Home Away from Home

It's been a busy week. Steph and I spent a short weekend in Rome. Saw a few of the sites - the Mouth of Truth, the Vatican and the Trevi Fountain (etc.). It was as amazing as I remembered, but I will definitely have to take a train back down to take in more of the history.

At the beginning of this week, Steph and I arrived in Florence --- my new home away from home for the next several weeks. I moved into my room/apartment, which I am sharing with two to three other people. However, my actual room has a separate entrance to the hallway and a shower which consists of a faucet/showerhead on on a wall - ahhh, Italy (pics to come).

Our first full day began with our now traditional free walking tour (really the best way to get a lay of the land). We were joined by several people from Stephanie's hostel including Bryan (San Francisco, USA). We toured several churches such as the Maria di Novella, Ponte Vecchio and the palaces of the once powerful Medici family.

Our tour guide also took us to the Gelataria di Santa Trinita. It's one of the few shops who make their own gelato and don't have it shipped in. It was the best gelato I had - seriously, it's the kind of treat where you have to quietly sit back, close your eyes and revel in every delicious flavor.

Oh, and in case you are wondering I am definitely going back there - perhaps after a good run along the Arno. :)

Picture by Jaya Bird: A great view of Florence, Italy.

Listen to the Locals

We were planning to take a train from Trapani to Palermo (on the north side of Sicily) yesterday. We mentioned to Antonio (our B and B owner) and several locals and you would have thought they had said we are going to take a three legged mule.

"Noooo. Train is bad. Takes too long. Take bus - only 90 minutes."

The Train was about 2 1/2. Well, we had booked it quite a while back so we thought what the hey.

We boarded our tiny train just before 12 (seriously it was just a few cars) and we were off.Sort of anyway. We stopped at quite a few stations and I swear for traffic and for no reason at all (or that I could tell).

I lookedout the window and saw “Marsala.” Wait a minute, that’s due south. We were due north.

At the next stop “Castelvetrano.” Everyone got off. The station was quiet and the surrounding grape vineyards quite serene, conjuring up Godfather flashbacks again.

Steph and I found out the train towards Palermo was in three hours and we were in fact going the right way. Apparently you go in a circle to get to Palermo.

We settled in on a bench and had a great time reading and people watching. Policemen and Station managers were fighting in Italian and gesticulating wildly --- two minutes later they were friends again and laughing together. A German Sheppard wandered about eyeing my train station pizza. A cool Sicilian Breeze kept us comfortable.

The men came to know that first, we didn’t speak Italian and second, we were going to Palermo. They didn’t really interact with us (it was entertaining enough just to watch this little movie play out in front of us) but they made sure we got on the right train and helped us with our bags.

A couple hours into our second train ride the conductor comes through and starts rapidly talking to the passengers – we were straining to understand one word of his Italian.

We then come to a stop and he smiles at us and says “Change.”

Everyone gets off crosses the tracks and about ten minutes later and gets on a one car train to Palermo (or so I hoped). Finally, we pull into our station – which did not say Palermo (and why would it) --- the conductor informed us we were at our destination.

Exhausted we hauled our luggage off – one of the passengers hung back to make sure we were safely off.

So yeah, a 90 minute journey took about 71/2-8 hours.

So when in Sicily 1. Take the bus 2. Listen to the locals. 3. Know that the best way from Point A to Point B is NOT a straight line. 4. Finish a long journey with Sicilian pizza, it makes everything better.

Picture by Jaya Bird: Our train stop for about three hours.

Picture it. Sicily. Two-Thousand and Ten

There are a few things that come to mind when I think of Sicily. Our family friends and Sicilians, Emilio and (the late) Yolanda, the mafia/Godfather and the fictional character, Sofia Petrillo from the "Golden Girls." (Hence, the title to this post - if you don't get the reference, then you are dead to me.... okay, I kid, sorry, the Sicilian mentality is taking over :)).

Sofia's crazy stories about her homeland painted the first images of Sicily in my imagination. The quaint cobblestone streets, the churches on every corner, the gorgeous beaches,the fabulous pasta and seafood the plethora of older people milling about and chatting at neighborhood cafes --- and the general friendly and inviting demeanor of the locals.

Well, the stories were pretty much accurate. Sicily's weather and people are equally inviting.

Our first stop was in the town of Trapani (pronounces TraaA-pa-niiii). After dinner, we found one of the few bars open in this small town and quickly made friends with Laura (Wales) and Brenda (Scotland). They were both in town to teach English. We also made friends with Salvatore, the bartender and Marina (Salvatore's brother's girlfriend's sister). Within an hour we were hanging out as if we had known each other for years.

Day two: Steph's birthday! We visited the beach and had yet another great dinner (I know I have said it already but this beats schnitzel - hands down). We finished the night relaxing in warm open air and chatting with some locals and visitors at one of the cafes that lined Via Garabaldi --- one of the main drags.

I love summer in October.

Picture by Jaya Bird: Beach in Trapani, Sicily

Oktoberfest Revisited

I don't think there is anything I can write to realistically encapsulate the Oktoberfest experience. Friends of mine had attended this ultra famous festival and shared their stories with me --- but even they could not prepare me for the unique madness that is Oktoberfest.

This festival which started as a celebration of a German Royal Wedding is a strange combination of older people, kids (yes, kids though just in the daylight), festival rides like bumper cars and roller coasters, men and women dressed up in traditional laderhosen and drindles singing (loud singing) and beer - LOTS OF BEER.

These pictures only depict an tiny amount of the craziness - it's truly one of those instances where you had to be there --- SO GO!:

(Click on the picture to view the album)

We take this moment to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming....

Stephanie and I have arrived at Oktoberfest. See you on the flip side.

My Nirvana

THIS is why I came to Europe. This is a glass of Viennese Espresso with homemade whipped cream. Today Steph and I stopped by Ritter's Coffee House in Vienna. It is an old school place where the waiters wear ties and business deals are made.

Best espresso EVER, I am in heaven.

Vienna

After a couple of full days in Prague it was nice to come to Vienna ... a little quieter. The first night we just had dinner and I had my first schnitzel (yes it was my first ever). It was yummy fried goodness!

Today Steph and I walked around and checked out the historic buildings including Parliament, the National Library, the finely kept rose gardens and the towering statues of monarchs including Franz Josef (flashbacks to 10th grade Euro AP History, and Palmers thanks Mr. Walters!).

At the end of the afternoon we had some great coffee with a couple new Aussie friends, Brad and Luke, from our hostel.

Picture by Jaya Bird: Austrian Parliament

Keys to Prague

After World War Two most of the old cities in Europe were destroyed - Warsaw, Dresden, Berlin (etc.). However the buildings in Prague largely survived and they are spectacular sites to behold. While the city was once overrun by the Nazis and thousands of Bohemian Jews were persecuted and mercilessly sent to their deaths, the city shows no signs of the devastating war because very little actual fighting occurred in Prague.

Ancient churches, towers, and other historic buildings line the cobblestone streets painting an idyllic picture of Old World Europe. It's truly like stepping back in time and walking through a living history.

However, these entrancing sites only begin to tell the story of this small nation. The people of the Czech Republic has lived through so much turmoil and history in just the last century or so. As our guide, Justin, pointed out if a Czech was born in 1917 he or she would have lived in 8 different nations! Including reigns under the Nazis, under Communist rule, under the Czechs in Czechoslovakia and then in Czech republic or Slovakia (etc).

The last changeover happened in 1989 when Communism fell and democracy was established in the Czech Republic - and for the past 20 plus years has continued on that path of a free nation. On the day communism ended in the Czech Republic, Czechs gathered in Wenceslas Square and celebrated by shaking their keys - their way of saying they were taking back Prague and their nation.

(By Jaya Bird:Picture One: Sculpture made from Keys and spelling "Revolution." It commemorates the day Communism ended in the Czech Republic. Picture Two: Old Town Square, Prague.)

Amsterdam

I arrived in Amsterdam yesterday on four hours of sleep. Well, plane sleep so that counts for less. I found Stephanie at our hostel which is incredibly nice and has its own bar and restaurant. We had a couple drinks, food and coffee there and relaxed. I was ready to go to bed but we made some friends at the hostel (a couple Aussies and a Californian) and so the night went on. Around 11 a bunch of guys in red tees came in and invited us to join a pub crawl. I was loopy by this point but agreed and said what the hey. And so we went with about half the people in our hotel. The Red Tees lead us to the Red Light District, to several bars and to several other fine "establishments" in this eclectic city.

I remember, just after midnight looking up while we were "crawling" from one bar to another and seeing a gaggle of swans in one of the canals - they were beautiful and against a backdrop of sex shops, bicyclists, a picturesque bridge and scantily clad women advertising "their goods" in shop window.

Welcome to Amsterdam.

Next Stop....

Amsterdam!!!
--- with my pal, Stephanie! The Trip begins next week!