Welcome to Scotland!

Edinburgh

September 12 - present

We arrived in Edinburgh at 4pm on September 12. After two flights, 21 train rides, 16 cities, ten countries, 907 photos, too many beers, countless memories, priceless experiences and 38 days of traveling; we had arrived at our destination.

We got off the train at Edinburgh’s Waverly Station, and we waited almost half-an-hour for a taxi to take us too the flat we were renairbnb.com.

Due to the wait in the taxi queue we were running late to meet the lady Anne, who was waiting to let us into the flat and I was texting apologies on our way in the black cab.

We arrived at such a beautiful flat, typical of a few neighbourhoods in Edinburgh.

It was great to have somewhere to call home for the next month and let us slowly get acquainted with Edinburgh. 

What an adventure it had been for J and I, a once in a lifetime experience had passed and were definitely ready for the next one, well, after a good sleep-in.

A view of Edinburgh from Arthur's Seat

'Ole London Town

London

September 8 – September 12

Day One

 We were on the Eurostar bound for London; after waking up early and after a little bit of panic that we were going to miss our train, because apparently using your British passport rather than your Australian passport is more of a pain in the arse.

J and I were looking forward to our last leg of our adventure in London.

We arrived at St.Pancras, where we walked out to find Euston Road (first Monopoly board stop) and walked along till we found the Clink 261 Hostel.

After checking in, the first stop was to the (almost cringe-worthy) Walkabout* pub in Convent Garden to watch the NRL Broncos vs. Cowboys game.

 After sadly watching my favourite team the Broncos get defeated, J and I had lunch at a café in the Convent Garden market building, before heading back to the hostel to chill out before meeting a family friend.

We met Shonel* outside her work at the Natural History Museum.

Not having seen Shonel for nearly two years since her partner Dave and her left Brisbane, we had lots to catch up on.

Shonel lead the way to a cocktail bar first, where we sat on the back deck and enjoyed the benefits of happy hour and there the travel stories began.

After a couple of cocktails we then followed Shonel to Brick Lane where it is known, that you can barter for meal prices at the delicious smelling curry houses, though we were sold on the first restaurant we came to.

Day Two

 The next day we were ready for Shonel’s grand tour of the Natural History Museum, such a dream job for some. We met Shonel in the central hall, where a magnificent specimen of a dinosaur skeleton towered over us.

We started with the taxidermy displays – rooms and rooms of stuffed animals and then we went into the minerals gallery. And lucky us, because of Shonel working there, we were able to see the Animal Inside Out exhibit in the Waterhouse Gallery, which was quite gruesome, because you see exactly what the title of the exhibit says.

Though gruesome, the same team behind Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds did a spectacular job, and where else are you going to be able to learn about the insides of some of Earth’s giants in the safety of a museum.

This turned out to be quite the busy day for J and I – after walking around the museum – it was time to take J to Harrods.

Harrods is definitely one of those places I can go back to again and again, I can just get lost in the luxury and looking at the people shopping around me.

After somehow getting a little lost inside, I decided to show J what a cushion-cut diamond ring looks like.

We were wandering around the fine jewellery and fine watches department on the first floor; surrounded by Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari etc. etc. We decided it wouldn’t hurt to go into one shop; I picked Harry Winston’s.

Greeted with quite frankly some of the best customer service I’ve ever witnessed - the men in the store were quite friendly (especially since J and I thought we would be kicked out for ‘just looking’ in a store like that).

Looking at the beautiful jewels, and talking to one of the sales advisors about the diamond industry in Australia, one of them overheard that l liked the look of one and asked for the Assistant Manager to come and talk to me.

The Assistant Manager greeted us with a smile, and immediately ushered us into the ‘room’ where we sat down opposite the manager* (who was immediately pulling-on white gloves) and next to a £GB500,000 pendant.

I tell you what J and I both nearly fainted there and then. That day is now known as ‘the day I tried on a £GB63,450 diamond-ring.’

After that excitement, J and I quickly hustled out of there like criminals and decided on having lunch down the road at the Bunch of Grapes, where I inhaled a delicious beef pie.

Having bought tickets for the Big Bus tour, J and I decided to hop-on and go and see the Tower of London. Unfortunately due to a change in bus routes because of the Olympic marathon, we didn’t get there in time to see it that day.

We instead hopped on the Thames River boat cruise and got off to walk to Westminster Abbey, so J could have a look at the beautiful building.

Our night then finished with dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Piccadilly Circus and lots of fun photo snaps at the M&M world.

Day Three

Having not been to the Tower of London last time I came to London, J and I were both keen to visit, after J’s parents gave it rave reviews for touristy things to see and do.

We arrived just in time to join in on a tour, lead by one of the famous ‘beefeaters.’

Our tour guide was hilarious and J and I found the tour quite enjoyable, especially with all the convict jokes made about Australians.

After the tour ended, we went to the see the crown jewels and the king’s armoury collections.

Then it was a slow walk over Tower Bridge to the Borough Markets, where J had a pulled-pork roll and I had an organic chicken pie for lunch.

And because we were trying to pack-in as much as possible, we were off to the Imperial War Museum next.

Where we spent a good few hours looking around the Gestapo and Espionage exhibits and experiencing what it was like during the London bombings. We also paid to look at Cecil Beaton’s Theatre of War photography exhibition.

As far as I’m concerned you can never factor in enough time in that museum, it has to be one of my favourites, and that was after my third visit.

Later on we took the tube to Wimbledon and met Shonel for sushi (something I had craved on our travels). After dinner we then had a cup of tea at her house, where we said our goodbyes.

Day Four

Today was the day J and I did one of my favourite things; wander around Hyde Park and Green Park.

We decided to hire or ‘try’ and hire the Barclays’ rental bikes; with some great difficulty we eventually found some that weren’t stuck in their lock-ups (thanks to the previous idiot who didn’t put it back properly).

We rode our bikes through Hyde Park, trying to navigate our way to Buckingham Palace, after just missing the traditional ‘changing of the guard’ ceremony, we found it of course.

We then saw lots of swans and ducks in the streams flowing through Green Park and watched the infamous squirrels whizzing past.

After we headed to Convent Garden again for lunch, before heading back to the hostel to pack for our next day’s train ride to Edinburgh (our last train trip for awhile).

After packing our backpacks (again – the last time for awhile) we hired out the Barclays bikes again, down the road from the hostel, and rode with the traffic to Camden Town.

After putting the bikes back in a station, we walked around the Camden Town Markets, looking at all the clothes and the food.

J and I then chilled out with a beer at Lockside Lounge before grabbing dinner from an Indian street vendor, followed by nutella crepes and fresh cinnamon doughnuts (from the opposite vendor) for dessert.

Though I had fun in London (and we still didn’t see everything we wanted to see), we were happy to see goodbye to that part of our adventure. Edinburgh.


*Shonel and David have now returned home to Brisbane, Australia after two years in the UK and a few months travelling around the United States and South America.

*After I tried on that beautiful ring, the Assistant Manager gave J his business card and told him he could email him if he needed any help in the future looking for an engagement ring.

*The Walkabout in Convent Garden sadly closed in March after serving Australian expats for 18 years.

An example of the Animal Inside Out exhibit on display in Natural History Museums' central hall.

Big Ben

Our Beefeater tour guide

Camden Lock

*Shonel and David have now returned home to Brisbane, Australia after two years in the UK and a few months travelling around the United States and South America.

*After I tried on that beautiful ring, the Assistant Manager gave J his business card and told him he could email him if he needed any help in the future looking for an engagement ring.

*The Walkabout in Convent Garden sadly closed in March after serving Australian expats for 18 years.

J'adore Paris

September 5 - September 8

Day One

We arrived in Paris at Grand de Nord station in the morning after a lovely night sleep on the train (compared to the one we had from Budapest to Rome).

We hopped into a taxi and then arrived at the Victor Masse Hotel, way to early obviously to check-in.

We stored our backpacks away and off we were to one of the most visited museums in the world…Musée du Louvre. 

It was my second time, and J’s first, I wondered if he would be as overwhelmed as I did on that first visit, or underwhelmed due to how small Leonardo da Vinci’s painting the Mona Lisa (La Giaconda) actually is.

Once we received our map and an electronic guide (a Nintendo 3DS), we worked out exactly what we wanted to see (we took our time) we did have a few hours to kill before we could check-in and have a hot shower.

The first floor is where you find: Mona Lisa, The Winged Victory of Samothrace and The consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I.

The most interesting art piece and what J and I spent most of our time looking at was; The consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I, it gives a specific insight into French history and is a beautiful painting.

Then it was down to the ground floor to check out the vast collection of Egyptian and Greek antiquities. 

The most famous being that the sculpture of Aphrodite or otherwise known, the ‘Venus de Milo.’

The sculpture of 'Venus de Milo' in the Louvre

And then there is an actual mummy, by far one of the coolest and oldest things I think I’ve ever seen.

You could almost imagine you were standing in Egypt, shadowed by the Pyramids (another dream adventure of mine).

Then on to the Lower Ground Floor where we delved into medieval Louvre history and walked around the original standing walls.

Once we finished looking around the collections we came to see, it was time for lunch.

J and I didn’t have to wander far, the Louvre boasts a great cafeteria, with many lunch favourites.

Plus they have three-course meal deals: with a main, entrée and dessert.

After we found which exit to take out of the museum, one of my wishes came true, to eat macaroons in Paris. 

As the Louvre complex is home to a Lauderée store, where I bought four for J and I: rose, chocolate, salted caramel and violet.

We were able to eat them when we reached the Arc di Triomphe, or as I like to remember it, as the craziest round about I’ve ever seen. 

J witnessed for his first time, the infamous round about, where the drivers as they drove around were taking their lives into their own hands; while we munched on the macaroons.

From the Arc di Triomphe we headed down Champs-Élysées, whilst singing to ourselves 'Parlez-vous Francais' by Art vs Science…

“The Champs-Elysees is a busy street.
We getting down with everyone we meet.
If you understand, then listen to me:
Si'l vous plait ma cherie allez tombez la chemise…”

J was impressed that Champs-Élysées was home to the car showrooms, so of course we then went into Renault, Toyota and BMW, which I have to admit were interesting, especially reading about the new technologies they’ve come up with and seeing shiny new expensive cars.

Eventually it was time to head back to the hotel, where we were able to check-in. 

Not knowing where to go to eat a lot of the time while we were traveling, we had started relying on tripadvisor.com for suggestions as well as discovering our own.

So after relaxing a bit in our room, one of the reviews we read was on a restaurant in Montmatre for a fondue restaurant Les refuge des fondus.

A small restaurant with just two long communal tables lining both sides, after being greeted by an eccentric man (whom we guessed to be the owner), we were then guided to our seats where I was offered his hand to climb up on to the seat so I could hop over the table to the opposite seat. 

By far one of the most interesting experiences I’ve had whilst dining, especially being sat next two total strangers and then the ‘owner’ bluntly asks what wine you would like: white or red, then basically tells you will be having cheese fondue.

It was a recipe for a relaxing and enjoyable environment. 

Though we weren’t ready for the experience of drinking our wine out of baby bottles (it makes for hilarious photos). 

We sat next to two Argentinean guys and a Canadian couple (who later gave us their card and told us to come visit them one day at their B and B in Venezuela).

After finally having had enough wine and cheese fondue (which surprisingly fills you up) we decided to walk up to the top of Montmatre and sit and look at the view from Basilica of the Sacré Coeur, where we kindly bartered with Pakistani men for some cheap 250ml bottles of Heineken and sat and enjoyed our first night in Paris.

Day Two

We woke up and decided crepes were the go for breakfast, because we were so close, we headed back up to Montmatre near the restaurant we ate at last night and sat down at a café opposite.

J and I both having ham and cheese crepes, J’s slightly heartier with a fried egg to top his off. 

Then we went back to Pigalle Metro station and caught the train to go visit my favourite cathedral; Notre Dame.

It was as beautiful as last time, and J thought it was pretty spectacular as well. 

After walking around Notre Dame and after I had taken a million photos we walked across the road and had a look at a Holocaust Memorial.

Then we walked across the bridge, a romantic bridge all covered in padlocks, similar to ones we had already seen in Berlin, Prague and in Verona. 

Walking around the Latin Quarter, where were trying to find a bookshop I had wanted to visit last time, but never got the chance; Shakespeare and Company.

A bookshop I had been curious about for some time, for its interesting history and the people connected to it by the written word.

We walked around the bookshop; looking at books, looking at messages left by customers and other travellers, listened to someone playing the piano and then we played a game of chess.

We came out with a couple of books: J with an edition of The Game of Thrones and I had bought Paris Without End: The True Story About Hemmingway’s First Wife.

J and I then enjoyed delicious cakes at a patisserie around the corner from the bookshop. 

The cakes at the patisserie around the corner from Shakespeare and Company

After heading back to hotel to get changed for dinner, J had found another gem on tripadvisor.com; La Billebaude restaurant.

We spoilt ourselves with a 100 Euro bottle of wine and a three-courses each including one of the most scrumptious desserts we have ever had; soufflé ice-cream.

Just around the corner from the restaurant was Le tour de Eiffel.

La Billebaude restaurant

We only had time to walk up to the halfway viewpoint before having to descend all those stairs, because we were off to see the Moulin Rouge.

We hailed a cab, because we thought it would be quicker, needless to say, we arrived to a massive hour-long line-up to get in to the Moulin Rouge (even though we had pre-purchased tickets).

What a show though, it was worth the wait.

Majority of the costumes were spectacular, though J and I both agreed that it may not be worth the money you spend; when you consider you have to share a table with other people and some of the costumes and songs were a bit stuck in the 80’s and we did go there expecting a bit more 1920’s Paris. 

Though it was brilliant we were expecting it to be a bit more ‘va va voom.’

But what a second day!

The Moulin Rouge

Notre Dame

Day Three

We repeated our breakfast routine with crepes at the café at Montmatre; we then relaxed for the rest of our last day in Paris.

Starting with a visit to the Oz Café to watch the NRL semi-finals; Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs versus Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and enjoyed the company of some fellow Aussie boys watching the game.

We headed back near that restaurant La Billebaude (from last night) where the street around the corner is home to patisseries, butchers, grocers and wine stores. 

J and I went crazy and probably ended-up purchasing the most expensive picnic hamper ever down that street, but we had bought: roast chicken, fresh baguette (an award winning one), camembert and delicious French cakes. 

What a treat. It was extremely romantic (not for the faint hearted), sitting under the Eiffel Tower, under the warmth of the summer sun. 

We were so full, that we both nearly fell asleep.

Around 7pm J and I met under the Eiffel Tower again for the Fat Tyre Bike night tour around Paris.

It was a great idea, it was so refreshing and I get such a buzz from riding around busy European cities. 

The highlight for J and I was the stop at Berthillon, an ice-cream shop, in close proximity to Notre Dame, where the group stopped enjoying the ice-cream while the sun was going down.

The bike tour ended with a boat cruise on the Seine, where we enjoyed wine that the tour guide had brought for the trip; a great way to soak up our remaining moments in the enchanting city.

The Eiffel Tower at night time

Real Madrid

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September 3 – September 4

After having drank those pitchers of sangria in Barcelona, once we arrived in Madrid and at Mad Hostel, we made sure to find the bar (conveniently around the corner from our room) and drank some more.

Why not, we were in Spain.

Slowly the small terrace bar started filling up with its thirsty guests enjoying the afternoon sun, cheap beer and those pitchers of sangria.

J and I were minding our own business reading and writing. When both of our ears pricked, not with the exciting conversation, but the many Aussie accents filling the air.

J and I had been travelling for nearly a month and had not come across any Australians, New Zealanders, yes. But no Aussies, they were a warm welcome.

We eventually worked up the courage and asked if we could join the six or so other backpackers who had all formed into one big group.

After learning all their names and where they were all from, we had decided we’d all do a bar crawl the hostel was offering that night.

We were there for the night, ‘what the hell’ we thought.

The ‘getting to know’ conversations with everyone lead us to know they had all basically travelled around the same way (with Busabout) and had all just come from Valencia.

Travelling in the same circle, and who also later joined the growing group on the terrace, was none-other than a well-known Aussie comedian: Josh Thomas.

Poor him being stuck with that many Aussies, whom all just about knew who he was, probably gave him a fright.

So from the Mad Hostel, we followed two Gold Coast girls to the Cats Hostel where the Mad City Pub Crawl started at 11pm.

Many shots were had, we met loads of other Australians, and after having way too much Vodka, the crawl began.

Basically all I remember is J running around the corner of one of the bars and returning with a kebab.

Well the next morning certainly reminded me of my trip around Europe with Topdeck.

After that particular night, we made sure to grab our stash of vegemite to have on toast.

We then decided to join Andrew and Lauren (a couple we met the night before) on the free walking tour of Madrid.

I will suggest to those who are trying to make that decision while travelling: don’t do a walking tour when you have a hangover!

The highlight of the walking tour was going into the oldest restaurant in the world, Restavrante Botin, opened since 1723 and learning about why Spanish people eat grapes to celebrate New Years Eve.

Once the tour had finished J and I returned to that same kebab shop as the night before with Andrew and Lauren for lunch.

Not being able to handle anything to strenuous such as more walking. We decided to wait our hangovers out in the common room at the hostel before it was time to leave to head to the train station for our second overnight train. This time bound for Paris, France.

A chef at work in Restavrante Botin.

Hola Barcelona!

August 30 – August 3

After a beautiful sunny couple of days in Marseille, we arrived to drenching down pours in Barcelona. After standing in a taxi queue for about 20 minutes and a 15-minute drive, we were able to check-in to Hotel Astoria; a beautiful hotel just around the corner from Passeig de Gracia.

We begun exploring Barcelona in the morning, starting with Antoni Gaudi’s famous architecture, with me leading J down Passeig de Gracia to the first stop: La Pedrera. Which I found to be the best site my first time to Barcelona, for learning about how Gaudi designed his buildings and to get a picture about what Barcelona was like during the early 1900s.

The view of Barcelona from the top of La Pedrera is still picturesque.

Then we walked down further to have a look at the outside of Casa Batllo, before taking the metro to Park Guell. Walking up the huge set of stairs, you start feeling the heat, so getting closer to the top and being able to catch an escalator is a relief.

A busy place full of tourists and gypsies selling their wares, its great for people watching, especially sitting down and having sangria and watching all the people sitting on Gaudi’s mosaic bench seats and getting photographed.

After what I think was two sangrias, J and I headed to off to our next Antoni Gaudi destination and the most famous: Sagrada Familia, where J and I just walked around the inside of the cathedral and looked up at the top of Gaudi’s tree-like pillars and looking at the sun beams coming through the rainbow coloured stained glass windows.

Then to complete our whirl wind tour of Gaudi, we went to Barceloneta to try and find a tapas place that sold burgers and Spanish cava, after searching for about a half an hour, we gave up and sat at Ona on the beach and had a few pints of Estrella.

It was our second day in Barcelona, and J and I were celebrating our 5^th anniversary of the day he asked me out.

We started our lovely day with the hotel buffet breakfast which included Spanish Omelette (which has now become our favourite tapas) and then we headed to Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s most busiest tourist strip, renown for pick pockets.

We walked passed a few pet stalls, ones that have probably been there for generations and saw baby tortoises and my favourite bunnies; cute, white and grey fluffy ones.

   

We then went to the Barcelona Markets, just off Las Ramblas, where there is fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables, fromageries and of course lots of jamon. 

We actually bought some jamon, cheese and bottle of Spanish red to celebrate our anniversary.

J and I again walked passed the marina towards Barceloneta where we found a place called La Tomasa where we sat down and drank two jugs of Cava Sangria and ate a couple of tapas plates.

We then walked through Barceloneta to attempt to try and find the burger and cava bar again, and this time we succeeded, except it was closed for the summer holidays.

After getting a bike taxi back to Las Ramblas, which was steered by an English surfer who told us, we should head to Morocco to go to a surf camp. A great suggestion for our next holiday. 

We then caught a metro back to the hotel, where we watched the sun go down while we sat on the rooftop terrace eating our jamon and cheese and drinking our bottle of red.

Now to tell you about our anniversary dinner; which was a restaurant around the corner from the hotel that was suggested to J by the hotel reception staff; The Windsor.

We chose for the first time since our last night in Rome at Al Duello to have degustation meal. The Windsor’s was five courses which included the following: raw catfish, a mullet and pork citrus salad, basil risotto with baby cuttlefish, pork belly and finished with a whipped custard, lemon jelly and cinnamon dessert.

Overall it was delicious and very romantic, but wow am I sick of eating seafood. After eating barely any back in Australia, in a couple of weeks I’ve eaten enough for me, for about a year.

For our second last day in Barcelona, we decided on this particularly beautiful morning, to go to the beach.

After renting beach chairs and umbrella’s from Una, we relaxed with sangria’s in our hands.

And being a European beach and all I decided to really relax and blend in with all the other ladies on the beach and go topless. J was surrounded by breasts everywhere.

Then clouds came over, bring the wind with them, it put an end to our relaxing beach time, and we decided to have a siesta once we got back to the hotel.

We then ate dinner at La Troubadour, a restaurant again around the corner from the hotel, where I was finally able to have veggies. It felt so good, to have vegetables after weeks of travelling and not being able to eat any.

Dinner was then followed by a delicious chocolate brownie from a cupcake shop opposite the restaurant, before we headed off to watch the FC Barcelona versus Valencia football (soccer) match.

After following the crowds from the nearest metro station, we arrived at what is the largest stadium I’ve ever seen. Walking up the stairs to our seats, I swear, gave me vertigo. The game was quite thrilling, especially because we were in a part of Europe where the fans are fanatics about their club: FC Barcelona.

Before catching the train to Madrid, we walked around Barcelona for the last time on our European trip, stopping at the Barcelona Markets again for what we think is the best pizza in the whole of Europe; E-Pizza, a stall in the market, where one chef makes all these fresh wood fired pizzas. We started with a salami and mushroom topped slice each and then had get a second each, which ended up being fresh out of the oven cheese pizza.

Then we headed to La Tomasa again and shared a couple of jugs of cava sangria, before we had to head back to Hotel Astoria, grab our backpacks and get to the train station for our train bound for Madrid. 

By the Mediterranean Sea in Marseille

August 29

Wow did we find the Mediterranean coastline breath taking as we travelled by Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo via train, the afternoon before. J and I didn’t think it would take that long to get from Italy to Marseille, but going passed the places we did, we were thankful in the end.  

After finding the Holiday Inn Express smack bang opposite the train station, exhausted from the amount of time we spent waiting at train stations, we rested, to be refreshed for the next day.

After J and I confirmed with the hotel receptionist that yes, there is in fact a beach close by, our plan for the day was to relax by the Mediterranean Sea.

J and I caught a tram and walked down a boulevard towards Les Plages, the beach.  What a sight, pebbles and topless middle aged French women. After finding a spot on the pebbles to lay our towels, we laid down and started to read our chosen holiday novels.

After feeling nice and relaxed and warmed by the sunshine, we decided it was time to hit the water and make a splash. What a sensation! The pebbles under our feet and the temperature of the water, though it was 30 degrees out, it was under 20 degrees in the water. J and I didn’t care; we kept swimming in the beautiful turquoise calm waters of the Mediterranean.

After a little sunbaking to dry ourselves off, we headed back up the boulevard towards the tram stop where we had hopped off at. J and I found a little snack bar in a park where we could buy chips and chip sandwiches from.

J and I then caught a tram to Vieux-Port and looked around the marina, when we suddenly saw boats of tourists docking in. We wondered where they had been. And found out they were tourist boats taking people to Isle D’If and Isle Frioul. The temperature had changed, what had been sunny and beautiful while we were at the beach, was now overcast and windy, so it wasn’t the best time to see these islands.  But that is where we headed next, hopping off the boat at D’If, the island where the movie the Count of Monte Cristo was filmed.

You could explore the castle on Isle D’If, though we only had enough money for one person to get into the castle are. J and I had only brought enough cash to go to the beach with, just in case our money got stolen while were swimming. Since J had seen the movie and I hadn’t, I let him go in to the castle, while I sat next to the water’s edge, reading my book.

After returning to dry land, J and I went back to the Holiday Inn to have a rest. Where I then discovered I was badly sunburnt on my legs.

Later that night after walking for a while in Vieux-Port, we finally found somewhere to eat. A jazz restaurant… a dark, mysterious place, where we were one of two couples there. We were happy with the food and the wine and did have a great atmosphere, even though it’s not really J and my cup of tea. Jazz music sung in French sounds a lot better.

A sailing boat seen from Isle D'If

'La dolce vita' in Italia: Florence, Venice, Verona and Milano

Florence

August 25

From Rome to Venice, J and I had decided we would stop by Florence on the way. J wasn't in the best shape: tired from our fabulous last night in Rome, theso night before, but I was determined to see the sights of Florence. We got the basics in the bag, though we unfortunately didn't have the time to see 'the David.' Since it was only a stopover, our train to Venice was at 4:30, so we had only about 4 hours to spare.

We first made our way through the centre of town towards the Santa Maria del Fiore or also known as Il Duomo, where we went inside to have a look at the ceiling of it's massive dome; with beautiful renaissance art decorating the inside of it. Continuing our quick look around town, we stopped along the way at Groms, a gelato franchise that J and I were told about the guy in Fabio's in Rome. I had a lemon while J had bluebery and raspberry - wow they tasted like the real fruit but more delicious. After our quick stop, we came to the Ponte Vecchio. A beautiful shop filled bridge that goes over the Arno river; the shops are mostly jewellery stores, coinciding with how the bridge originally started off.

After we wandered along the bridge we turned back around and headed to huge queue that had formed outside the Galleri degli Uffizi that hosts Boticelli's most famed piece; The Birth of Venus. So you can imagine the line-up to get in. The most interesting queue we have been in thus far, one, because some guy started a fight with another guy for pushing-in and two, because there was a sign at the front of the queue right near the entrance that read, "go through door one, make a reservation and skip the line."

Thank god J spotted it, or otherwise I'm not kidding, in the time it took us to go in and out of the gallery, double it, we would've waited that long. J went and asked at Door one and you just need to pay a few extra euros on top of the entry and you could skip the 45 minute line. And the extra euros were worth it, because I got to see a painting, a beautiful painting that I had read about in highschool and imagined seeing so close-up. And again I got to check something off my bucket list.

Then before we knew it we had to head back to the train station and were off to Venice.

Venice

August 25 - August 27

Arriving in the late afternoon to the dreamy city of Venice, we were able to check in straight away. Then due to being on a train all afternoon, we were starving! We instantly regretted finding the closest pizza place to our hotel as it was tourist central. That frozen pizza was worse than the homebrand you find back home.

Well the next day in Venice, redeemed itself, beginning with a ferry ride to the Rialto bridge. Getting off at the Rialto bridge, we then started walking past all the fancy looking gondolas. It didn't take us long from looking at them to deciding to hire one for a ride. Our gondola ridee took us under the Rialto bridge and past the house where Marco Polo once resided. J and I don't do romantic very well sometimes and for most of the ride we weren't sitting that close to each other, well, until we came to bridges. Where there tourists and photographers waiting there for a couple to go by on a gondola, the Kodak momement. Embarassingly we gave into them and cuddled and kissed for them to snap away at us.

After coming full circle on our gondola ride J and I walked to San Marco's Square, to have a look at the beautiful basilica and the surrounding buildings and of course to have a look at the many pidgeons that inhabit there. Funnily enought the 'flying rats' are thought of as good luck in Venice. We did find one pidgeon that might redeem these lucky qualities as he was a beautiful blue. And everyone in the square (including J and I) were trying to get a photo of this pretty pidgeon.

We then caught a ferry back towards our hotel and walked around and found somewhere for lunch. Then afterwards we walked up the main stretch passed our hotel and found a sports bar to relax in; have a pint and watch the football (soccer) in. Then we caught another ferry returning back to San Marco's Square, walking down past the grand canal, trying to find a restaurant that I ate at last time I came to Venice. Then a huge storm cloud started crossing over Venic and we decided to head to the hotel. We still needed to find somewhere to dinner (and I apologised to J profusely for the following), walking close to our hotel, I fell for the tourist trap (probably for the fourth time now). Though this place didn't have any nice views to go along with it. J had the worst lasagne I've ever seen on a plate. I felt bad for the rest of the evening.

Verona

August 28

 The next morning we boarded the train for Verona for a day trip on the way to Milan. Straight away we got organised: got our backpacks stored, bought a map, and found a taxi, asking the driver to take us to the centre of the town. We probably could of walked, but we were feeling lazy. As soon as we got out of the taxi, we were in a park right next to a Colosseum looking ruin, the 'Arena.' Turned out one of our favourite bands played there a few days later. Walking passed the Arena and straight down a main shopping street, we found ourselves in the courtyard of Casa di Guilietta, at the time there was a wedding party getting photos taken on the balcony, so we didn't go up. We did however buy our own padlock to scribe on, and lock it to a steel gate, 'for all eternity.' Then I touched the breast of a statue of Juliet, a pagan ritual that apparently gives good luck. I didn't know this, I was just following the mass of tourist that were taking photos of themselves with it. Then we wandered around the corner, and up a cobbled stone street, finding this little cafe/bistro and thoroughly enjoyed our meal; cheese and bacon tortellini and a couple glasses of house red. The meal may have been frozen, but it was probably one of the best meals we ate in Italy, a part from Al Duello in Rome (nothing ever will top that). Then we walked to have a look around the markets in the centre of the city, before deciding we were so tired and really didn't want to spoil our time in Verona, let's get the next train to Milan.

Milan

August 28 - 29
Unfortunately we didn't feel like heading out in Milan, we got in at about 7:00pm and once we got into a taxi from the train station, and found out we weren't even close to the centre of the city. We just found a nice steakhouse around the corner of our hotel and rested up, for we were off to France the very next morning. Please forgive us Milan, we'll return.