square watching the Eiffel Tower in all of its grandeur standing in front of us. We stayed until we were ready to say goodnight to Paris -- a city we know we'll have to come back to.

Pictures from the Alhambra

2008-01-11T18:28:00.000-05:00

The Alhambra on the edge of Granada was a palace and fortress complex for the Muslim kings of Southern Spain.

An outer wall of the Alhambra and some of the city of Granada creeping in on the left.

There were many beautiful gardens.

Haitham - translation please. :) Many intricate decorations covered the walls of the inner palaces.

The running water is a definite theme in the Muslim architecture. Many of the inner courtyards had beautiful pools of water steadily overflowing at all sides...

Pics from Sevilla Marbella Gibraltar

2008-01-09T06:37:00.000-05:00

Sevilla was like a little dream city...

There were so many pictures to choose from... here's one across the Quadalquivir river of Sevilla's Torre del Oro.

One of the towers of the Plaza de Espana

Our view from our villa in Marbella (Thanks mom and dad!)

I had to play golf at least once in Marbella. If I remember right, I hit this one too far, and it splashed in the Mediterranean.

A shot from the top of the Rock of Gibraltar.

Small apes on the rock of Gibraltar. These apes have it right. The mom is watching the boats come in while the child cleans her coat by eating the ticks off of it. The good life.

Pics on the way... I swear

2008-01-08T18:10:00.000-05:00

I just noticed that the last pictures we posted were from over a month ago. I'm going to try to pick a few of the best over the last months before I start posting Madrid / Paris pics.

Wiggin'it in Madrid on New years

2008-01-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

The locals buy funky wigs in Madrid for the week of New Years. We never quite learned the reason but all five of us decided to join in the fun so we bought ours at Plaza Mayor. I suppose we should have noticed that in certain parts of town we were the only ones wearing wigs but you can't be bothered by small details when you're bouncing around a city like a bunch of fools. Anyway, it became very obvious that we were the only people wearing wigs when the security guard at the Prado museum asked us to kindly remove them. We complied.

For the passing of midnight on New Years eve, the six of us (we added a friend for New Years) had the urge for a gourmet meal and decided to go to a nice restaurant a few blocks away from the apartment. The food was easily the best we had in Madrid and the service was equally brilliant. After chowing down, we got a few funny looks from a few of the 'stuffier' patrons when we donned our funky wigs. Surprisingly, no one else had their wigs with them! Anyway, at midnight we ate the traditional 12 grapes and danced around the restaurant until the small party died down.

The walk home took a while as we waded through millions (literally) of people in the Plaza del Sol. It was pretty sick too... I'll sum it up: Drunks, vomit, bottles flying, alcohol everywhere, paramedics mending people who were cut with broken bottles, garbage everywhere. It was nasty. I kept thinking "Man, I'm about 10 years too old to get hit with a flying bottle." Anyway, we finally we made it home and watched some of the action from the safety of our balcony before calling it a year and going to sleep. Pics to follow soon... Ian

Happy 2008!

2007-12-31T13:09:00.000-05:00

We are in Calle Mayor -- right in the middle of the New Year's action -- waiting for 2008!

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year and all the best for 2008!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-24T02:09:00.000-05:00

We want to wish all of our friends and family a wonderful Holiday Season. We are lucky to spend this Christmas and New Year's with family overseas and that is a big blessing!
We wish you all the very best this world has to offer.

Off to Galicia!

Love,

Ian and Valentina

Hanging in Marbella

2007-12-19T13:23:00.000-05:00

We've been enjoying a relaxing week at Marriott's Marbella Beach Resort. The compound of villas is huge and we were lucky to get a villa so close the Mediterranean. As for the inside, we're feeling really spoiled again! The bed alone is nearly the size of the entire apartment we had in Florence. I may be exaggerating a tad but I swear a few nights ago I had to roll over like 4 times before I found Valentina tucked deep under the down comforter on the other side of the bed.

My Spanish classes have been GREAT. I was easily functional here in broken Spanish before the lessons but now I feel a lot more confident because I'm learning to actually use the language properly. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. I will translate this blog for those who speak only Spanish: HOLA-ESTAMOS BIEN. ESTAMOS EN MARBELLA. LA CAMA ES TREMENDO. PERDIO VALENTINA EN LA CAMA. MIS CLASES SON BIEN.

Pretty good huh? (BIEN JUJ?)

Videos: Dubrovnik - Malaga - Sevilla

2007-12-14T17:58:00.000-05:00

Dubrovnik

Malaga

Sevilla - (oh yeah, we've gone wide screen on my new camera-unfortunately the upload kills the quality).

Anecdotes of a deranged germaphobe

2007-12-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

It's not your fault Valentina. I guess when both your parents are medical doctors, you can't help but be aware of the many microscopic dangers of an escalator's hand rail. It's probably perfectly normal to hold your breath just after a stranger sneezes until you're far clear of any unsightly DNA they've sprayed into your sanitary world. And finally, where this impacts me... I'm sure it's perfectly sane to keep tabs on MY 'sanitary status' to make sure I continue to win the endless war against the unseen attackers. The industrial sized hand sanitizer that you gave me for work was really useful. The people at work just figured there was a 'hand sanitizer by the gallon' sale at Costco.

Anyway, I bring this up in this blog because this trip has been a pretty big challenge for you and I think you're finally overcoming your fears. The other night you happily drank straight from your glass whereas even dying of thirst you used to wait patiently at PF Changs to finally ask the waiter for a straw. I knew this trip would make us change for the better in many many ways. :)

Sure, last night you berated me slightly after we ate dinner when I rubbed my eye... "You've been all over the city touching 'god-knows-what' and you touch your eye? Your EYE? You must just really want pink eye don't you!?"

Anyway... small steps....

This one is for my mom...

2007-12-07T18:27:00.000-05:00

Maria Teresa.....
How much you pay? How much you pay? Vera Pelle, how much you pay?

Now that we are in Portugal, what's next?

2007-12-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

Our flight from Lisbon to Sevilla was cancelled right before we got on the ship and with minimal internet access we were unable to make alternate arrangements. We were able to secure one additional night in the hotel after my parent’s departure, however, later found out that Dec. 8 is a religious holiday in Portugal and many of the hotels were fully booked for the remainder of the week. We stayed our third night in a basic but central hotel and decided to head South by bus today.

Lisbon has unique sights that add flair to a city. For example, the 25^th of April Bridge which looks much like the Golden Gate Bridge and is lit up at night over the Tejo river and the Torre de Belem which blends Moorish and Gothic architectural styles. We would have had more time for sightseeing but I felt a bit homesick on the day that my parents left and we decided to check out a movie instead. The cinema was inside the Colombo shopping mall – one of the largest in Europe. That was a pretty incredible mall – by far, the largest I had been to (and Ian thinks it is as big as the Mall of the Americas in Minnesota). This place was so pretty and had an amazing food selection with tons of restaurants – I know these things seem petty, but it’s quite unusual to find this type of shopping set up in Europe. We even found what is, by far, the largest store I have ever seen. The store (called Continente) was a mix between a Walmart, Target, and Publix – I thought Americans were known for building big, but this was really big!

We hadn’t really planned to visit Portugal for this length of time, but it’s been nice to get a taste for this country and language, which is in many ways similar to both Spanish and Italian. In a couple of days we’ll leave for Sevilla and settle into a nice little apartment for a week before moving on to Marbella.

Pics from the last few weeks...

2007-12-07T17:16:00.001-05:00

Dubrovnik's main street

A panaromic view of Dubrovnik

The ship from the Santorini caldera

The beautiful little town of Oia, Santorini

Donkeys in Santorini are still very popular!

Mom and dad at the Roman Bath ruins, Carthage

Camel in Tunisia

A view of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia

My mom finds the main street in Malaga!

By the Cadiz coastline

Our cruising days are over...

2007-12-07T17:13:00.001-05:00

Now that we are in the South of Portugal (Faro), we’ll post some pictures of our port calls during the cruise. The ship was great and all decked out for Christmas. It would be difficult to retell stories from the last two weeks, but we’ll post some pictures from each of the stops: Dubrovnik, Santorini, Tunis, Malaga, Cadiz, and Lisbon.

By far the best part of the cruise was spending time with my parents. Unlike the past couple of months, the cruise days seem to have gone by faster than usual and the day of their departure back to the States came around too quickly.

A couple more pics...

2007-12-06T06:58:00.000-05:00

The reflection of the water in St. Mark's Square

The Dolomites faintly appearing in the background

After Verona, there was....

2007-12-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Bolzano
This partly Austrian town is the gateway to the Italian Dolomites and it's also the home of Otzi the Iceman -- our main reason for visiting. Otzi was found about 15 years ago high in the mountain ridge by a couple on a hike. At first sight, it was thought that this was a body of a modern day hiker which had decomposed with time. However, it was soon discovered that Otzi was actually the body of a 5000 year old man! He was found complete with a copper axe, shoe, bag, stockings, and other articles of clothing. We actually saw Otzi's body in an ice room where he is exhibited to those who visit the Museum of Archeology. This was a really neat experience -- if you were unfamiliar with this story, I would highly recommend reading about it on the web.

Venice
On our last visit to Venice, Ian had seen a picture of Julia Roberts walking through a couple of feet of water on St. Mark's Square. We had heard that Venice floods in November and were hoping to experience this for ourselves. It turns out to be true! During the evening and early morning the tide rises and the water overflows some of the streets. I didn't really detect any foul smell, although I did see a rat (again) walking the empty streets at night. Wooden planks are placed to create a catwalk on which people can move around the city without having to get their pants went. St. Mark's Square gets covered in water and tourists (locals have water boots) crowd on wooden platforms as they move around. Having experienced this makes the fact that Venice is sinking actually real.

Verona Pics... tons of pics!

2007-12-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, the actual words of Shakespeare (we were pretty close!).

Having fun at Castel Vecchio.

Yeah, a shot of home life at our studio apt in Verona.

Adige River-

Juliet's balcony and bronze statue.

She's cute as a button.

Money night shot of the Adige River and Verona

Ok, before Africa, there was Verona...

2007-12-02T10:19:00.000-05:00

What better way to describe Verona than by the words of William Shakespeare himself... recited from memory no less!

Pics to follow... I have to try to get this blog back in order.

Where was Haitham when we needed him?

2007-12-01T07:27:00.000-05:00

Two days ago we docked in Tunis, Tunisia in the Northern part of Africa. We visited the ancient city of Carthage and Sidi Bou Said on a guided tour and decided to venture into the Medina (historical center of Tunis) by ourselves -- what a mistake! Royal Caribbean had designated shuttles that could transport you to a main drop off point in the Medina and we felt they should be a safe way to reach our destination. There was a ´guide´in the bus who seemed quite knowledgeable at first. Then, he became a bit controlling telling us that he would get us back to the ship on time but we would first stop in some place for tea --what? All we wanted was to be dropped off in the Medina -- this was not part of the shuttle service.
The ´guide´ stopped the bus in a place where no other bus was parked and asked us all to get off. Several of us asked repeatedly where the pick up point was and he insisted we follow him and he would show us. Next thing we know we are standing outside of an Arabic Mosque where he proceeded to make pretty inappropriate religious comments about the different Muslim groups (he was Muslim himself). No American laughed. Somehow we end up in a carpet shop where they ´trapped´about 40 of us in a room for a carpet demonstration. They offered free drinks and despite the fact that you can sense the discomfort among this group of tourist (us included) a few people agreed to some mint tea and sodas (people do some strange things when they are tourists). It´s hard to capture the feeling of danger that was brewing in the room, but imagine being dropped off in the middle of a maze of eager (for a lack of a better word) merchants where you don´t speak the language under a time crunch because you have to get back on the ship and no one is telling you where the buses are.
My dad decided he wasn´t having any more of this crap and interrupted the ´carpet demonstration´ saying he hadn´t paid for this show and he just wanted to know where the bus stop was. The Tunisian giving the demonstration said we were ´free´to go but our ´guide´had disappeard so as to not tell us how to get back. Once we got up, the rest of the room followed us out through a maze of stairs and rooms. We found ourselves in a room surrounded by about 10 Tunisian men who would not tell us how to leave this ´store´and the exit was nowhere to be found. It was a crazy situation...40 tourists forming a circle around a room, 10 Tunisian men forming an outer circle around us and suddenly no one spoke English (how convenient!). When the ´guide´found himself confronted by several agitated people, he finally agreed to walk us to the bus stop.
He led us through a maze of shops, stopped at the end of a street, and pointed down a suspicious looking alley suggesting we take that to the end, turn left, and another left. We had two choices: 1. continue following this crazy dude who was forcing us into places where they would lock us up until we shopped or 2. take our chances in finding the bus. We took the second option and dipped it with about 5 other people. We finally found the bus back and left Tunis for good.
TIA:THIS IS AFRICA.

P.S. We later found out the shuttle buses were not supposed to have any ´guide´on board beyond the driver...great...this dude wasn´t even part of the bus company.

Pics from Milan... just a few

2007-11-27T07:32:00.000-05:00

Shopping in Milan... not cheap.

Lunch with Valentina's cousins... Ecco lo qua!

After watching a balet at La Scala Theatre. The pic is a little fuzzy but oh well.

Cruising the Med

2007-11-27T07:29:00.000-05:00

We are currently on Santorini in Greece. This time the weather is brighter and more clear than before so we're taking in this beautiful little island once again. The food on the ship as usual has been stellar. I'm going to post a few photos from places we've seen in between Athens and the Cruise. And hopefully when I get a better internet connection I can add some more videos: some informational, some ridiculous. :)

A little update

2007-11-16T13:54:00.000-05:00

It's hard to compete with Ian's video blogging skills...but I wanted to let everyone know that our short stay in Milan was topped off with a ballet at La Scala theater where both of us were probably the worst dressed in the entire place (sold out performance). Oh, yes...I looked great from the ankles up...but the walking Merrell shoes just didn't finish off my outfit the way I thought they would. Ian was in jeans and his best sweater...appropriate for a moderately priced restaurant.
Now we are in Verona...the city of Romeo and Juliet. We are getting excited about next week when we'll see my parents who have agreed to join us on a 10 night mediterrenean Royal Caribbean cruise!!!! We'll post some more pics and, of course, the infamous videos when we get a better connection.

Ian Lee reporting: Mt. Vesuvius

2007-11-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

A small taste of the insanity. Ok, it's out of order in terms of our trip but whatever!

A short follow up vid... we barely lived through that.

Video: The Parthenon

2007-11-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

Athens Pics

2007-11-14T19:39:00.000-05:00

Temple of Olympian Zeus... or it used to be. You can't tell from the picture but these columns are absolutely HUGE. This temple must've been something back in the day.

During subway excavations during the last 30 years, the Athenians have unearthed a lot of ancient city ruins. Here is a roman tomb opened up and left on display at the metro stop (complete with bones!).

The Parthenon from our hotel room.

Anywhere in the world, you can almost always get a Mickey D's icecream.

The Parthenon - maintenance work continues despite our trip.

At Syntagma Square in Athens hanging out.

Video: Amalfi Bus Ride

2007-11-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

This was the week before we left to Athens. I'm sort of testing if I can actually upload these videos easily to the blog. We have a ton of these so I'll add more if it works out.

The honking sound you hear is the driver alerting cars around the curve that he's coming.

BIG News

2007-11-13T18:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, we're back in Italy. This time in the north. It's been a pretty exciting couple of weeks for us and a lot of the excitement is coming from over seas!

The big news is... My brother and his wife are pregnant with their 4th child--wait... Did I say four? I meant 4th AND 5th... TWINS!! I've gone over a few possible names with them: Ian, Iana, Iania, Ianzino, Ianution, etc... you get the idea. Congrats Steve and Mary. Don't worry, I'm sure five kids is MUCH easier than it seems like it's going to be.... maybe. :)

Athen's Bad Reputation

2007-11-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

After staying in Athens for a few days, I find the majority of the guide books to be wrong. Their advice was this: see the acropolis, see the museum of archeology, get out. Their out-dated advice called the city poluted and nasty.

As I understand it, the 2004 olympics was a turning point for the city. Many projects got underway and cleaned up many of the areas that were previously ugly. One of the guidebooks said, "forget about the rest of Athens and just pretend the Acropolis and Plaka district are all that there is in the city". I have two points here: 1) If all my city has was the Acropolis and the Plaka district I think it would be pretty fantastic. 2) This city has much more than just that. It's pretty spread out but just speaking of the city center, there are some gorgeous/fantastic areas including the national gardens, constitution square, and an ultra-modern business district that can rival a lot of big cities in the US for style and architecture. Not to mention a plethora of cool museums.

Being here longer than the guide-book recomended, two days I have to say that I've enjoyed this city at least as much as Rome. I don't know if I'm biased because I'm sitting on my balcony while typing this and turning my head to the right I can see the Parthenon perched on the Acropolis with its huge columns lit from below by spot lights. Uh, awesome...

Don't get me wrong though, there are areas here in Athens that I wouldn't pass through with a swat team but isn't that true of every big city? Generally, when I'm in Miami and driving to the beautiful Coconut Grove area I consider a red-light at the intersection of Douglas and Grand to be more of a suggestion than a hard rule. :)

Back in Athens...

2007-11-03T17:32:00.000-04:00

Crete was a fantastic place even though we were unable to visit some of its most magical places due to the fact that many sights close at the end of tourist season. Nevertheless, it really captured us – the sounds, people, food, and culture were truly wonderful. We left Hania by ferry to the island of Santorini (Thira) where we spent two nights. Now we are currently back in Athens.

Athens is a vibrant city. There are tons of people walking the streets, huge shopping areas, outside restaurants, street performers, and street sellers. We still haven’t done much sightseeing here but have an incredible view of the Acropolis from our hotel’s balcony. We are not sure how much longer we’ll be here – several nights at least until we find out our next destination. We are certainly moving a little more often than we had planned to but will soon settle in our next homebase in Spain.

A sense of timelessness...

2007-11-03T17:30:00.000-04:00

For some time I wondered if those theories you get by email about the earth spinning faster making the days seem shorter could possibly be true. My dad and I were convinced that time was passing too quickly; that the years were being spent in what seemed to be no longer than a day. Now, I’m back to doubting all of those theories which leaves me with an even bigger sense of discomfort…if it’s not the earth spinning faster, what do we blame it on?

In one of my early posts I mentioned still battling the need to slow down; to rid myself of that sense of urgency that seems to plague so many of us day after day. As if by coincidence my watch battery died about a month into our trip. It wasn’t sudden – as I’m sure is the case when other watch batteries die. I had about three days of warning when I couldn’t figure out why I was constantly wrong on what time of day it was. Looking back now I realize that even those three days were part of my training! I spent about 3 weeks without a working watch and didn’t care much for what time of day it was (unless, of course, we had a train or bus to catch). Even when I did get my watch fixed, it wasn’t until the owner of a little Hania restaurant mentioned to us that the hour had been set back that we were actually running on accurate time. It has been a freeing sensation – to know that one really does own each single second of the day.

Greece Pics

2007-10-28T17:09:00.000-04:00

Ian napping on the ferry between Athens and Crete.

The Hania 'Old Harbor' Taken from the lighthouse.

A little street in Hania near the water.

Lighthouse on the harbor in Hania.

A minaret in the Turkish quarter.

What?? Tell me seriously, did I just snap this shot? Yeah I did.

Arrival in Greece

2007-10-28T17:03:00.000-04:00

Although sooner than expected, we decided it was time to head to Greece. While visiting Herculaneum, we had met a British couple (Chris and Cliff Jones) who told us about their recent visit to Crete. That was enough to make it our next destination.

After flying into Athens we took a 7 hour ferry from Piraeus on a really nice Greek ferry boat and reached Hania at 11 PM. Our taxi driver took us to the small pedestrian street where we had reserved a studio. These moments are always interesting – we are never entirely sure about where we’ve chosen to stay, the kind of trek we’ll have to take to reach it, how far it really is from sights, etc. Lucky for us (again…and knock on wood) we found another wonderful place to stay. The Greek girl greeted us and provided two rooms to choose from. While both were fine, we asked to see more rooms (we found it’s always a good idea in these places to do that). The next room was it! Our place in Hania couldn’t be any more perfect…it’s beautifully decorated with a balcony overlooking a gorgeous little pedestrian street.

Although we were tired and it was late, we decided to take a short walk…that’s when we came across the ‘Old Venetian Harbor’. It was then that my jaw dropped in amazement. This place was enchanting – absolutely beautiful and almost too picturesque to be real. The Venetian buildings lining the harbor look like a beautiful façade instead of an incredible slice of Greco-Venetian life from a few hundred years ago. Since seeing the harbor for the first time we've learned that the Venetians acquired Crete (along with other parts of Greece) and held it for around 400 years until the Ottoman Empire took it over late in the 1600’s. As is the same in much of Greece, there is a strong Turkish influence on the culture here as a result of hundreds of year’s Ottoman control after the Venetians. It was pretty interesting to see the minarets from old mosques and also some Muslims at prayer inside their homes as we walked through the Turkish quarter.

Anyway, this post on Greece is definitely “to be continued…” because I haven’t even touched on the scrumptious Greek food and copious amounts of “Raki” that the restaurants give you free after your meal.... yum!

Last day in Sorrento

2007-10-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

On our last day in Sorrento, we decided to travel to Naples. We had heard that the city was a mad house, but were curious to see it for ourselves. The truth is that Naples was a pretty wild place and didn’t leave the best of impressions on us (although I should mention we were only in the city for a few hours and may not be qualified to judge).

Ian describes it as a scene from a futuristic movie where a nuclear explosion had thrust a city into chaos. The city is having a huge garbage problem – the landfills are full and the garbage company stopped collecting the trash. Try to imagine the large piles of trash on the streets spilling over sidewalks and filling the air with a less than desirable smell. Add to that a few choice people picking through the garbage and behind the piles a very long row of illegal street sellers waiting like hungry vultures to make a sale (and we were the dead meat!). Ok, then add to that the bustle and chaos of cars, vespa’s, buses, and taxis all whizzing around each other seemingly ignoring traffic signs and each other. Our taxi purposely went down the “wrong way” of a street in order to avoid having to make a more circuitous trip.

Despite all this, however, our visit was worthwhile in that we had a chance to walk through the National Archeological Museum where many of the original frescoes and findings from Pompeii are housed. We also entered the ‘Secret Room’, which is the Museum’s collection of phallic art found in ancient ruins…it turns out that pornography has been a part of life from the beginning of time!

Capri

2007-10-23T16:59:00.000-04:00

These three destinations (Capri, Positano, Amalfi) were part of our day trips from our homebase in Sorrento. I’ve been meaning to blog about our experiences at each, but the last days in Italy were busy and with little internet access.

Capri was as beautiful as we had heard it would be. A town perched hundreds of feet above the sea where every house and street is immaculately kept. There were flowers decorating walls and balconies, views of the ocean that were breath taking, and expensive boutiques for window shopping. Ian and I decided we would take the bus to AnaCapri (Capri’s sister town) in order to visit the Blue Grotto. The ride up the mountains was thrilling – a small bus packed with people taking sharp turns on roads with railings no more than 2 feet high. I couldn’t stand to watch the cliffs below as the weight of the bus would shift from side to side! The Blue Grotto was a nice experience – To enter the grotto you must ride a tiny boat in which you lay completely flat. There is a chain that the gondolier pulls on to get our little boat through a small opening in the rocks. Inside the grotto, the water seems an electric blue color – a natural wonder created by the reflection of the sunlight on the sand and water. In Capri we also saw the Arco Naturale and completed a 1.5 hour hike around the island before taking our ferry back to Sorrento.

Amalfi Pics

2007-10-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

Amalfi (the day after Positano)

2007-10-22T16:47:00.000-04:00

The next day we both dreaded the idea of riding the bus again – this time for an additional 45 minutes beyond the Positano stop. We forced ourselves out of bed (I’m embarrassed to say that it was probably around 11 a.m.) and made our way to the bus stop. Luckily the sky was clear and sunny, although the cold did not cease. The Amalfi Coast was breath taking – we were so happy that we went. The Amalfi Coast is famous for its paper and we had a chance to visit an ancient paper mill where we learned how the paper was made using actual cotton cloth. We also visited the town’s Cathedral where the remains of St. Andrew, the town’s patron, are kept. In 1544, the Saraceen fleet commanded by the ‘Red Beard’ approached the Amalfi Coast. The town invoked the protection of St. Andrew and it is said that an unforeseen storm wrecked the pirate ships. A piece of one of the pirate ships is on display in the town’s Cathedral. After nightfall, we decided to be the first at the bus stop in order to avoid a standing ride back into town. As it turns out, we were the only 2 on the bus most of the way and had a chance to chat in Italian with the driver…we were pretty proud of our Italian skills!

Positano

2007-10-21T16:40:00.000-04:00

Positano was a bit of a disappointment – and that is just me being completely spoiled! The ferries from Sorrento stopped running in mid-October, so we were forced to take the bus (Ian was dreading the idea…we had heard the drive to the Amalfi coast was one of the most scenic and terrifying ever!). The bus ride took approximately 45 minutes – most of which was on winding roads with the mountain one side and amazing views of the ocean on the other. On that day, the sky was grey and the air was cold…not the right combination for a small beach town. After a couple of hours of wandering around a slightly deserted town (I’m sure it is amazing in the summer months…as shown in The Talented Mr. Ripley), we decided to head back home. The ride back was exponentially worse than the ride there. The bus was completely packed and we made the 45 minute journey standing in the isle of the bus – by the time we reached Sorrento we were both motion sick. It’s a good thing we didn’t celebrate Ian’s birthday this way!

An Italian birthday…

2007-10-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Ian’s birthday last weekend.We had intended to spend the day in Positano, but in true Ian & Valen fashion we overslept and missed the ferry (which turned out being alright since we had been looking at the outdated ferry schedule anyway!). We decided instead to spend the day in Sorrento walking around the many tiny streets with shops and enjoying the amazing views of the ocean. The day was really cold and windy although still sunny and as we made our way around town we realized how familiar it all felt. Even though we are thousands of miles away from ‘home’, this place still feels right.

Our apartment in Sorrento has been great– We look forward to our quick exchanges with Rosa, our walk down into town, and even our walk back uphill. All this walking has made it easy to justify all the good food we’ve had! Our stay here, though, is coming to an end in just a few more days and as we made plans to leave Sorrento for Greece, I began to feel a bit sad about leaving Italy behind. It makes you realize how easily one can adapt to new circumstances. Our adventures in Greece, however, are sure to be filled with new and exciting lessons.

Mt. Vesuvius Pics

2007-10-19T11:46:00.001-04:00

We're a long way up.

Vesuvius smoking and grumbling a bit.

At the top of the crater.

The chair in question.

A climb to Mt. Vesuvius...

2007-10-19T11:45:00.000-04:00

We decided to climb to the crater of Mt. Vesuvius by taking a shuttle from Herculaneumo to the base of the volcano. Our shuttle had room for 9 passengers, including the driver. After we had all piled in another couple arrived and paid for tickets. I figured they would have to wait for the next shuttle until I saw the Italian come out of the sales booth with a small cracked wooden chair which he placed in an open space in the van. The girl was squeezed in between the three of us in the back seat; her husband sat in the unstable wooden chair. The drive to the base of Mt. Vesuvius took about 35 minutes in a winding road with numerous sharp turns. I watched the wooden chair slide slightly with every turn - the poor guy on it holding tightly to the sides of the van.
We arrived at the entrance and began the trek up the mountain to reach the 4000 ft summit. It took us approximately 30 minutes of walking uphill to reach the crater. What a view! We walked as far as we could around the crater trying to find the best angle until we heard a slight rumble and saw steam come up from the rocks inside the crater! It was truly amazing. From the top you could see all the nearby towns and we are pretty sure we spotted the island of Capri. In the distance you could also see Naples.
It was time to meet our driver again and to claim your seat inside the van (I didn’t want to ride the chair!). As the original group took their spot in the van, we noticed the driver was giving tickets to an additional couple. Now, clearly...they would certainly have to wait for another shuttle. Wrong again! The driver opened the back door of the passenger van pointing to the space in the back meant for carrying baggage. We couldn’t see what happened next but assumed the couple refused the trunk space. We even joked about it in the shuttle as we made our way back into town…only to find the couple emerge from the cramped space when we reached the parking lot of the Herculaneum train station! The silly things you do when you are a tourist!

Pompeii Pics...

2007-10-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

Vesuvius and a small portion of Pompeii

A little inspiration at the brothel never hurt anyone (not immediately that is).

A temple with Vesuvius in the background.

Plaster cast...

Pompeii

2007-10-19T11:34:00.000-04:00

Wow, I’ve never been so excited that a volcano erupted! Pompeii was truly a gem. It differs from Rome in that the ruins are MUCH better preserved and offer a wide slice of ancient Roman life. In Pompeii, over what seemed like a huge amount of space there were a few bakeries, pubs, tons of homes, small theatres, a huge ampitheatre (though much smaller than the coliseum in Rome), public baths, temples, food markets, and brothels.
The reason for the great preservation apparently is that the ash from the volcano covered the city a few meters deep, the city remained abandoned, and excavations didn’t begin until the 1700’s. While Rome continued to build the city around and on top of itself, Pompeii stayed untouched for close to 2000 years.
The ancient Roman homes in Pompeii were beautifully decorated with many of them having fully frescoed walls and beautifully tiled floors. The brothels were a highlight. They were complete with suggested positions painting on the walls and ancient graffiti written in Latin by the patrons and the prostitutes. I’m pretty sure that one I saw translated to: “Marc Anthony and Cleopatra 4EVA”.
Lastly, the plaster casts of human remains were incredible. Apparently over 2,000 years a body will decompose (I know, weird). But amazingly, if it was buried in the ash then an empty space or cavity will be left after it decomposes. So when the archeologists first came across a cavity of space in their digging, they noticed human bones at the bottom of the cavity. The bones were removed and the plaster was poured into the space. After it hardened, they remove the ash from outside of it and voila! The detail is quite shocking. You can see the expressions on their faces, their teeth, the folds of their clothing, footwear they were possibly wearing.Pompeii was a truly amazing site. There were a few things that I didn’t understand about some of the ruins, but when I get back I’ll have to ask Haitham. No, he’s not an archeologist, but he’s quite a knowledgeable dude.

More pics from Rome then Sorrento

2007-10-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

A much needed haircut for Ian

From the top of Castel Sant'Angelo

When in Rome... Water fresh from an aqueduct

Relaxing at the villa in Sorrento

The villa

Sorrento's main square

Igualito a su papa (Just like his father)

2007-10-12T15:30:00.000-04:00

To say that Ian comes from a security conscious family would be an understatement. I don't complain, though, as I know he will have thought about the many ways to stab a stray dog if it messed with us (really, he did that at least once on this trip). It is certainly true that couples become more like each other with time -- and in our case, we definitely have a way of supporting and encouraging each other craziness.
Upon arriving in Florence I learned that Ian had brought his knife with him (yes, this blog is out of sequence, but it deserved to be published). His knife isn't the small pocket kind that most men carry on their keychains for moments when you may need a small blade or, perhaps, a screwdriver. His knife is the camping/survival kind. He bought it for our first camping trip with our best friends and after watching many an episode of Bear Grills. I probably would have thought it crazy at some point many years ago...but (and this is where you encourage the madness in each other) I actually thought it a great idea this time. Somehow I felt safe walking the dark streets of Florence at all times of the night -- Ian had a camping knife in his pocket which he could swing open with a flick of the wrist.

Then came a Friday afternoon when I had made reservations at the Ufizzi museum. We are in line and about to approach the security point when Ian suddenly realizes he has a large knife in his pants. He turns and asks me what to do, but being that I'm 'igualita a mi mama' I freak out and tell him to throw it away quickly while no one is looking. He agreed (being 'igualito a su papa) and discreetly tossed the large knife in the last garbage bucket just steps away from the security guards. As the knife hits the bottom of the garbage making a loud thump, we were both relieved not to be incriminated with a weapon on us. Then, we see the sign: "Knives, lighters, etc will be returned at the end of the visit." At that point, Ian thought it would definitely be incriminating if he was fishing around the garbage to pull out his knife - plus, it was his turn to put his bag in the security belt. I looked back at the garbage thinking maybe I could stick my hand in it, but the knife had made its way all the way to the bottom of a lot of trash.

We boths presented our tickets and sat down at the first bench we could find. Clearly he had made the right choice -- you don't want to mess with armed guards in a foreign country and try to explain why you had a camping knife in your pocket. Either way, we both knew what this meant...we'd have to find another knife for protection during the rest of our trip.

Inizio della strada (spelling?)...

2007-10-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

...This is just a quickie and would probably not classify as a reason to blog, but I couldn't keep it to ourselves...
We've piled the garbage in our beautiful Sorrentine kitchen and wondered where Rosa would want us to put it. We tried asking in Italian...but this was one time Marcello would not have been proud of us. Ian ran inside and brought out the garbage bag to which Rosa responded something, something, something, something else inizio della strada. Clearly she meant we should put it somewhere in the street. Every other city has had very accessible street dumpsters, so we must have just missed this one. It's 8 o'clock in Sorrento and we decide to walk into town. The walk there is a little spooky because it's so dark but we have our 1985 Polaroid flashlight which we bought at a Kodak shop and seems to be the last one left in this town. Surely, the dumpster is just outside the home. Surely, it's up that other street we never walked up. Surely, it's just around the bend where we never paid attention to it. Finally, we found the dumpster...at the beginning of the street just like Rosa had mentioned. The main street into town!!! It may not seem like reason to blog, but it's a small example of the daily things that are still all so new!

Our homebase in Sorrento

2007-10-11T12:55:00.000-04:00

We met Marco, a young bald Italian guy on a grey scooter, at the train station. He escorted us to our new apartment at Casale Nunziatina. The walk up to our new apartment reminded me of our experience in Riomaggiore (except this time with luggage). We walked up an old Roman road where there is barely room for a tiny Smart car. The owner of the 1700s Villa, Rosa, greeted us very kindly showing us around our new place. The apartment is amazing! The villa was recently remodeled and everything seems new. Our apartment, Gardenia, is absolutely wonderful. Our kitchen is large and has a beautiful arched door that faces the lemon grove gardens. The walk into the main road of town takes us about 10 minutes downhill (it’s the walk back that feels like a trek).

Sorrento is a lovely little place – it’s much bigger than the Cinque Terre towns by far. From here we plan to visit Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mt.Vesuvius, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast. We’ve taken it easy on these first four days here by mostly enjoying the villa and strolling through town. Tomorrow we’ll start our day trips.

Headed to Sorrento (or Sarno?)

2007-10-11T12:54:00.000-04:00

We left Rome on a Monday morning on the express train to Naples. From Naples we took a local train to Sorrento (well, not exactly). As soon as the train took off, we had strong suspicions that we had rushed onto the wrong one. There were about 10 other people headed to Sorrento or Pompeii on this train, too – and they didn’t seem concerned by the fact that this train departed seven minutes earlier than our scheduled train. We had a plan to exit the train quickly (as the doors barely gave any time to pull one’s luggage out) if the next stop did not read Pompeii Scavi. It did not…and as soon as the doors opened, we grabbed our bags and ran off the train as we mumbled something about being on the wrong train. A group of about 6 more completely confused by what we were doing also jumped off. It was totally a scene from the Amazing Race. Luckily, we were right about being wrong… so, the 8 of us stood with our luggage in a small desolate station waiting for the right train!

A little more on Rome...

2007-10-11T12:53:00.000-04:00

We visited St. Peter’s on two occasions. One time was mostly dedicated to admiring the Pieta – Michelangelo’s work. The details are incredible, the fingers, the veins running under the skin, the expression on the faces – how could this be made of stone? The second visit to St. Peter’s was also incredibly memorable. We visited the Papal tombs and saw the tomb of St. Peter underneath the main altar and the tomb of Pope John Paul II. There is so much more I’d like to say regarding St. Peter’s…so many thoughts and emotions that it evoked, but perhaps another time.

The Vatican museum was also grand. One can easily experience a certain type of exhaustion caused by the large quantities of art available here. I’m sure that may be due to my own art ignorance! The Sistine Chapel, however, was the highlight of that visit – we were fortunate to find a place on one of the side benches were we sat and stared at the walls and ceilings for a long time without being shuffled out. Trying to describe it would be too big of a writer’s challenge!

Our days in Rome were hectic, although not rushed. The Italian food was not very memorable when compared to Florence’s. However, we did find an Argentinian restaurant with a mean churrasco that we absolutely loved…and a Chinese place with a serious fixed price menu right behind the Pantheon.

A look back at Rome...

2007-10-11T12:51:00.000-04:00

Rome was a magnificent city and so much bigger than Florence. Our apartment in Rome was about 15 minutes by metro from the city center in an area where we were probably the only two tourists. The apartment was spacious – especially when compared to our Florence studio.
On our first night there we took the bus into town in our hunt for the Trevi Fountains. The fountain is a spectacular sight – how did such a huge fountain end up in such crammed quarters? Although it’s supposed to be ‘shoulder’ traveling season, the large quantities of visitors crammed into the Trevi Fountain never really allowed for a very comfortable or enjoyable stroll around it.
On our second or third day we took a walking tour of Ancient Rome. Our tour guide, a Roman archaeologist named Valentina, was really fantastic. We (re)learned interesting facts about the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona. It’s difficult to explain with words the impressions that such places make. We walked on the Via Sacra which is about 2000 years old and was the main road of the Roman Forum. We climbed to the top of the Palatine Hill to see the ‘birthplace’ of Rome. I can’t bother with the historical details and would do no justice in attempting to share them with you – I’ll leave Ian with that task.

Hello Rome (5 pics)

2007-10-05T14:36:00.000-04:00

The colosseum at night from "via de fori imperiali"

St Peter's from across the Tiber.

At the Pantheon at night. Inscription reads (basically): Marcus Agrippa built this.

On our first night in Rome at the Fontana di Trevi

The Roman Forum at night

Good-bye Florence Part 2 (6 pics)

2007-10-05T14:05:00.000-04:00

After the temperature drop in Florence!

Valentina with street seller from Bangladesh.

Santa Croce - we live down that street on the left.

Valentina and the Senegalese dudes.

Going into our apartment.

A restaurant in Piazza Santa Croce

A proper farewell...

2007-10-04T10:36:00.000-04:00

I couldn't leave Florence without a proper goodbye. It's surprising how quickly a place can become a home. The smells (good and bad) and sounds slowly become more familiar; the streets and people more 'one's own'. Yet a personal goal in this adventure was learning to let go (especially hard when one begins to conform to a place).

Our last days in Florence were memorable. We visited San Gimignano on a cold and rainy day. Our first bus there was the tall two level type with fancy seats and eager tourists. The second was a local bus (which we were only 50% sure was the correct one) filled with kids getting out of school (btw, all teens across the world seem to be a little stinky, oily, and loud). The town was surrounded by a fortress wall and contained several 'skyscrapers' of its time. It looked like the setting of a fairy tale with its stone walls, cobble streets, and tiny passageways.

The last night in florence was truly special. We wandered on our nightly walk and decided to buy a 'whirly light wheel' from an Indian street seller in exchange for some good conversation. I offered him 'due euro' for it and he reluctantly lowered his price from the original 'cinque'. We talked for a while. He told us he was from Bangladesh and had been in Florence for only 5 months. He had been told he could come to Italy and find work, but quickly realized that he couldn't find the jobs he had been promised due to his immigration status. He held a bachelors and masters degree from India where he worked for an American company 12 hours a day. He eagerly showed us his 'Lenny Fashions' ID with a slight smile. He told us he barely made any money there despite the long work hours and couldn't support his mother, father, and sister. In Italy, he lived with several other Indian men paying 150 euro for a place to sleep and 100 for food per month. There was a sense of honesty in his face; a melancholy that filled his eyes. We walked away and turned to pay him the full 5 euro for the toy we had just bought at discount. He refused the money...we insisted.

An exciting new friendship was around the corner (literally). We sat on a bench to watch the African street sellers with their knock off purses. One of them approched me offering a real Prada, which I could smell for proof of the authentic leather. I told him I had bought one the day before (not exactly true) and he walked away. He later returned for small talk so we exchanged names and nationalities. He was from Senegal and spoke a very small amount of English. We communicated in broken Italian, broken English, and hand gestures. He told us of his 'moglie' back in Senegal which he will see in 2008. We learned he came by plane and not by taking the treacherous water route many of them do. He had a bambino. He had lived in Valencia for a couple of weeks and in Florence for a year. Our conversation went on for a while interrupted by his need to attend to potential customers and the ocassional police look out. We met his 'fratello', Samba, who spoke better English. After some time, we decided to give him some cash as a parting gift. The gratitude was shining right through his eyes. He didn't know how to express it but we understood each other. He gave us his phone number so we could call him next time in Florence. Since, Cherk has texted us to see how we are doing.

We're out of time at this internet cafe, but will soon write about the wonders of Rome...so grand!

In Rome...

2007-10-02T15:12:00.000-04:00

...but without internet access. We'll post pictures every now and then when we can find a signal in our apt.
Stay tuned, though...
Having a great time in Roma.
Ciao!

Good-bye Florence Part 1 (4 pics)

2007-09-29T20:48:00.000-04:00

Picking up dinner to go from the Darvish Cafe - one of our favorite little places to eat. Yummy... :)

Street artist fingerpainting with pastels on the street. Talk about SKILLS! (Shortly after taking the picture, I tucked in her underwear tag... she said 'gratzie')

A long-exposure night shot of the Ponte Vecchio. Ummm my camera rocks.

Long exposure night shot of the Duomo and Santa Croce.

Igualita a tu mama (just like your mother!)...

2007-09-27T16:01:00.000-04:00

I've always known that my mother and I share many traits in common, but Ian has pointed out some new evidence to convince me that I'm just like my mother! Most of the proof comes from situations dealing with trains or buses. I've decided to blog a few of these to humor my mom and to highlight some fundamental differences in mine and Ian's character.
Proof #1: We arrive at La Spezia with only 8 minutes to change trains. I push my way through the crowd, run to the board to figure out which train we need to get on and realize we need to run to rail #1. I tell Ian we have to run, scope out the place, see the stairs that take us underground, and again push through the crowds to get to the train. We arrive at the train when I hear (muffled by all of the other unfamiliar noises and sounds) something about a change of rail for the train in #1. I grab Ian and tell him we have to run to rail #5, back to the stairs, underground, and again pushing against the crowds. We arrive at rail #5, the sea of passangers boarding the train, the whitle blows (which symbolizes the train leaving) and I start to push our way through again (this time using my elbows if necessary). We make our way onto the train which is so crowded that we can't find a seat in our carriage. The train takes off and we look at each other: are we even on the right train? Ian said it would be my fault if we were headed to the wrong place...but, we would have still been reading the departure board if we had waited on him to decide which train to board!
Proof #2: We read the departure board and realize the train leaves in 2 minutes from rail #2. I grab my bag, look for the underground tunnel and begin to run (leaving Ian behind, of course). He catches up as I emerge on the other side of the tracks (still running for the train). The whistle blows and the doors shut right infront of my nose. I turn around (meekly but not defeated) look at Ian's confused face, turn once more and run for the train doors which I try to open vigorously as it begins to slowly move. I gave up. Ian claimed I never said aloud that we would try to catch that train and I just started running around like a lunatic -- I thought my actions were enough communication!
Proof #3: This one just accentuates our spirit of improved communication and collaboration. After the last incident, we agreed that I would have to say something if I decided we would try to catch a train (I couldn't just run without him and assume he would follow). We look at the departure board and the train is leaving in about 5 minutes. I say "let's get on it" so we begin to run. This time, having heard my thoughts aloud, Ian takes the lead as we run. We have to find the stairs, go underground, and find the right rail. He begins to run towards the stairs -- the ones leading us out of the train station. I stop him, take the lead, take us to the right stairs and half way through the tunnel I realized I had misread my watch. We missed the train - by about an hour!
The list goes on and on - we are getting better at this public transportation thing...and in the process have realized that I may truly be 'igualita a mi mama'!

Cinque Terre was amazing!

2007-09-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

This is the view of Riomaggiore from our room's terrace. We climbed about 300 steps to get to the top of the hill where the house was located. The first time we reached the top we were exhausted, but it became easier every time we did it...plus the view was a big reward!

This is a shot we took after arriving in Monterosso. We hiked for two hours (approx. 9 kms) from Vernazza to here. The hike was exhilarating -- about 500 feet up, no handrail, narrow dirt paths, and spectacular views.

This is a shot of the coast that we took during one of our hikes from town to town.

Vernazza from the top of a mountain about 30 minutes into our hike. The climb to this point was steep and I thought I'd have to turn around (but Ian insisted we continue on in search of a hidden cove with a unicorn...or a waterfall, whichever was more likely).

Michelangelo's David

2007-09-18T20:45:00.000-04:00

We strolled up to the Accademia at 7pm but the line to get in was HUGE so we decided to kill a half hour and come back. When we returned around 45 minutes later we were convinced that the whole museum had closed because there wasn't a single person in the line. Surprisingly though they were still open so we waltzed in happy (Free AND no line - score!).

Now... There are only 4 art pieces in the world that I have seen that truly astound and captivate me. The David is one of them. I mean, there are definitely a lot of fantastic pieces of art out there, but my favorites are not just beautiful or thought provoking. They are breathtaking, goosebump-causing, inspiring, masterpieces of pure genius... well... at least to me they are. :)

Anyway, I figure'd I would say that to display how much I love this piece of sculpture. It's hard to believe that it's a piece of stone. I'm almost expecting it to turn and look in the other direction. Michelangelo's attention to the tiniest detail on such an immense sculpture is astonishing. It's perfect in many ways. And best of all I love the expression on his face. It's like you can see the intellectual wheels turning in his head. He's conjured up the will and determination and now he just has to act. I think it's so above and beyond other sculptures (well, all but one).

After we had viewed the David for a while we found our seats for a live classical music concert that they hold inside the museum for free on Tuesday nights. The acoustics inside there were amazing. They turned the lights down and four classical musicians filled the room up with beuatiful music. That's when Valentina and I started making out like we were at the back of a movie theatre- JUST kidding, that didn't happen-hahaha I crack myself up. Although in my book that would've been pretty cool! Just checking to see if you were paying attention. Anyway- we take a train to Cinque Terre tomorrow morning. Should be fun! Aw man, Valentina might edit this in the morning. haha- ciao

A typical day in Florence (for us)...

2007-09-18T10:37:00.000-04:00

First I should note that our trip to Cinque Terre was postponed until tomorrow. It seems the place is packed with tourists on the weekends much more so than during the week, so we revised our itinerary and stayed in Florence for the weekend.
Our typical day is really quite simple and some things have not changed. We still love our sleep more than breakfast and so we typically roll out of bed just in time to dress and walk over to Marcello's house (our Italian teacher). The walk is typically about 5 minutes: left on Ghibellina, right on Pepi, and straight until the end. After our two hour class we head back to the apartment for a proper lunch which often requires a quick stop in the supermercati. This particular supermercati is more like what I would consider a slightly bigger corner convenience shop back in the States. The floor is often filthy (the streets in Florence are very dirty and one drags the mud in) and the lines could be as long as ten people each plus you pay for your plastic bag (as I hear IKEA is doing in the States) or you bring your own. The stop to the market is literally on the way, so our walk home is left unchanged...continue on Pepi, left on Ghibellina and arrive home. Our appartment is across the way from Casa Buonarroti, which was Michaelangelo's house in Florence -- the street and exterior of these buildings show the wear of the years. Cooking lunch can be an interesting challenge if we both need the kitchen area -- we've learned to slide past each other, reach above each other's heads, wait patiently for each other to move first, share the same utencils, and light the tiny gas stove (well, reallistically, only Ian has mastered that last one). I think the kitchen was intended for one chef. After lunch, we usually always take a Florentine nap -- we lay in bed with the windows open, one thin sheet on us, and off we go to sleep for a couple of hours. Now, on a typical vacation one may never consider sleeping an afternoon away and while that was my mentality at first...I quickly realized that Florence was still there when I woke up and that it would be there the next day, too. Plus, I typically wake up to the sound of an Italian conversation taking place outside my window. An Italian family, kids playing, the baker, a couple of workers -- never tourists (they usually whisper to each other), but always a local. Now, after studying, eating, and resting we leave the house for a walk and a visit to some interesting place until late at night when our feet are so tired that they find their own way back home. We've managed to skip the long lines formed early in the morning -- for example, tonight we will go to the Accademia in the evening when it is free and we'll see the David without the heavy tourist crowds (crossing my fingers).

Off to Cinque Terre...

2007-09-14T16:45:00.000-04:00

This week in Florence has been great. We visited the Uffizi and the church of Santa Croce (among the more touristy things to do), but ultimately have most enjoyed just sitting around watching life pass all around us. There are tons of street vendors selling knock off purses, posters, watches, and sunglasses lined up in some of the most popular areas. I had never really stopped to watch them and the intricacies that come along with selling illegal merchandise -- until now. It really is quite fascinating and entertaining to watch. Last night we spent about 2 hours sitting on the sidewalk among them, so we were free to watch without them trying to push us into a purchase. They line up their goods on white blankets that can be quickly made into a bundle when the polizia comes by. I wondered how they would know to pick up their goods without it being too late, but it seems there is a communication net that delivers the message to pick up. There also seems to be what we call the "pimp". He rides in his bike from spot to spot checking in with the illegal sellers speaking in a language that is typically other than Italian. Watching these men pick up their goods is a phenomenon on its own -- the poster sellers have a smart strategy that allows them to slide each poster underneath one another in matters of seconds. The guys selling shades have made portable stands out of old boxes that they can carry with them. Last night I was most impressed with an African whom I would categorize as a perfectionist. While all others set up shop by throwing their blankets in any open street spot, he chose his spot carefully (remember, that everytime they pick up their goods they walk away from the streets only to come back and set up shop again a few minutes later). He took a disproportionate amount of time to set up each of his knock off purses on display (considering the few seconds it would take him to pick it all up at the sign of the police). Each purse had to be perfectly placed, handles up, equally spaced from one another. It may seems like a small thing to have observed and be blogging about, but it's exactly these things that on any day I probably would have missed had I simply walked on by. Eventually, we had to leave this nightly show which might I add was free!
Tomorrow we take a train to Vernazza, one of the five towns in Cinque Terre on the coast of Italy. The train will take us on a 2.5 hour journey for all of 18 euros. We plan to hike through all of the towns over the weekend. Some say these five towns are some of the most amazing in the Riviera -- we'll provide our scoop next week.
Valen

In Firenze...

2007-09-11T05:47:00.000-04:00

We've been here for a few days now and I must admist that we are still getting used to it all. We took a couple of days to get situated in the city and our apartment. The streets are becoming more familiar but the sensations are still all new. We've circled the city by foot several times in the day and at night. Sometimes I have to purposely slow down the internal clock telling me to get to the next place -- that is probably the hardest thing to adjust. There is no rush.
We plan on taking Italian classes together -- while English and Spanish can get us by, it's really not the same.
Our apartment is centrally located but on a relatively quiet and residential street. The place is small but functional and clean. Ian and I share a tiny little closet and three drawers. We've learned to hang or clothes to dry out our window and, in general, to readjust our ideas of portions and sizes (for everything!).
Today I woke up to a street worker's whistling tune of Andrea Bocelli. I opened the windows for a fresh burst of air and smelled something wonderful...some kind of baked good.

pictures in Florence

2007-09-08T18:53:00.000-04:00

Triathlons are hard

2007-08-28T16:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I figured I'd start this vacation with a bang. After all, how hard could it be to arrive in Miami on Saturday night, wake up at 5:30am on Sunday to compete in a triathlon at crandon park? Plus, my brother assured me that a "mini" triathlon wasn't that hard and required little training. It was just a simple little quarter mile swim, 10 mile ride, and 3 mile run.

I was scared at first but I felt pretty confident after some strenuous online research on what constitutes a "proper swimming stroke". I signed up on Wednesday night thinking: The worst thing I can do at this point is train for it because then I'll be sore on the day of the race.

About 1/3rd the way through the swim, I had serious doubts about whether I would live. My pride was only a little hurt when a few of the women from the group that started 4 minutes behind us caught up and passed me. Luckily, there were a few other guys struggling with me who also seemed to be using swimming strokes that only internet research could produce.

I'm happy to say that after a nightmare of a swim, a great bike ride (which had two climbs up the rickenbacker causeway bridge), and a run that just wouldn't seem to end... I finished it! My time was pretty much in the middle of the pack of "first time participants": 1 hour 27 minutes.
Fun stuff. I'm glad the picture doesn't show the woman who just shot past me.