I am sorry everyone. I am alive and in England now, not stranded in Rome like this blog would have you believing. I miss judged how much free time I would have to write. I had planned to write on the coach as we traveled between places. However, it turns out that alot of that time is taken up with the very real need to get some sleep on the trip. 45 days of no sleep is just a bit too much. The rest of the free time is taken up with all of the distractions that you get on a bus of 30 odd people, especially when some of them are bored.
Hopefully now I will have some more spare time and my laptop, so will be able to get up to date soon.
As far as photos go, I will get onto them. I took over 1000 photos, so will take a bit of time to sort and upload. I will let you know when they go up.
Sorry again, I hope to do better in the future.
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Roaming around in Roma - Contiki days 14 to 15
We were fortunate that Florence to Rome is such a short distance. We got to have a bit of a sleep in and a comparatively late start. The trip was reasonably straight forward, only a little bit more traffic that would hint at the chaos that we would find in Rome.
We got to Rome in the early afternon and went straight to Vatican City. There were people everywhere and alot of groups in national dress or waving national flags. The reason for the chaos being more than the traditional level was that the following day was one of the biggest days for the Vatican for several hundred years. In simple terms it was to be the canonisation of former pope John Paul the second. Anyway, we went through the Vatican City. We got to see through the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and even St Peters Basilica. Some of the stuff they have in there, apart from being very old, is spectacular in its design and execution. I was slightly disappointed with the standard of some of the painting in the Sistine chapel. Rather than being disappointed due to the quality I think it was because of how much I had it built up in my mind and expected it to be another level above anything I had seen before. Countering this, we got to enter the basilica the day before the canonisation and could visit the resting place of a man who the following day would become a saint. It was sort of mind blowing to think about. Walking out into St Peters square there were people camped out to make sure that they had a place in the square for the ceremony.
The next day was a Sunday and we faced it with a mixture of excitement, frustration and nervousness. Today was the day that two former popes were being canonised. One of these popes was one of the quickest to be canonised in history. To top it all off it was the first time in 600 years that Mass was being led by two popes. All of this combined to mean that there were an extra couple of million people in Rome. With only a day to see everything and massive crowds, we had to carefully plan our day. We started at the Vatican at 10am to see if we could get close enough to see the Pope. The closest we could get before the crowds were more tightly packed than a music concert, was two blocks from St Peters square. We couldn't physically get any closer. We got to see some of the ceremony on a distant screen. After fighting our way clear of the crushing crowd, we passed by St Angelo's castle (hideout of the Illuminati in Angels and Demons) and over the Tiber river on our way to the Spanish Steps. While a large staircase, they weren't overly impressive. After climbing them we followed the road down to the Church of the Capuchin Monks. We did the tour through to see the bone crypts they have. A few hundred years ago someone arranged the bones of over 3000 monks into an artistic display. It was really spectacular, while also being a bit spooky and eerie. For something a bit lighter we headed to the Trevi fountain and along with a crowd of other people donated to receive a wish. It also turns out that in close proximity to the fountain is a place that sells both pizza by the slice and probably the best gelati that I tried in Italy.
We had a tour of the Coliseum planned so walked from the fountain via the National monument and Emmanuel building to the coliseum. This bit of walk was more what I had expected of Rome. There were old ruins and statues, links back to ancient Rome. Since we arrived early for the tour, I sat on some grass in front of the Coliseum and Roman Forum and took the time just to soak in where we were and let the awe of what had happened there just wash over me. It was a surreal feeling. The tour through the Colosseum and Forum was good. No matter what I had heard previously, it had not managed to limit how it felt to be there and the majesty of it all. The only criticism I had wasn't really valid. When the Christian church took over Rome most temples etc were converted to churchs. This to me made them seem less special, but on the flip side, this has caused them to be preserved so that they still exist for me to visit. At the end of the tour the rain started. It was the first time it had rained on the tour when we were out and about. I decided to head up Capitoline hill to the ruins of the temple of Jupiter before going to the Pantheon. Again an impressive building, made more interesting by the rain coming in through the circular opening in the roof. We had a meeting time at the train station to get back to our campsite, so we headed to the Metro station in the pouring rain. After running into a crowd waving to the Spanish ambassador we made it to find the station closed due to the massive crowd of people trying to use it. Three of us made it into the line when the station reopened before they cut the rest of the group off. We stood in an unmoving line for about half an hour before thinking that gelati was a better idea. It turns out that viagra gelati has no flavour, but bacoa chocolate is delicious. Eventually we gave up waiting and took a taxi to the train station arriving 5min before the last train. The others it appeared had found another way and were already there. With all of the excitment of the day, I skipped the party that night had tried to have a relatively early night.
Rome was busy, hectic, full of people, history and sights to see. I saw what I had decided was my bare minimum, so will have to return to see the rest. Being there at a time when history was being made was special. I remember when John Paul the second was Pope, so to be there when he became a saint was unreal. Thank you Italy, now for Greece.
We got to Rome in the early afternon and went straight to Vatican City. There were people everywhere and alot of groups in national dress or waving national flags. The reason for the chaos being more than the traditional level was that the following day was one of the biggest days for the Vatican for several hundred years. In simple terms it was to be the canonisation of former pope John Paul the second. Anyway, we went through the Vatican City. We got to see through the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and even St Peters Basilica. Some of the stuff they have in there, apart from being very old, is spectacular in its design and execution. I was slightly disappointed with the standard of some of the painting in the Sistine chapel. Rather than being disappointed due to the quality I think it was because of how much I had it built up in my mind and expected it to be another level above anything I had seen before. Countering this, we got to enter the basilica the day before the canonisation and could visit the resting place of a man who the following day would become a saint. It was sort of mind blowing to think about. Walking out into St Peters square there were people camped out to make sure that they had a place in the square for the ceremony.
The next day was a Sunday and we faced it with a mixture of excitement, frustration and nervousness. Today was the day that two former popes were being canonised. One of these popes was one of the quickest to be canonised in history. To top it all off it was the first time in 600 years that Mass was being led by two popes. All of this combined to mean that there were an extra couple of million people in Rome. With only a day to see everything and massive crowds, we had to carefully plan our day. We started at the Vatican at 10am to see if we could get close enough to see the Pope. The closest we could get before the crowds were more tightly packed than a music concert, was two blocks from St Peters square. We couldn't physically get any closer. We got to see some of the ceremony on a distant screen. After fighting our way clear of the crushing crowd, we passed by St Angelo's castle (hideout of the Illuminati in Angels and Demons) and over the Tiber river on our way to the Spanish Steps. While a large staircase, they weren't overly impressive. After climbing them we followed the road down to the Church of the Capuchin Monks. We did the tour through to see the bone crypts they have. A few hundred years ago someone arranged the bones of over 3000 monks into an artistic display. It was really spectacular, while also being a bit spooky and eerie. For something a bit lighter we headed to the Trevi fountain and along with a crowd of other people donated to receive a wish. It also turns out that in close proximity to the fountain is a place that sells both pizza by the slice and probably the best gelati that I tried in Italy.
We had a tour of the Coliseum planned so walked from the fountain via the National monument and Emmanuel building to the coliseum. This bit of walk was more what I had expected of Rome. There were old ruins and statues, links back to ancient Rome. Since we arrived early for the tour, I sat on some grass in front of the Coliseum and Roman Forum and took the time just to soak in where we were and let the awe of what had happened there just wash over me. It was a surreal feeling. The tour through the Colosseum and Forum was good. No matter what I had heard previously, it had not managed to limit how it felt to be there and the majesty of it all. The only criticism I had wasn't really valid. When the Christian church took over Rome most temples etc were converted to churchs. This to me made them seem less special, but on the flip side, this has caused them to be preserved so that they still exist for me to visit. At the end of the tour the rain started. It was the first time it had rained on the tour when we were out and about. I decided to head up Capitoline hill to the ruins of the temple of Jupiter before going to the Pantheon. Again an impressive building, made more interesting by the rain coming in through the circular opening in the roof. We had a meeting time at the train station to get back to our campsite, so we headed to the Metro station in the pouring rain. After running into a crowd waving to the Spanish ambassador we made it to find the station closed due to the massive crowd of people trying to use it. Three of us made it into the line when the station reopened before they cut the rest of the group off. We stood in an unmoving line for about half an hour before thinking that gelati was a better idea. It turns out that viagra gelati has no flavour, but bacoa chocolate is delicious. Eventually we gave up waiting and took a taxi to the train station arriving 5min before the last train. The others it appeared had found another way and were already there. With all of the excitment of the day, I skipped the party that night had tried to have a relatively early night.
Rome was busy, hectic, full of people, history and sights to see. I saw what I had decided was my bare minimum, so will have to return to see the rest. Being there at a time when history was being made was special. I remember when John Paul the second was Pope, so to be there when he became a saint was unreal. Thank you Italy, now for Greece.
Vatican City entrance
The recently made Saint John Paul the Second's tomb
Ceiling of St Peter's basilica
Trevi fountain
Inside the Colosseum
The Colosseum in cross-section
Looking up at Palatine Hill
Firenze - Contiki days 12 to 13
After getting covered in itchy bites it was time to leave Venice. A short trip over to Florence. Since that would not take too long, the trip went via Pisa. The entry to Pisa that we had was a bit surreal. Since Paris we had gotten used to seeing gypsy hawkers trying to sell anything and we had been warned that Pisa had quite a few. However as we drove into the mostly empty bus park it felt like something out of a zombie movie. Gypsies seeing new tourists arrive, shuffled in from all directions. Fortunately if you ignored them and kept walking they left you alone and focused on easier targets. Our tour manager had instigated a photo competition while we were at Pisa. She had a prize for the most outside the square photo, having seen so many copies of the same thing she wanted variation. I took her at her word and took a photo from outside the square looking through an archway at the tower. My joke photo ended up winning the competition and I got a toy Pinocchio. Apart from the tower, there wasn't much to see in Pisa.
Onward to Florence. We arrived unpacked, had dinner then went to a karaoke bar for the night. It was a good night and several songs were sung. With cocktails coming in two litre jugs, some people may have drunk too much.
Our day out in Florence started with a trip to a leather goods manufacturer. They still use the same traditional techniques that they have for centuries. However the people showing us around, although they knew about what they were doing there, they knew nothing about the leather. So needless to say, they couldn't answer my questions. The stuff they made was pretty cool, but nothing I wanted or was willing to buy. After the leather demonstration we joined a free walking tour of Florence. The guide was amazing. She also helped explain why all these italians seemed to be celebrating ANZAC day with us (another street parade and abundance of flags). Apparently the 25th of April is celebrated as Liberation day in Italy. The tour covered the fake David, the outside of the Uffizi gallery, Ponte Vecchio, a famous square and the Duomo. After the tour we went in search of unofficially the best pizza in Italy and failed to find it.
Even though we had done the walking tour, we did our own one after lunch, going back to visit the same places and visiting others. We also saw the Pitti Palace and then got lost trying to find a way over a back wall into the gardens.
Dinner that night was at a restaurant in town. We were served a massive amount of pasta (pesto on spirals, tomato spaghetti and ravioli) followed by meatballs with mashed potato and chicken in mushroom sauce, all finished by an ice creamy cake. Needless to say, I ate way too much and enjoyed every moment of it. There was a moment of excitement when one of the girls got taken to hospital as she hadn't realised that there was nuts in the first course. Our after dinner entertainment was filled by a visit to the Space disco. Although it was a cool venue and we had fun, most people had a reasonably quiet night after the level reached at karaoke the night before.
Florence was cool. Having always liked the fleur de lis, it was fun seeing it everywhere. It was the symbol of the Medici family that used to basically run Florence. Also I really like the Italian name of Firenze. If I was to live in Italy then I could live in or near to Florence.
Onward to Florence. We arrived unpacked, had dinner then went to a karaoke bar for the night. It was a good night and several songs were sung. With cocktails coming in two litre jugs, some people may have drunk too much.
Our day out in Florence started with a trip to a leather goods manufacturer. They still use the same traditional techniques that they have for centuries. However the people showing us around, although they knew about what they were doing there, they knew nothing about the leather. So needless to say, they couldn't answer my questions. The stuff they made was pretty cool, but nothing I wanted or was willing to buy. After the leather demonstration we joined a free walking tour of Florence. The guide was amazing. She also helped explain why all these italians seemed to be celebrating ANZAC day with us (another street parade and abundance of flags). Apparently the 25th of April is celebrated as Liberation day in Italy. The tour covered the fake David, the outside of the Uffizi gallery, Ponte Vecchio, a famous square and the Duomo. After the tour we went in search of unofficially the best pizza in Italy and failed to find it.
Even though we had done the walking tour, we did our own one after lunch, going back to visit the same places and visiting others. We also saw the Pitti Palace and then got lost trying to find a way over a back wall into the gardens.
Dinner that night was at a restaurant in town. We were served a massive amount of pasta (pesto on spirals, tomato spaghetti and ravioli) followed by meatballs with mashed potato and chicken in mushroom sauce, all finished by an ice creamy cake. Needless to say, I ate way too much and enjoyed every moment of it. There was a moment of excitement when one of the girls got taken to hospital as she hadn't realised that there was nuts in the first course. Our after dinner entertainment was filled by a visit to the Space disco. Although it was a cool venue and we had fun, most people had a reasonably quiet night after the level reached at karaoke the night before.
Florence was cool. Having always liked the fleur de lis, it was fun seeing it everywhere. It was the symbol of the Medici family that used to basically run Florence. Also I really like the Italian name of Firenze. If I was to live in Italy then I could live in or near to Florence.
Leaning tower
Award winning photo
Statue of David
Ponte Vecchio
Looming Duomo
Something to do with the twilight movies
Florence
Saturday, 26 April 2014
Shakespeare - Contiki days 10 to 11
Sorry for the lack of posts since Paris. I have been a combination of lazy, tired and without wifi. So I have put up several days worth at once. Thank you
-W
Two countries, both alike in history.
To fair Verona we made our way.
And there ends my attempt at destroying poetry. After the night in Monaco, the bus ride followed a familiar pattern. Sleep. My cold was (hopefully) coming to an end, but my eyes were bloodshot. Actually that is an understatement. Normally when I get sick my eyes go bloodshot. This time my eyes were red. There were no whites left. So I slept and kept my sunglasses on. We were headed from France into Italy with Venice being our final destination. The drive was spectacular, when we weren't in tunnels. Winding around the coast looking down over cliffs. It was the best drive so far and I feel bad that I slept for so much of it. Our first stop in Italy just about made the service centre run out of pizza.
Our city stop on the way to Venice was in Verona. This meant that Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliett was played on the coach, and meant that I got to sit there and quote it from memory after studying it so many times at school. As we were visiting, we took the obligatory photos of Juliett's balcony and the statue of Juliett. With that done I headed straight to a pharmacy and in a combination of english, italian and charades I managed to buy some eye drops.
The campsite in Venice I will remember for two reasons. One that I watched a couple of games of football at the bar (Athletico vs Chelsea and Bayern vs Real) and the other reason being the millions of mosquitos. They were both numerous and large. However unlike their NZ cousins these ones were slow and dumb, making them easy to squash. I realised, while there, how much I missed stars. This was the first time I had noticed them in the sky. Although apparently there were plenty at the chateau.
The day that we spent in Venice started differently to normal. Normally we are dropped off by the bus and go from there. However Venice doesn't have any cars. Instead we started with a boat ride from the campsite to the middle of Venice. There were two optional extras today that I didn't do, a walking tour of Venice and a gondola ride. We were given maps and told to explore. Starting in St Mark's square I wandered around behind the Doge's palace to see the bridge of sighs. Then knowing that getting lost in a city is the best way to see it, I walked down a couple of narrow streets and was lost. In the process I found the Rialto bridge, some more pizza and some gardens. I also explored St Mark's basilica, which I felt the ceiling had too much gold painted on it so that it looked tacky. The walls and floor however made up for it. The floor was composed of a huge colourful mosaic of tiles and the walls were made of marble with many different patterns and colours. Well worth the line to get in.
We were in Venice on a good day. The morning fog burnt off to leave a hot sunny day. I think that it could have been different on a cold damp day. Even on a hot day, walking down some of the alleys you could smell the mold and rot in the mortar of some of the stones. But it was beautiful with roads of water rather than stone and something that I noticed from the beginning was how much cleaner it was than other places we had been. I really wish that I had not forgotten my camera that morning...
-W
Two countries, both alike in history.
To fair Verona we made our way.
And there ends my attempt at destroying poetry. After the night in Monaco, the bus ride followed a familiar pattern. Sleep. My cold was (hopefully) coming to an end, but my eyes were bloodshot. Actually that is an understatement. Normally when I get sick my eyes go bloodshot. This time my eyes were red. There were no whites left. So I slept and kept my sunglasses on. We were headed from France into Italy with Venice being our final destination. The drive was spectacular, when we weren't in tunnels. Winding around the coast looking down over cliffs. It was the best drive so far and I feel bad that I slept for so much of it. Our first stop in Italy just about made the service centre run out of pizza.
Our city stop on the way to Venice was in Verona. This meant that Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliett was played on the coach, and meant that I got to sit there and quote it from memory after studying it so many times at school. As we were visiting, we took the obligatory photos of Juliett's balcony and the statue of Juliett. With that done I headed straight to a pharmacy and in a combination of english, italian and charades I managed to buy some eye drops.
The campsite in Venice I will remember for two reasons. One that I watched a couple of games of football at the bar (Athletico vs Chelsea and Bayern vs Real) and the other reason being the millions of mosquitos. They were both numerous and large. However unlike their NZ cousins these ones were slow and dumb, making them easy to squash. I realised, while there, how much I missed stars. This was the first time I had noticed them in the sky. Although apparently there were plenty at the chateau.
The day that we spent in Venice started differently to normal. Normally we are dropped off by the bus and go from there. However Venice doesn't have any cars. Instead we started with a boat ride from the campsite to the middle of Venice. There were two optional extras today that I didn't do, a walking tour of Venice and a gondola ride. We were given maps and told to explore. Starting in St Mark's square I wandered around behind the Doge's palace to see the bridge of sighs. Then knowing that getting lost in a city is the best way to see it, I walked down a couple of narrow streets and was lost. In the process I found the Rialto bridge, some more pizza and some gardens. I also explored St Mark's basilica, which I felt the ceiling had too much gold painted on it so that it looked tacky. The walls and floor however made up for it. The floor was composed of a huge colourful mosaic of tiles and the walls were made of marble with many different patterns and colours. Well worth the line to get in.
We were in Venice on a good day. The morning fog burnt off to leave a hot sunny day. I think that it could have been different on a cold damp day. Even on a hot day, walking down some of the alleys you could smell the mold and rot in the mortar of some of the stones. But it was beautiful with roads of water rather than stone and something that I noticed from the beginning was how much cleaner it was than other places we had been. I really wish that I had not forgotten my camera that morning...
Juliet's balcony
France take 3 - Contiki days 8 to 9
After a taster of Spain it is back to see more of France. Which as guessed meant another long ride on the coach. Hindsight being 20 20 showed me that maybe going out in Barcelona wasn't such a good idea. Following my sore throat I had been blocked with a cold and cough. By the day in Barcelona I was starting to feel better, the day after Barcelona I had gone backwards. I was back to being blocked up.
So the trip wasn't as comfortable as it could have been. Oh but HAPPY EASTER! It turned out to be Easter Sunday. Although as everyone was a little under the weather we kept that quiet for the first half of the trip. On the way between Barcelona and Antibes in the French Riviera, we stopped at a town called Arles. It has a large old stadium thing alot like the coliseum. However more interestingly for us they also had an easter parade. Not that we were there in time for the parade itself. We arrived just after the parade to stalls and a party atmosphere. There was a massive selection of foods and people, lots of fun.
The campsite where we stayed was just down the road from a carnival. So after dinner we traipsed down to find that being Easter Sunday it was shut. Well the gate was open but no one there and no rides running. It was slightly creepy walking around an empty theme park in the dark. The plots to a few horror movies come back to you.
Easter Monday was nice, I mean in Nice. We initially headed to the Fragonard perfumery in Grasse. Having a blocked nose really did not help with that experience. Although it did make it cheaper than it might have been, as I didn't buy anything since I couldn't tell what it actually smelt like. After that we headed into Nice. It was a relaxing day with some stunning views. The day started off cold, so as we walked along the promenade we didn't feel like going swimming. However by the time that we had climbed up to the chateau for the view over Nice, a swim might have been welcome. Heading back into town for lunch we wandered through oldtown finding a restaurant with some delicious food and a stall selling gelato. By then it was time to start wandering back to our pick up point. We had a short day in Nice as we were heading that night to Monaco.
Apparently after just about going broke, Monaco built a casino. Now they have so much revenue from it that they have abolished income tax. Our first stop was the royal palace, which has a great view over the second smallest country in the world. The royals didn't invite us in to say hi, so we headed off to the famous hairpin turn from the Monaco Grand Prix. Conveniently this corner is located just below the Monte Carlo casino. So from there we headed up to the casino. The building that it is in is stunning, but the look was spoiled by the neon lights of the slot machines that are the first thing you see. The second thing that you notice is that the place is tiny. Only two rooms are available for the general public. One room of slot machines and a room of tables. Once you get past that you notice that the place is ridiculously expensive (€6.50 for a small coca cola). Several people lost a bit of money and a couple of people won a fair bit. I decided it was safer to keep my wallet in my pocket and walked out with the same amount of money I walked in with. It was fun watching other people playing and went for a walk outside and saw alot of very expensive and fancy cars. It would be scary being a valet there.
Overall I'm unsure what I think of the French Riviera. It was nice to look at, but I didn't get the same feeling that I had got in Paris and Barcelona. Maybe if the weather had been better and we had spent more time at the beach it would have been different. The difference between the haves and have nots is really thrown in your face in a place like that. As my last taste of France it was a bit of a let down. Time for Italy.
So the trip wasn't as comfortable as it could have been. Oh but HAPPY EASTER! It turned out to be Easter Sunday. Although as everyone was a little under the weather we kept that quiet for the first half of the trip. On the way between Barcelona and Antibes in the French Riviera, we stopped at a town called Arles. It has a large old stadium thing alot like the coliseum. However more interestingly for us they also had an easter parade. Not that we were there in time for the parade itself. We arrived just after the parade to stalls and a party atmosphere. There was a massive selection of foods and people, lots of fun.
The campsite where we stayed was just down the road from a carnival. So after dinner we traipsed down to find that being Easter Sunday it was shut. Well the gate was open but no one there and no rides running. It was slightly creepy walking around an empty theme park in the dark. The plots to a few horror movies come back to you.
Easter Monday was nice, I mean in Nice. We initially headed to the Fragonard perfumery in Grasse. Having a blocked nose really did not help with that experience. Although it did make it cheaper than it might have been, as I didn't buy anything since I couldn't tell what it actually smelt like. After that we headed into Nice. It was a relaxing day with some stunning views. The day started off cold, so as we walked along the promenade we didn't feel like going swimming. However by the time that we had climbed up to the chateau for the view over Nice, a swim might have been welcome. Heading back into town for lunch we wandered through oldtown finding a restaurant with some delicious food and a stall selling gelato. By then it was time to start wandering back to our pick up point. We had a short day in Nice as we were heading that night to Monaco.
Apparently after just about going broke, Monaco built a casino. Now they have so much revenue from it that they have abolished income tax. Our first stop was the royal palace, which has a great view over the second smallest country in the world. The royals didn't invite us in to say hi, so we headed off to the famous hairpin turn from the Monaco Grand Prix. Conveniently this corner is located just below the Monte Carlo casino. So from there we headed up to the casino. The building that it is in is stunning, but the look was spoiled by the neon lights of the slot machines that are the first thing you see. The second thing that you notice is that the place is tiny. Only two rooms are available for the general public. One room of slot machines and a room of tables. Once you get past that you notice that the place is ridiculously expensive (€6.50 for a small coca cola). Several people lost a bit of money and a couple of people won a fair bit. I decided it was safer to keep my wallet in my pocket and walked out with the same amount of money I walked in with. It was fun watching other people playing and went for a walk outside and saw alot of very expensive and fancy cars. It would be scary being a valet there.
Overall I'm unsure what I think of the French Riviera. It was nice to look at, but I didn't get the same feeling that I had got in Paris and Barcelona. Maybe if the weather had been better and we had spent more time at the beach it would have been different. The difference between the haves and have nots is really thrown in your face in a place like that. As my last taste of France it was a bit of a let down. Time for Italy.
View near Fragonard
A something in Nice
Nice
Barca, barca, barca! - Contki days 6 to 7
Leaving the chateau was sad, but all I can really remember about the trip to Barcelona was that I slept for most of it and that my throat hurt. There was some nougat from Montmellier. Otherwise it was a long day of driving for the Contiki crew and a long day of sleeping for the rest of us. Good Friday was spent trying to recover. We got to Barcelona late, had a mostly raw and uninspiring cheeseburger for dinner, then moved into the bar to try their sangria. With not much to compare it to, it tasted good. In hindsight, it was pretty average. By then bed was calling and I was still sick.
Saturday dawned full of possibilities and promises. I had always wanted to visit Spain and still want to go back and see more of it. We started the day with a trip to Sagrada Familia. A massive, still incomplete church that when they started building it they expected would take 750 years to build. With advancements in building techniques they expect it to be complete in 2026, 150 years after they started. It was designed by someone with a mind similar to Dr Seuss. It towers over Barcelona. Massively intricate the detail is breathtaking. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go inside, but those who did said it was better than the outside. They had the videos to prove it.
Instead I went on a quick tour through the gothic quarter. I have decided that I quite like gothic architecture. We should build more buildings now with the care and detail that they did then. We explored the area and saw the steps where Christopher Columbus presented the rulers with the results of his voyage to discover an alternate route to India, including oranges. This was his voyage where he actually discovered America. Another interesting spot was a place where thousands of people were executed by firing squad during the Spanish civil war.
A group of us had planned to head to Camp Nou. So from the gothic quarter we took the metro across town to the stadium complex. The place is huge. Eventually we worked out how to get tickets to see inside. Making our way to the entrance I realised that my ticket was no longer where I had put it. A thorough hunt back where we had been showed no trace of it. I was too angry at losing my ticket to get another one, so I explored everywhere else that I could while the others did the tour. I tried to get into the handball stadium but with no luck. Barcelona FC Handball were playing the next day, but I couldn't get a ticket as they were all sold out. Eventually the others came back out and we went in search of food. We found a random hole in the wall cafe and I tried something that had a spanish name. It turned out to be a pile of hot chips with cut up hotdog and roast chicken on top. It was delicious. We took the metro back to the centre of town and wandered down Las Ramblas seeing alot of street performers and a statue to Christopher Columbus.
We had a special evening planned for us that night. We went to a flamenco show followed by a walk about dinner down in the port region. The flamenco show was good. Turns out flamenco isn't what I though it was. The perfomers were great and they included alot of audience participation. The free sangria and tapas helped too. From the show we went to the port and negotiated our dinner with all of the resturants trying to lure us in. Again free sangria was the clincher. The food was amazing. I had a seafood platter that included whitebait, calamari rings, baby octopi, prawns and fried peppers. Was definitely happy with that dinner. From there we proceeded to a bar that did cheaper drinks for Contiki. I had been feeling better that day, back to about 80%, so decided I could go out. Was a good night until I lost everyone. After a short search I found some people at a hookah bar and found out that the rest had gone clubbing. Instead a few of us went for a walk down the beach before heading back to the hostel and sleep.
Barcelona was great. Alot like places Paris. Big old buildings, layers of history and memories. However it was a bit more fun, relaxed and arty. It was more Spanish than Paris, so was always going to be a winner.
Saturday dawned full of possibilities and promises. I had always wanted to visit Spain and still want to go back and see more of it. We started the day with a trip to Sagrada Familia. A massive, still incomplete church that when they started building it they expected would take 750 years to build. With advancements in building techniques they expect it to be complete in 2026, 150 years after they started. It was designed by someone with a mind similar to Dr Seuss. It towers over Barcelona. Massively intricate the detail is breathtaking. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go inside, but those who did said it was better than the outside. They had the videos to prove it.
Instead I went on a quick tour through the gothic quarter. I have decided that I quite like gothic architecture. We should build more buildings now with the care and detail that they did then. We explored the area and saw the steps where Christopher Columbus presented the rulers with the results of his voyage to discover an alternate route to India, including oranges. This was his voyage where he actually discovered America. Another interesting spot was a place where thousands of people were executed by firing squad during the Spanish civil war.
A group of us had planned to head to Camp Nou. So from the gothic quarter we took the metro across town to the stadium complex. The place is huge. Eventually we worked out how to get tickets to see inside. Making our way to the entrance I realised that my ticket was no longer where I had put it. A thorough hunt back where we had been showed no trace of it. I was too angry at losing my ticket to get another one, so I explored everywhere else that I could while the others did the tour. I tried to get into the handball stadium but with no luck. Barcelona FC Handball were playing the next day, but I couldn't get a ticket as they were all sold out. Eventually the others came back out and we went in search of food. We found a random hole in the wall cafe and I tried something that had a spanish name. It turned out to be a pile of hot chips with cut up hotdog and roast chicken on top. It was delicious. We took the metro back to the centre of town and wandered down Las Ramblas seeing alot of street performers and a statue to Christopher Columbus.
We had a special evening planned for us that night. We went to a flamenco show followed by a walk about dinner down in the port region. The flamenco show was good. Turns out flamenco isn't what I though it was. The perfomers were great and they included alot of audience participation. The free sangria and tapas helped too. From the show we went to the port and negotiated our dinner with all of the resturants trying to lure us in. Again free sangria was the clincher. The food was amazing. I had a seafood platter that included whitebait, calamari rings, baby octopi, prawns and fried peppers. Was definitely happy with that dinner. From there we proceeded to a bar that did cheaper drinks for Contiki. I had been feeling better that day, back to about 80%, so decided I could go out. Was a good night until I lost everyone. After a short search I found some people at a hookah bar and found out that the rest had gone clubbing. Instead a few of us went for a walk down the beach before heading back to the hostel and sleep.
Barcelona was great. Alot like places Paris. Big old buildings, layers of history and memories. However it was a bit more fun, relaxed and arty. It was more Spanish than Paris, so was always going to be a winner.
Sagrada Familia
Location of a delivery of oranges
Christopher Columbus
This way to Camp Nou
Living like lords in the Beaujolais wine region - Contiki days 4-5
So Paris was amazing. This is a Euro trip though, not a weekend in Paris. Meaning that we had to leave. On the bright side, the time in Paris had tired most of us out. People hadn't really worked out the pacing for the trip. We were ready for a break. A holiday within a holiday. As if Contiki had been in this situation before and knew what we needed, they conveniently had a Chateau waiting for us just out of Lyon.
So on a bright and cheerful morning alot of hungover and bleary eyed tourtists fell asleep on the coach. After a night at Moulin Rouge, not many people had got even a partial nights sleep. A quiet bus ride got us to a little town by the name of Foutainebleau. This had a palace/mansion/giant house that I think looked better than the Palace of Versailles. However having not seen everything at Versailles, that probably isn't a fair comparison. It is a place that was made famous by Napoleon. It was his residence when he resigned and was exiled. There are some famous stairs that he stood on as he told the staff of his resignation. However the reason that many on our trip will remember this place is that it is the place where alot of people almost missed the bus. We had wandered into the town and to a supermarket, not realising how long it would take and how far away the bus was. We waited though as there were so many people. Had it been one person, the policy is to leave without them. Moral of the story was don't be late!
The Contiki chateau is a 16th century chateau that Contiki has owned for the past 50 or so years. It is on the property of a vineyard that has been owned by the same family for the last eight generations. It looks spectacular and I forgot to take a photo. Sorry. We had the place to ourselves and it was nice to not have to worry about your gear, after the constant vigilance we had to have in Paris. We arrived and went straight to a wine tasting. The wine was miles better than anything we had tried on the trip. That night was a combination of a 'P' themed party and a birthday party for one of the girls. Needless to say, everyone was still exhausted or drunk in the morning.
Luckily for us, the only thing planned for the next day was a light hike and a picnic from a lovely look out spot. Or atleast it should have been a light hike for 45min through the french countryside. After everyone got lost and the group broke into smaller groups, it turned into an hour and a half hike down random paths before some of us made it to the correct place. I am not sure where the others gave up and had lunch. Everyone somehow met back up on the walk back to the chateau. The afternoon was spent recovering in the sun and laughing at the people who underestimated the sun and imitated a cooked crayfish. The evening there was nothing planned, so some people took it on themselves to hold a dance party in one of the rooms. From all accounts it was a success. I had a sore throat so took it easy and played cards before heading to bed.
The rest stop there was much needed and in a place that everyone looks back on with fond memories. However we couldn't stay forever and Barcelona was next on the list. Bring on Spain.
So on a bright and cheerful morning alot of hungover and bleary eyed tourtists fell asleep on the coach. After a night at Moulin Rouge, not many people had got even a partial nights sleep. A quiet bus ride got us to a little town by the name of Foutainebleau. This had a palace/mansion/giant house that I think looked better than the Palace of Versailles. However having not seen everything at Versailles, that probably isn't a fair comparison. It is a place that was made famous by Napoleon. It was his residence when he resigned and was exiled. There are some famous stairs that he stood on as he told the staff of his resignation. However the reason that many on our trip will remember this place is that it is the place where alot of people almost missed the bus. We had wandered into the town and to a supermarket, not realising how long it would take and how far away the bus was. We waited though as there were so many people. Had it been one person, the policy is to leave without them. Moral of the story was don't be late!
The Contiki chateau is a 16th century chateau that Contiki has owned for the past 50 or so years. It is on the property of a vineyard that has been owned by the same family for the last eight generations. It looks spectacular and I forgot to take a photo. Sorry. We had the place to ourselves and it was nice to not have to worry about your gear, after the constant vigilance we had to have in Paris. We arrived and went straight to a wine tasting. The wine was miles better than anything we had tried on the trip. That night was a combination of a 'P' themed party and a birthday party for one of the girls. Needless to say, everyone was still exhausted or drunk in the morning.
Luckily for us, the only thing planned for the next day was a light hike and a picnic from a lovely look out spot. Or atleast it should have been a light hike for 45min through the french countryside. After everyone got lost and the group broke into smaller groups, it turned into an hour and a half hike down random paths before some of us made it to the correct place. I am not sure where the others gave up and had lunch. Everyone somehow met back up on the walk back to the chateau. The afternoon was spent recovering in the sun and laughing at the people who underestimated the sun and imitated a cooked crayfish. The evening there was nothing planned, so some people took it on themselves to hold a dance party in one of the rooms. From all accounts it was a success. I had a sore throat so took it easy and played cards before heading to bed.
The rest stop there was much needed and in a place that everyone looks back on with fond memories. However we couldn't stay forever and Barcelona was next on the list. Bring on Spain.
Foutainebleau
View from the chateau when we arrived
Wine and cheese
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