Code. Design. Explore.

16 June - 3 July, 2006

the road less traveled…

June 16, Day 1

JFK Airport, New York to Madrid, Spain

As I wait in at the gate for the loudspeaker to announce the boarding I can’t help but create expectations for the trip. I have always been one to plan everything, but this trip has no room for plans. We bought our tickets not short of 5 days ago, and I didn’t receive my ticket in the mail until this morning (luckily this flight is a red-eye). Two things are certain. First, I must be in Athens on July 3rd, and second is uncertainty is certain. Time to board, when I wake up I will be in Madrid!

One thing this trip is going to teach me is the difference between expectations and reality. I don’t want to set expectations for myself as I usually do, but it’s almost inevitable. Perhaps expectations are bad, but initial perceptions are not. It can get you excited about the adventure to come. I think it fails when perception=expectation. Instead, take it for what it is.

I have initial perceptions of my trip. Spain–bold colors of green, red, and yellow. I see people sitting at cafes as the sun beats down on their faces. I don’t know what a siesta will be like. When I think of the other countries I will be visiting I imagine the same picture. People sipping lattes along side of the street. I wonder how much different each country is. We have differences between states as you drive through, but not much difference when you compare adjacent states.

Food–no clue. I know Italy will have several courses and I plan to welcome it all on. I think I’m actually most excited to try the pizza in Italy. If only there was a camera that could capture smell and taste!

Greece stands out in my mind as being different from the rest. I picture white buildings and blue skies.

I have a long flight ahead of me. Time to sleep.

June 17, Day 2

Madrid, Spain

Observations

• cars don’t stop for you (like NYC)
• no SUVs–environmental friendly or expensive gas?
• no paper towels, just air blowers
• people aren’t mean, but some have reservations about Americans… until we tipped.
• not many speak English–the language barrier is frustrating
• Pensíons are cheaper than hostels
• Spanish women are beautiful!
• I finally understood how foreigners and minorities feel in the US

Key reflections

• buildings are how I perceived them–balconies and pastel yellow tones, soft walls, not brick and narrow streets. Streets are flooded with people at night sipping beers and mingling.
• In America when someone (including myself) sees someone speaking another language it is easy to think “speak English if you are in the USA”. Now I’m on the other side of the fence and it is difficult. Some people are understanding, most are not–until you break away from the ignorant, rude American stereotype.
• Politeness is not always achieved in a foreign language. Remember this next time someone needs directions in the states.

In summary

• Visited the botanical gardens
• Met Miguel who helped us find our way
• Ate tapas and drank Sangria

After a “solid” 4 hours of sleep, it was time to eat again. Fatty dark meat chicken–yum. I introduced myself to the people sitting next to me. Kerry, who has traveled to Spain and Ireland already, was on her way to Barcelona. Robbie was a cop for 7 years before quitting and now planning to travel for a year before moving to England.

After landing we wanted to get to the center of the city, Piazza del Sol or just Sol. The moment we stepped on to Spanish soil we hit an obstacle. Our credit cards didn’t work to buy a metro card and we were euro-less. A friendly, once a stranger, named Miguel offered to let all three of us use his metro card. The metro in Madrid is very similar to that of DC (back in the states), but much cleaner.

We had followed Miguel into Sol because as it turns out that is where he was headed. We split up for the day while Sameer, Brian, and I took care of some things, but agreed to met up that night. At this time it was only 1 or 2pm and our first mission was to find a hostel. There were hotel signs as frequent as they are found down at the Jersey Shore, but hostel signs were few and far between. We managed to find one which took us up five levels in a dark hallway before knocking on a shut door with no sign of it being a hostel (it was actually a pensíon). We knocked and the door opened. The room included two twin beds that we pushed together, but was very small. Luckily we were in the center of the city — it felt like the Times Square of New York. This feeling was further emphasized at night where the partying continued until early morning.

Miguel, one of the nicest guys I know

Next move–food. We wanted to try tapas and sangria. We wondered for a bit before finding a nice place outside in a huge courtyard. I ordered pollo y piña and a land and sea tapas. I don’t think chicken qualifies as land and sea, but I wasn’t going to argue because it was still good and I was very hungry. Of course we had to order sangria and for only 10 euros it was quite a buy! I was surprised just how refreshing it was. Tapas are usually fruit, veggies or meat on a piece of sliced french bread, but as it turns out one of my tapas was served on a skewer.

Our waitress did not care much for our (Americans), but that seemed to change once we offered her a tip. It was odd how she didn’t really expect anything. I think people tip at the cafes, but I don’t think Americans usually do. Either way we had quite a nice reaction and started joking with our waitress and the cashier. It was funny how much effort I had to make to just give her the 4 euro tip. She didn’t understand why I was offering her this extra money until one of the other workers said tip was propeña in Spanish. Only then was it clear.

Jardin Botanico de Madrid

From our early dinner we headed to Museo de Prado, but it had already closed. Prado is a museum featuring works of Picasso and many others. We walked around the Jardin Botanico de Madrid, but I didn’t think it was anything special.

At 9pm we met up with Migual and a cute friend of his. Unfortunately she only spoke Spanish and French so there weren’t many conversations between us. Miguel knew everyone! We went to his favorite place and ordered a few pitchers of sangria. Then the craziness started. We headed to a few bars where he was a regular. Did some tequila shots–no problem. Then Carlos, another bartender, brought us shots of clear alcohol on the house. He lit them on fire and gave us each a straw. We sipped it down while still on fire. Was that vodka? I looked up and saw a tall bottle of Absinth starring back at me?!?

June 18, Day 3

Madrid, evening train to Sevilla, Spain

In summary

• Museo del Prado
• Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (was closed)
• Met Ines going to Sevilla
• Saw a flamenco show
• Tried and loved a rebujito

Although we woke up at 11am today, we had not been able to fall asleep until about 4am because of the craziness outside our balcony. We headed for Museo del Prado. There was a Picasso exhibit open, but the lines were outraged so it was skipped. I really enjoyed the paintings of the g-d Saturn who was depicted eating his children because he was fearful that they would take his power. We tried finding the Rembrandts that the museum advertised, but couldn’t.

We headed to the train station to get a fast train to Sevilla, and reserved seats for 8pm. The train stations were much like that of the US, but for some reason the lines kept switching and we could not figure it out!

After leaving the train station we crossed the street to grab a bite before going back to board. We ordered in Spanish. I ordered hamburgesa con pollo y bastilla de vanilla (hamburger with chicken and vanilla milkshake). To my dismay the burger was actually a chicken burger, not a burger + a piece of chicken. I think I was a bit delirious from the hunger. The burger was flatter than what I’m used to and the milkshake was more like milk (whereas they are usually so thick in the States that you can’t suck it with a straw).

We boarded the train and headed from the center of Spain to the south (Sevilla). The train made its way through the countryside that, as anticipated, was very different than the city.

Sitting across from us was a girl named Ines. She spoke very good English, but she apologized to us for not speaking better (we were shocked how high her expectations were for herself). She was trying to get a pharmacist job in England and was coming back from an interview, and English was required for the job.

After arriving in Sevilla Ines offered to drive us (her mom was actually picking her up at the train station) to our hotel. It was late and our hotel was not in walking distance, but having her extend her hand in kindness meant a lot.

Scooters are the only way to in Sevilla

Heading for the center of Sevilla in search of a flamenco show Ines had told us about got us quite lost. The streets were as narrow as a sidewalk in the States and there are hardly any street signs. To make matters worse parts of the city weren’t laid out in an organized block layout. After passing by Carboneria twice we finally found it. It seems fairly hidden, off the beaten path, with no signs calling it out–just two red doors it a painted white alley. (It was also mentioned in the book “Let’s go”). Unfortunately we had just missed the last show, so we started up a conversation with Maria, the waitress, and she was telling us how this place was a lot more happening, but since getting into the book its been more of a double edged sword. They get more tourists, but less locals because of it.

Typical street in Sevilla

Maria had told us about a few other places that may still have flamenco going on. We took her advice and headed across the river. After some wandering and stopping people we found a nice place called, Lo Nuetro. Flamenco was about to start so we ordered rebujitos (white wine + sprite) on Ines’ recommendations. The show got me really excited so I took some pictures and video. I think I got caught up, so Sameer told me to back off a bit. Looking back I meant well, but it could have been perceived differently.

Amazing flamenco performance, Sevilla, Spain

Everyone knew the songs and were lip singing and clapping with the beat. It was a very collaborative experience. After the show I approached the main singer and told him that I liked the show very much (struggling in Spanish). He extended his hand and appreciated my comment. What a night!

June 19, Day 4

Sevilla, then night train to Barcelona

In summary

• Beautiful paintings (Fresco) and art at Plaza de Pilates
• Cathedral de Sevilla (3rd largest in the world)

Cathedral de Sevilla, Spain

Took the night train to Barcelona. My first night train and I didn’t get any sleep. I was so worried about leaving my backpack (which contained my life for the next 3 weeks) while I slept in a room with 5 strangers. Instead I did the New York thing and wrapped the backpack around my body then put my arms around it like I was hugging a significant other. The bed wasn’t even big enough for the two of us, so my head hung off the side — and unfortunately was hit by the door a couple times throughout the night.

I was split up from Brian and Sameer, but met a great guy named Ronnie. He was an Irishmen from London, originally from Belfast. He was going to visit friends in Barcelona, but move to Granada shortly after. We drank — Irish style — then headed to our rooms. I believe Ronnie sneaked out to catch up with these 2 girls we were talking to on the train, but who knows. The next morning when we arrived in Barcelona I saw the two girls getting McDonalds (yes they have them all over Europe), but no sign of Ronnie. Who will ever know?

June 20, Day 5

Barcelona, then night train to Paris

In summary

• Moral dilemmas giving back $150 US
• Fruit markets
• La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi)

Well we made it to Barcelona after quite a night train. We get out of the station and walk up the stairs only to be greeted by street performers and heard of people. Apparently it was the weekend of Fiesta de la Musica (unfortunately we were leaving tonight and couldn’t stick around). We were in the center of Las Ramblas– a long, wide street filled with street performers, fruit markets, and shops.

There was this one street performer who mimicked Salvador Dali’s style. I gave him some money and before I knew it I was getting bopped on the head by a rubber hammer that he had tucked away under the liquidesce guitar he was holding.

I spotted a world bank and hoped that this would be the day that I could exchange my damn Amex Travelers checks. FYI–never travel with them, we walked around Sevilla for like an hour trying to find an American Express store to exchange them. Anyway, we went into the bank, but the teller spoke very little English. I wanted to exchange US $450, but she handed be 450 euro! At first I didn’t realize what was going on, and partly because I sort of knew, but she had just given me an extra $150 US or so. She never used the conversion rate!! We left the bank and grabbed some food. My conscious was eating away at me at the thought that the teller may get in trouble for giving me extra money. This trip has really opened my eyes already and I knew I had to do the right thing. I walked back into the bank and attempted to explain the situation before handing her back several euros. I may not be rich, but I’ll be able to sleep well. More importantly, I believe that I gave the teller a good impression of Americans and an example of the good in the world.

We headed back to the fruit market and went crazy! Blackberries, pomegranates, and raspberries oh my! We bought freshly squeezed juices and drank them like shots. You can’t go wrong for 1.50 euro.

We preceded to make our way to La Sagrada Familia (how we get there, who knows? — I’m too tired to recall). But we got there. This was Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece. He originally wrote the plans on about 188 pages of paper, but they were all destroyed in a fire. Lucky for us he also made plaster sculptures of them all too. He recreates the buildings upside down, with small rocks hanging from all points to understand how the forces play a role in his structures.

Gaudi wanted to construct a cathedral that incorporated the full story of the Bible (from last supper to crucifixion) and that he did. He died before able to complete this masterpiece, and it was actually not predicted to be complete until 2020. The cathedral is so expensive to build that at its present date they do not have enough money to complete. It cost us money to take the tour and apparently that is how they are able to keep funding the project.

Another day, another night train. Time for sleep. When I wake up I’ll be in Paris.

June 21, Day 6

Paris

In summary

• Eiffel Tower
• Egg, ham, and cheese crepes!
• Arc de triumph
• Notre Dame
• Crazy music festival

I couldn’t believe I was in the city of romance. We had just decided this destination no more than 24 hours ago, and why? It was convenient. I had wanted to take a train through the South of France, to Nice or Marseilles or something, but trains didn’t run there from Barcelona.

I was really proud of us. When we first arrived in new cities (aka Spain) we felt so lost. We were starting to get the hang of arriving in a new place, figuring out what we need to do, and doing it.

Our first destination was the Eiffel Tower. We asked a couple, “Ou se truise tour eifel?” (”where is the Eiffel Tower?”). The lady spoke no English, looked at her husband, said two words to us, and walked away. So much for that… we turned right, walked another block, but still it was not in sight. I’m sure we would’ve seen it on our metro ride, but we kept out heads down during the ride because we didn’t want to see it like that. All of a sudden Sameer was like “guys, turn around.” Long behold it was there. Wow. It took a few minutes to walk to, and boy was it magnificent. Pictures honestly do no justice here. We climbed to the second balcony to take some shots before proceeding up another level.

 

I took several shots as we all ended up getting split up. We met up on the ground (not the original plan), then walked to more of the grassy park to eat lunch. Not quite romantic when you are eating lunch next to the Eiffel Tower with two dudes, but we were starving! We made some sandwiches and this girl approached us, okay… She didn’t say a word, but instead held out a letter, written in English (first clue), that she came from Bosnia with her sister and had no food. Well we had more than enough — when I think of being starving it’s because I haven’t eaten in a few hours, but when you look at the bigger picture of how lucky I am to have food on my plate, I was anything from hungry. We offered her a seat to sit and eat with us, but she refused and just wanted money (hint #2). Brian gave her money, and then she looked to Sameer for money (hint #3). Sameer and I refused. If you say you haven’t eaten and you want money for food, then people offer food I think you would take it — I would.

We walked across the city to see the Arc de Triumph which by the way is a lot bigger than the pictures portray. Such a shame. Brian had pointed out that the circle around the Arch is actually where Tour de France finishes and it is the largest traffic circle in the world. Thanks Brian.

Our timing was impeccable. We made all of our trains on time even considering the language barriers. This should’ve been the first hint that things were about to change. However, before our luck ran out we caught a HUGE music festival. It was like nothing I’ve ever witnessed before. There were bands of different styles playing on every street corner. There were live performances from people jumping off 10 foot high ramps over people with their skates, people juggling with and blowing fire, and dance parties in the alleys! Beer was also sold to everyone — adults, minors, I think I even saw a dog with a beer!

It’s funny how we just stumbled upon this, literally! We met these two girls (Michelle and Katie) on the train and planned to meet up for some tango that they had heard about that was going on around Notre Dame. No sign of tango or the girls, but quite a time!

It started raining, but that didn’t stop anyone from having fun. It was already way into the night, but people had so much energy. We were about to head home to rest for the next day ahead, but stopped for some crepes–always time for crepes. I had a nutella one with bananas, although I should have opted to throw in some vanilla ice cream.

June 22, Day 7

Paris

In summary

• Picasso Museum
• La Louve
• La Maisson Rose and the sweet dessert yogurt
• Missing our train to Salzburg
• Experiencing the shadiness of Paris

I can’t begin to explain how it felt to get a glimpse at Picasso’s mind and thoughts. The majority of his artwork resembled something that a child might do it arts and crafts class when you first look at it. It is not until you look at the intricate details will you see all the different events that are going on in the single picture. Everything is chosen carefully–the fabrics, textures, patterns, and location. I feel as though he is only the narrator in the story. He gives you the introduction and it is up to you to put the pieces together to form a story.

The Louve was enormous. I didn’t realize the entrance was IN the pyramid of glass. We also didn’t realize that the pyramid was inside these walls that wrapped the pyramid in a rectangle. I got a few good shots, but we had arrived at 5:30… 15 minutes after they stopped selling tickets. No Mona Lisa on this trip…

We used our guidebooks to find a nice restaurant. It was called La Maisson Rose (”The pink house”). The restaurant was in a great location, set about 3/4 of a mile from the top of a hill, nestled in what seemed to be more of a suburban area of Paris, though we could see the city from where we were. The location reminded me of Ridgewood, NJ, almost like its how Paris would do Ridgewood.

The restaurant was on the corner of two intersecting roads composed of stone and were quite narrow. The food was tasty, but very expensive. I think it was about 30 euro for the full meal. We started off with authentic french onion soup, which they simple call ‘onion soup’. Next came the main course. We all had the chicken in a cream sauce with a side of salad. It was very tender and melted in my mouth. To ended the meal with the brie cheese and bread. Sameer’s dessert looked equally, if not more satisfying. He had yogurt, which at the time we were ordering looked plain. He was given white sugar and put a whopping serving on it. Very good.

We finished our meal and took our sweet old time because our train to Salzburg didn’t leave until 23:18. On our way to Gare Austerland, the main train station in Paris, we stopped for fruit and bathroom breaks.

Baguette — the typical Parisian lunch… and getting caught in the act

We returned to the train and arrived at Gare Austerland with time to spare–it was only 22:50. We searched the boards for our flight, but it didn’t jump at us. The three of us approached the ticket booth looking for answers, but what we received was not what we wanted to hear. We were at the wrong train station! We didn’t even know there was another station.

It was 23:00 and we had to take the metro if we wanted to get to the other station in time. The metro had never been late for us before, but of course this time it was. With only two stops between us and the other station it should have been easy, but there was a power failure. It was now 23:15. We get back power and continue on. We arrive and rush out of the train car screaming “perdone”. Up the stairs and around the corner we run. My watch read 23:20, but the station said 23:18. We get to our gate, but no sign of the train. We missed it!

We spent the next two hours figuring out a new itinerary. Outside the station was a diner/bar, so we stopped to eat. There were only two guys there, and they got a kick out of us being Americans, so I spent a half hour nodding my head as they talked about the Beatles. They knew a few words in English and I knew how to nod my head in French. As we were eating this HUGE freaking dog bumped me–it was hungry. Very weird, but as it turns out the dog owner and the store owner were one in the same. We left after eating and saw those Beatles guys again. I was surprised that even with non verbal communication I knew that they were warning us that it was dangerous to walk around Paris with 2 other Americans at midnight carrying cameras… duh! It seems as though all the hotels were closed, but we found one and got a pretty good deal actually. 90 euros for a room.. which turned out to be the suite with 5 beds overlooking the street. Finally a good night of sleep.

We came up with a new plan — see Brussels during the day, then take a night train to Genova. Perfect, still see Salzburg and add another country!

June 23, Day 8

Paris to Geneva, Switzerland

In summary

• Tallest fountain in Europe
• Futbol!

In the morning we walked from the hotel to Gare d’Nord. Our 2-day metro passes had expired, so we decided to do this one on foot. It wasn’t that far and besides, we were backpacking it. At the ticket window they said the night train to Genova was booked, damn! On to plan B — skip Austria and head right for Switz.

After 6 hours we arrived in Geneva. I had a very different impression of Geneva as we walked around the city. I imagined lush lakes and trees, but I got a city. I should’ve known considering that Geneva is where the EU and UN are located.

Our first attempt to get a hostel failed, but they pointed us to another hostel with space. This was the first hostel that matched my perceptions of a hostel (not a good thing). They reminded me of my freshman year dorms. We decided to leave the hostel to try and find the tallest fountain in Europe.

On our way to the fountain I spotted 4 cherry-red ferraris parked outside a Swiss bank (oh so typical). The lake was far stretching and was set with a background of the Alps. The geyser was to the left spitting water 130m into the air. There was a bridge to get across the lake, and was garnished with flags of several countries. We took some pictures and headed for this Thai restaurant we saw on the walk here.

We walked only to be greeted by this beautiful hostess. I didn’t think Thai food was very Swiss, but how could we get authentic Swiss food in a small city that is like the international capital of the world.

We were given free cocktails that were a deep orange in color. I’m sure it wasn’t Absinth so it was fine. We sat back and watched the TV. It was tuned to the Switzerland vs. Korea Republic futbol game. We were touring Europe during the world cup, and it seems that every person had the spirit. Could you imagine if during the USA vs. Italia game everyone you saw was dressed in red, white, and blue. That’s what it felt like. Of course after Switz. won, people went crazy and the streets were packed with people and cars beeping.

We hit the Internet cafe to research the Cinque Terre. I checked my e-mail, but no sign from my Dad, brother, or Jen.

June 24, Day 9

Geneva, Switzerland to Genoa (Genova) and Cinque Terre, Italy

In summary

• Cinque Terre
• Gelato
• Best pizza ever!
• More gelato

Observations

• Going to failure. In body building going to failure shocks your muscles and it is in that action that your muscles grow and become stronger. Life is too about going to failure. You need to challenge yourself and only when you do that can you rise above, adapt, and grow. After all we build our character through the suffering, but express it through happiness.

The alarm sounds at 4:50 am — rise and shine. We had quite the day of traveling ahead of us. Starting at 6am we went from Geneva to Milano, then a train from Milano to Genoa, then Genoa to Monterosso.

Monterosso was the first of five towns known collectively as the Cinque Terre. I panned the views, but it is just impossible to put into words. It was like we stumbled upon a secret paradise. In this paradise people spoke Italian, German, and English. There was about 70 feet of sand to separate the sidewalk from the practically transparent Mediterranean waters. To make it more impressive (not that it needed it), this place was unreachable by car, scooter, and other types of transportation. You take a small train to this town then hike along the outskirts of the mountains to the next town. So after a small stop for gelato and pictures, 4 hours of sleep, and 11 hours of train rides we started hiking.

 

We met a couple on the train earlier that told us the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza was the most difficult. Since we only had time for one hike we wanted to experience the most difficult, yet rewarding one.

We started our journey along side the mountain taking small breaks to glance over our shoulder only to see the endless sea. The climb was pretty much straight up. I lead the trek upward, setting a steady pace and keeping Sameer and Brian honest. My calves were on fire and throat dry, but we continued on. After about an hour and forty-five minutes we saw the next town. We had reached Vernazza. This town had a slightly different feel than the beach-like town of Monterosso. This town had several large rocks, so we headed down and jumped off the rocks into the water. There was nothing we wanted to do more after a 2 hour hike than hit the refreshing waters.

After we got dried off we ate the best pizza I’ve ever had on the rocky patio with the Mediterranean as our backyard. We had ordered 3 personal pizzas — I got the pesto pizza. The mozz and pesto looked as though they were just dropped on the pizza in no organized way. It gave it a feel of authenticity. The sauce was superb (partly because as we were hiking I saw tomato plants so it’s a pretty safe assumption that those tomatoes were picked fresh). After pizza comes gelato, so why change now? I read in our guide that when looking for gelato make sure the bins are metal (not plastic) and the banana is a rich yellow. This tells you that it is homemade and not store bought.

We hopped a train back to Genoa.

June 25, Day 10

Genoa to Venezia (Venice), Italy

In summary

• Venezia is beautiful, but very touristy
• Asking for a ‘menu’ means you want the chef’s special
• Antipesto is whatever the chef feels like serving to you
• Never order from the tourist menu (we didn’t)

We had to catch the 9am train from Genova to Milano so we could hop on the Milano-Venezia train. Apparently breakfast is not a huge deal in Italia, but croissants filled with chocolate are quite popular. I had 2 (such an American), they were only 0.80 euro.

We arrived in Venezia shortly after 6pm. The city was filled with tourists. As a matter of fact it was about 90% tourist. Many were from Italia (based on the assumption that they were mostly speaking Italian).

The streets were narrow and boat seemed like the most popular mode of transportation. Of course many tourists prefer gondolas, but damn are they expensive. There were almost no street signs, and the few signs they had to the different squares (e.g. San Marco Square) were painted over by the locals (assumption) to confuse the tourists.

My first meal in Venice consisted of a penne pasta in a cream sauce and gnocchi in a meat marinara. The pasta was a bit cold by the time I sat down, but was still enjoyable. We went to one of the millions (literally) of restaurants in this touristy town. It was a la carte style off the main street. I found the murano blown glass bracelet for Jenn not to far from here.

Now for the best part of the day… dinner! The dinner is usually the largest of the meals and eaten around 8pm. Typically it will consist of an antipesto, first and second courses, followed by a dessert and coffee. We didn’t stray from the norm. When in Rome… (that actually applies!)

Our antipesto was unexpected and is usually left up to the chef. Sameer and I had sardins, calamari, diced octopus and a cheese triangle. Brian had ordered about 5 minutes after us, but this time the chef felt liking adding crayfish (eyes intact) to the menu. The reason why Brian’s dish was different than ours was in how we ordered. See, in Italia a ‘menu’ is the chef’s special, not a list of food items. We were only given 1 ‘American’ menu, so we asked for 2 menus… only to receive 2 dishes. No wonder the waiter looked at us funny. That was cleared up and gave us a good laugh. Unfortunately the waiter could not join us in this laughter because of the language barrier. The menu also came with 1/4 liter of white wine.

The first course was a spaghetti dish with an olive oil/fish sauce. It was unique as I had never experienced a fish sauce on pasta, but also because I was expecting a tomato-based sauce. We anticipated the second course, but after 30 minutes of waiting no sign of more food. A futbol game was on, and it is typical to socialize and spend hours enjoying your food. Well we tried conveying this to the waiter, but all we received back was another 1/2 liter of white wine and biscotti. Good enough.

Later that night we ran into two drunk girls, Amy and Alisha, and decided to join them in the festivities. Also they insisted on us coming back to their place we went home. We were just too tired.

June 26, Day 11

Venezia to Milano, Italy

In summary

• San Marco Square - where all the pigeons flock to

Venezia is catered to tourists, so I didn’t really get a feel for the culture. There is history, and a lot can be said about the city of canals. It is very unique and in that sense enjoyable. However, the shops and food is pricey. We hopped on a train around 7pm so that we could catch our early flight out of Milano tomorrow.

We got to Milano just fine, but had to find a place to lay our heads. We had to be up at 4:30am to catch our 7:35am flight. This sketchy guy started following us and trying to persuade us to go with him to find a hotel. Apparently that was his job — as it said on his business card. Unfortunately the bottle in a brown bag that he kept putting towards his mouth hurt his credibility. He tried getting us to pay for this 2 star hotel without A/C, and it was pretty expensive. After about 20 minutes we were able to shake him off and found a nice 4 star hotel to crash at. It will be the most expensive night sleep (per hour — we were only going to be there for 4 hours since it was now midnight).

June 27, Day 12

Fly from Milano, Italy to Athens, Greece

In summary

• Met Tracey on the plane to Athens
• Victoria Square for some great gyros
• Cafe Smile for superb dinner and great conversation with Connie

We took an hour long bus ride to the airport, Malpensa. I bought breakfast at the airport — fresh squeezed OJ and a horrible chocolate croissant. I guess at least we have shitty airport food (in the USA) in common with Italia.

I started talking to this nice girl as we were walking towards the plane, and since we didn’t have assigned seating decided to seat next to one another. Tracey had been living in Milano for 5 years now — 3 at university and 2 in fashion. She is originally from Saskatchewan, Canada. We exchanged info and parted ways to continue our trips.

The Athens airport was so clean. We took the train (train=above ground, metro=underground) to Larissis station. Our guide book spoke of hostel Aphrodite so that is where we headed. We checked in, dropped our bags, and went exploring.

First we checked out Victoria Square. It was filled with cafes. We tried to find gyros, but after I approached a group of girls asking for what sounded like ‘euros,’ they gave us a nasty stare and were almost scared I think. Actually, I think they might have thought we were asking for money. Oops. It turns out that they pronounce it as ‘heroes’. We walked in a few places and it was really interesting to see that the value meals didn’t come with a soda, but a Heineken. Oh boy. What’s even better is the fact that these 2 kids (no more than 15 years old) were each drinking what looked like almost a pitcher of beer.

We headed downtown via metro for more exploring and food. We found this place called Smile, a few minute walk from the Temple of Zeus, that was simply amazing. We had ordered a bottle of this sweet rose wine. We really hit it off with our waitress, Connie. She was originally from Chicago, IL, USA, but moved back to Athens for her husband. She has been living there for almost 20 years now. I had ordered a kabob and domales, a traditional Greek meal where you wrap meat inside a lettuce like roll. Dessert was the best part. Apparently yogurt in Greece is different than any other country (Connie’s words verbatim). It has my vote. The yogurt is thicker and sweeter than what I was used to. It got even sweeter when it was served with honey. Mmmmm.

We must have spent 3 hours there. We had been discussing topics of philosophy, mostly led by Brian, and it was now 12:30am. The metro has closed so we walked (the taxis really tried to rip us off). An hour later we were home.

June 28, Day 13

Athens, Greece

In summary

• Tour of the Acropolis

We were up at 8am to catch the 9am tour of the Acropolis. Acropolis actually means fortress and that is just what it was. Huge. It was built on the highest point of the hill and engineered to take advantage of its location. For example, all the stairs leading up to it were large, slanted, and made of marble (slippery). Thus the attackers would have a really hard time climbing such stairs and open up vulnerabilities.

Parthenon (Acropolis), Athens, Greece

I really wanted to visit the Greek island of Santorini, however because Sameer and Brian were leaving on Saturday that was probably out of the question. It was a 9 hour ferry! But well worth it. Save it for next time.

June 29, Day 14

Athens, then ferry to island of Aegina

In summary

• Freedom…. driving our scooters around the coastal road.

We woke up in the morning to catch a ferry for the island of Aegina. It was the closest of the islands being only about an hour ferry ride. We had several seagulls following the boat and I wondered… if a bird was flying across the ocean and got tired, what would happen if there were no boats in sight? Do birds only start flying over water if they see ships? How do birds even know that they can’t stand on water? Of course they have probably dove in to catch fish, but do they use that knowledge to imply that, ‘hey, if i can dive into this substance I probably can’t stand on it?’

Almost immediately we were greeted by a guy trying to get us to rent some scooters. We took hostels in Venice and Spain this way and it worked out great. We decided to follow him. After getting settled we went back and rented the scooters. We didn’t have to return them until tomorrow. Sweet!

We took a coastal road that parallels the coastline. The road meanders around the island and our wheels followed it. As we rode I kept glancing over my shoulder at the seemingly infinite ocean. The ocean was a deep blue with patches of teal. It seemed as though each group of family/friends would drive until they found a rather remote area, pulled over, and set up shop. There were hundreds of these little coves that acted as secluded beaches for you and your loved ones (or you and your two good, backpacking friends).

After relaxing and following some fish around we headed back to town for dinner. I had ordered lamb kabobs and a pina colada — I was on vacation and couldn’t resist.

Trickery in all its glory — we hid and told the waitress to tell him that maybe he can sleep in the States, but not here

 

Later that night Sameer and I took to the gravel one more time. It was our first time riding at night and quite an experience in itself. We hit some speed that we both felt comfortable with. We traveled about 20 minutes out of town and pulled over. I gazed up at the sky and saw what looked to be an infinite amount of stars. It reminded me of the time I was camping in the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia, USA). That’s about it. Oh yeah, Sameers gas tank is empty.

June 30, Day 15

Aegina, then ferry back to Athens

In summary

• Scooters
• Snorkeling
• Dinner at Smile (again)

There were only like 2 gas stations on the island (not including the third that was deserted). We filled up and decided to head for the town on the other side of the island. This time we wanted to cut through the interior of the island to explore. I’m really glad we did. It was more desert-like, but there were also actual houses where people lived. I remember seeing some long straight away and just flooring it. I was probably going about 50 mph. Only down side is that because I was shirtless bugs kept hitting my chest and felt like someone kept throwing little rocks at me. All part of the experience I guess.

At night we headed back to Athens via Ferry. Once in Athens we went back to Smile for some food.

July 1, Day 16

Athens, Greece

Sameer and Brian left today. It was now just Athens and me.

July 2, Day 17

Athens, Greece

July 3, Day 18

Athens, Greece to JFK Airport, New York

I probably should’ve written a journal today… what an experience. I can’t describe the experiences I had. This is living!