Kerry and Kristin's trip to Europe

We're still alive!

2007-05-28T10:07:00Z

Hey everyone!
So we apologize for not keeping you up to date on our travels! It's been a busy week and a bit.
We won't try to update you on each of the last 8 days or so... just for our sanity and your's. That being said, we just wanted to let you know that we are alive and well in Barcelona, that we love and miss you all, and will be home on Wednesday!
Looking forward to sharing our stories and pictures!
Talk to you soon.
Love Kare & Kristin

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Day 20

2007-05-21T10:21:27Z

Today was yet another long, and sunshine filled day in beautiful Nice...and marks a milestone in our trip -- we're more than 2/3rds done! We got off to a bit of a late start, and headed out of the hostel shortly after noon. We walked down to the bus stop to catch a bus to the train station. Two buses later (because we missed our stop the first time) we hopped on the train to the lovely medieval town of Antibes. From the train station, we walked to the yacht harbour and along the ancient sea walls to the fisherman's port. After walking through the large arch entrance, we walked through many covered fruit markets and outdoor cafes. We didn't spend much time here though because we were eager to get back on the train and head 10 minutes further to Cannes.
For those of you who don't know, the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival is happening right now. What an experience that was! It happens each May, and is attended by many well known celebrities. We arrived a bit late, but were able to catch the last part of the Red Carpet entrances. We caught glimpses of Michael Moore, the mom from Little Miss Sunshine, and Andie Mcdowell. However, we're hoping to go again at some point and maybe get some pictures of some bigger stars.
We left Cannes mid-evening, and arrived back at the hostel shortly before 10pm. After ordering another 5 Euro pizza, we sat around and visited some more -- the hostel has a great big common space which is awesome for meeting people. Hope all is going well back home. We're looking forward to seeing all of you in less than 10 days!
Love Kare & Kristin

P.S. Because our picture files are so large, we've exceeded the allotted space for uploads aka, we won't be able to put up any more pictures. Sooo, you'll just have to wait in anticipation to see them all when we get back! Sorry!

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Day 19

2007-05-21T10:04:40Z

So today was our first full-sunshine-filled day in Nice!
After having breakfast here at the hostel, we got ready to head out, not quite sure of where we were going. The staff at the hostel are absolutely incredible -- by far the most friendly, accommodating, and helpful we've come across yet. They supplied us with several maps, concise directions to and from popular destinations and gave us lots of useful tips. As we were heading out to catch the bus, we met two girls from Calgary who were heading out to a secluded beach, known as Cap D'ail , so we decided to tag along with them. What a great decision!
2 buses, a lot of stairs, and just over an hour later, we arrived here:

It was stunning. The cove is not known by a lot of tourists, and it is mostly locals who visit. But thanks to the tips of our hostel staff, we were able to enjoy a beautiful, and significantly less crowded beach! We spent the afternoon there, soaking up the sun, taking periodic breaks of swimming in the mild-yet-refreshing Meditteranean Sea.

We returned around dinner time, ordered a 5 Euro pizza (which they offer every night at the hostel), and enjoyed the rest of the night relaxing and hanging out with other travellers. All said and done, our first day in Nice was a great one!

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Day 18

2007-05-20T22:31:26Z

Today was yet another travel day for us.
We woke up early, checked out of our hotel, and caught a morning train to Nice, By way of Marseille. We spent cumulatively about 6 hours on trains today, not counting the waiting time spent in stations. To our delight however, the sun was shining and the weather was warm when we arrived in Nice. We were able to get directions to our hostel, and upon our arrival in Saint Maurice Square, we were picked up by workers from the place we're staying.
Villa Sainte Exupery is wonderful! The atmosphere is really laid back, and everyone seems really friendly. Through a series of mix-ups however, they had over booked the hostel and just for the one night, Kristin and I would have to stay in the storage room. Iranoy of it being? the fact that it was still nicer than some of the other places we've stayed!
Once settled in, we went for a walk in the surrounding area, but being the eveing, most things were closed. The view was amazing though, as our hostel is nestled at the top of a hill looking down on the rest of Nice. We haven't seen much of it yet, but from what we have seen, we are in love with Nice!
Talk to you soon!
Love Krisitn and Kerry.

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Day 17

2007-05-20T09:10:33Z

So there really isn't very much to say about today. We woke up this morning, went downstairs to get our breakfast and set off for what we thought would be a day of sightseeing, but soon discovered that because it was a holiday, nothing was open. So Beside wandering around the local area, there isn't much to say about today.

Oh...except that we hate rain.

Miss you all!
Love Kristin and Kare.

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Day 16

2007-05-20T09:07:07Z

So in the spirit pf true adventure travellers, Krisitn and I decided this morning that we we're going to Lyon, about 3hours south of Paris. After packing our bags, we made our way to the closest Metro and took it all the way to the Main train station, Gare de Lyon. What Krisitn and I had failed to realize was that this upcomming weekend was a long weekend for the people of France, so without prior reservations, the trains to Lyon for the next three days were all booked up. We did however get a bit of sympathy from the man in the ticket booth, who said that we should try just standing on the platform and asking the conductor to let us on for stnading room. I t was a long shot, but he said that the fact that we were canadian could earn us a decent chance at getting on. So the train stops and after whipping out every bit of my acting ability (really glad we learned to cry on command in theatre this year!), we were safely on the train and on our way to Lyon. Upon our arrival however we faced a new challenge, the fact that no one seemed to have heard of our hostel or have any idea how to get there. After asking a number of people and walking back and forth through the rain, Krisitn and I decided it would be for the best just to check into the nearest hostel or Hotel we could find and call to cancel our reservations at the other one. After finding one and checking in, we called our original hostel, only to find that our reservation didn't go through and we wouldn't have had a place to stay anyways! Lucky day for us!
Tired from a long day of travelling, we went out to grab a bite to eat and spent the evening upacking, and enjoying our private room and full size bath tub to the fullest extent!
Talk to you soon!
Love Kristin and Kerry.

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Day 15

2007-05-16T13:04:02Z

So with a sudden twist of fate, Krisitn and I decided to stay another day in Paris. And just like yesterday, Krisitn and I found ourselves overwhelmed by the amount of sights there are to see here!
We woke up at around 9:30 and packed up our stuff before heqding out for a walking tour put on by our hostel. The first stop was at Cemetiere Pere Lachaisse, the largest and most famous cemetary in all of Paris. We walked through it for about an hour, and saw the grave sites of people like Oscar Wilde, Jimmy Morrison, Edith Piaff, Chopin, and many others. After leaving Pere Lachaisse, we walked to a nearby Park for a picnic. It was a lot of fun. Then along with 5 other canadian backpackers we hopped onto the metro again and attempted to head to the catacombes, a historical site that was highly recommended by some of the travellers we met in Italy. However, we were saddened to find that we were 5 minutes late and that the Catacombes were closed. So, after stopping for a drink, we decided to head out to the Arc de Triomphe. It was really nice, qnd we were suprised to find that a number of WWII vets were there in full uniform to show their respect as well.
Afterwards, we went back with the group to the hostel. A number of people from the hostel were going out to the Eiffel tower later on!
Bye for now!

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Day 14

2007-05-16T12:46:18Z

Today was a lot of fun, as Kristin and I did our very best to understand the Paris metro system and sight see as much as possible! We found our way to the Louvre this morning, and we were able to see the Monna Lisa as well as the Venus de Milo. We wandered around and explored a bit more of Paris before heading to the Latin quater and Notre Dame Cathedral, which was unbelievably beautiful. From Notre Dame, we found a little restaurant tucked away in a little side street where we enjoyed a wonderful french fondue... easily one of the best meals we have had to date!
With full stomachs, Kristin and i headed back to the hostel to clean up a bit before heqding out on the final excursion of the night. We made our way down to the Eiffel Tower just in time to see it all lit up and glittering against the night sky. It was breathtaking, and definitly one of those moments where Kristin and I both found ourselves a bit in awe of what we were seeing.
We miss you all and will write again soon!
Love Kristin and Kare.

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Day 13

2007-05-16T12:33:35Z

Hey everyone!
Sorry, but this has to be very short as we only have a couple minutes of internet time! We got into Paris around 6pm last night. From the very little bit we've seen so far, it's a beautiful (and busy!) city. From our hostel window we can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance and are heading out to see it and the Louvre, etc. in a little bit. Hopefully will get a chance to fill you in on more details later! Bye for now.
Love Kare and Kristin

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Day 12

2007-05-12T19:53:58Z

Our first full day in Geneva was definitely a busy one. We got up and were out the door before 10, and stopped at a little cafe for croissants and a salad for brunch before doing a little more shopping. Early afternoon, we caught the tram up to the United Nations, took some pictures of the plaza, and toured the Red Cross Museum. After a few detours (and another stop at Starbucks), we made our way to Lake Geneve, saw the "famous" fountain (which wasn't really all that spectacular), enjoyed the sunshine, and walked around the Old City. We ended up eating at the same place we did last night (and it was delicious, again). After scouting out the main street for some more Swiss chocolate, we headed back to our hostel to pack and are planning on staying in tonight and getting a good nights rest for our journey to Paris tomorrow morning. Talk to you soon.
Kristin & Kare

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more Geneva!

2007-05-11T23:02:45Z

Well this is everyone's lucky day...3 entries in one day! The internet facilties at our hostel are fantastic, (not free, but relatively cheap)so we've been able to go on twice today. Like Kerry mentioned before, this is by far the nicest place we've stayed at yet (and one of the cheapest too...only 18 Euros a night!). We're in a 4-bed room with a really friendly young couple (about our parents' ages ) from Quebec, the beds are comfortable, bathroom facilities are nice, and there is a common kitchen.

We ate out tonight at a Thai restaurant, which was delicious; Geneva is very internationally orientated and reminds us a lot of back home! As Kerry also mentioned I believe, French is the official language, but English is also very widely spoken. So Kerry's fluency in French has come in handy, and it is also a very nice change to be able to speak in English and have most people understand you!
As well, after having our first Swiss chocolate bar (which was amazing), a 1 Euro cappuccino, and finding discount shoe places (typically unheard of here!), we yet discovered why exactly Switzerland is thus far our favourite country...

This is what it looks to be...we found our first European Starbucks; it has a been a good day to say the least. I won't tell you what we paid for our coffees, but in our minds, it was a good investment! Other than the great coffee, it felt good to sit in a oversized chair and chat; it was a familiar environment in what has been for the last week and a half, a very, very unfamiliar environment. Anyways, it's off to bed for us! Write again tomorrow. Take care and Bon Soir!
xoxo Kristin & Kare

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Day 11

2007-05-11T14:13:06Z

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Day 11

2007-05-11T14:13:42Z

Hello!(Thats right, we can say hello and people here understand us!!)
So after enjoying one last meal and one last italian gelato, Kristin and I said Arrividercci to our now beloved Italy. We woke up at 6:45 this morning after a late night of packing and terrible sleep (it was awfully hot), and we caught an 8:30am train to Geneva. We arrived only 4 hours later, and found our hostel with record breaking speed and accuracy! A.K.A we didn't get lost or end up wandering aimlessly! Within 15 minutes of being off the train, we had found our place, locked up our bags, and were headed out the door for a late lunch. The hostel is BY FAR the nicest one we have stayed in yet, and after checking the train schedule, we are excited about spending not one, but two days in the lovely city of Geneva before heading to Paris. The prospect of spending some time in a place that speaks primarily English and French is really exciting for both of us!
As promised, here are a few more pictures from our adventures in Italy!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Love Kristin and Kare.

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Day 10

2007-05-10T17:32:14Z

Buongiorno! (for the last time unfortunately...)
Today marked our last day in the absolutely beautiful and culture-enriched country of Italy. Both of us are sad to leave, but are happy with what we have been able to see/do and the experiences and memories that have come with the first third of our trip.
Our day today in Milan consisted of lots of walking, shopping, and stops for cold beverages. Milan is known as the shopping/fashion capital of Italy (and in some cases, all of Europe), so we definitely could not pass up a day at the outdoor mall(s). Though we won't disclose the amount we spent (more so for the sake and sanity of our parents), both of us stayed within a fairly reasonable budget and are able to walk away with at least a touch of European flare to our wardrobes! It was very hot though, easily 35 °C in the sun, so we were in and out of stores, more so just to get inside where it was air conditioned, and made a few stops for a cold drink.
We also went out to the train station to figure out our ride for tomorrow (to Geneva, Switzerland), which is leaving at 8:25am. We stopped at the post office on our way out, hoping to get some of our postcards on their way, but there was a huge line up. We love all of you, but not enough to stand in the stuffy portable building for 45 minutes...all that to say, you may have to wait a bit longer to get them!
We are planning on going out for a decent meal tonight, being our last night in Italy. And then of course, followed by our last Italian gelato! Hope all is well with everyone back home, and we plan on writing again once we're in Geneva tomorrow.
CIAO!!!!
Kare & Kristin

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Day 9

2007-05-09T14:04:22Z

Buonosera!
Well there isn't much to report, however I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that we have arrived in Milan safe and sound! We had an early start to the day, waking up at 8:30 and heading out to th Santa Lucia Station in Venice to catch our train to Milan at 10:22.
It only took us a few moments to make reservations for seats and climb on board, and soon we were well on our way to our final Italian destination. We arrived in Milan at around 1:45pm, and we were able to find the bus wee needed to get to our hostel soon there after. With a little help from our trusty phrasebook and our kind bus driver, we found our stop at Piazzale Susa and found our stay, Hotel Medusa, almost immediately. After checking-in and dropping our bags, Kristin and I went out to do a bit of exploring. We found a wonderful local market and a nearby internet cafe (where I am writing this very entry). Tonight we don't have any major sight seeing planned, we just want to keep it low key and get a goodnight's sleep so that we will be well rested for a full day of sighseeing and shopping etc... tomorrow!
Miss you all!
Arrivederci!
Love Kristin and Kare

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Day 8

2007-05-08T11:58:22Z

Well, we don't have much to update you on -- Last night we had another relaxing evening, playing card games with some fellow Canadian travellers staying with us. Today has been pretty uneventful; were able to sleep in a bit (which was a nice change!), write some postcards and do some journalling. We are planning on visiting the local market again this afternoon when it re-opens at 3:30, and then possibly heading back into Venice for part of the evening for a bit more sightseeing and souvenier shopping. We are planning on catching the 10:22 train tomorrow morning to Milan, and so hopefully will be able to write again once we get to our next hostel. Ciao for now!
Love Kristin & Kare

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Day 7

2007-05-07T15:47:05Z

Today was our first full day in Venice. We hopped over to the local market this morning and picked up some fresh pasta, pesto sauce, and tirramissu, to cook our own dinner tonight in the common kitchen. We also, to much of our delight, were able to throw in a load of laundry. However, as delightful as clean clothes may be, they were not only clean, but a completely different colour when they came out. boo. Somehow, almost every article of clothing we put in came out in a new shade of blue/grey. A little frustrating to say the least. But on the bright side, we (or our clothes) no longer smell like we've been living out of a backpack for a week!
We spent a little bit of time soaking up some rays on our patio, and then caught the bus to head into Venice. Wanting to observe as much of Venice as possible, we had decided to take the water bus around some of the Great Canal. We were at the front of the line for the next water bus and as it pulled up, we heard a friendly and familiar "hey!" from on the boat. It was the couple from Toronto we had sat with on the train yesterday. We joined them on the boat, and then spent the next couple of hours with them walking around the city. We went our own ways mid-afternoon, grabbed a bite to eat, and sat on the steps of Santa Lucia piazza. After a bit more of wandering, we caught the bus back to our hostel. We just got here and thought we'd write before we begin cooking our dinner. Miss you and talk to you later.
Ciao!
Love Kare and Kristin

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Day 6

2007-05-07T15:35:46Z

Well, we made it to Venezia! Of course not without a bit of an adventure though...

We got to the train station this morning shortly after 10am. We were hoping to catch the 10:37 train to Venice, but it was full and required a reservation. So we went ahead and made reservations for the 11:27 train. 15 Euros later...we had our seats ensured. We got on the train and sat with a friendly couple from Toronto. The train ride was about 3 hours and we got into Venice around 2:30. We had to walk about 10 minutes to get to the bus stop and realized we had just missed the bus by about 3 minutes. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but being Sunday (or Festivo..whatever that means!) the bus only came once each hour. So we took off our bags and sat at the stop waiting for the next bus. Just over an hour later, our bus came around the corner. I made some smart remark about how "funny it would be if the bus didn't stop". And it didn't. So, in disbelief, we broke out in a bit of nervous laughter and sat back down! Apparently, we discovered, you have to almost jump in front of the bus and wave your hand if you would like it to stop. So, one hour later, Kerry did just that! The bus kindly stopped and on we got. Kerry's handy phrasebook helped us figure out which stop we were supposed to get off at, but not after asking a lady who spoke neither English nor Italian, but had a great deal to say in whatever language she was speaking.
We made it off at the right stop and found our place shortly after. It's a very nice place, actually more like a bed and breakfast than a hostel -- we have our own private room with private full bathroom, a shared kitchen, free laundry, limited free internet use and breakfast is included.
Tonight we're planning on having a low-key evening; the bus stop is a 30 second walk away, so we might bus into town, explore a bit and then probably call it an early night. We only get 20 minutes of internet/day, so we won't be on much.
Anyways, hope to write again tomorrow. Talk to you soon.
Ciao for now, Kerry & Kristin

p.s. The weather is actually nice here! sunny and very warm! now you can be jealous! woooot woot

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Comments!

2007-05-05T13:03:15Z

It has been really nice reading all of your comments and hearing that people are enjoying our journal. We're doing our best to keep it up every day, and we love hearing from you allso please feel free to comment or email us beacause we love hearing from you all!
You can comment right on the page on the site or email either of us!
Kristin - kristin_canby@hotmail.com
Kerry- kerry.paterson@hotmail.com

Miss you lots,
-Love Kerry and Kristin

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Day 5 - Firenze!

2007-05-05T12:55:15Z

Ciao from Florence! So today is our first (and only) full day in the absolutely beautiful city of Firenze. We were extremely exhausted yesterday and were both in bed by 9pm. We woke up around 9am, to the sounds of a man belting out an Italian opera in the piazza not far from our hostel. You know you're in Italy when! We were out the door around 10am, and went to explore the covered market (because it was raining..again!) Afterwards, we ventured over to a small cafe where we had our first cappuccino and fruit danish. Though, we had to drink awkwardly standing up because they charge you double the price of whatever you bought just to sit down! But the coffee was good, so that's what matters!
The sun finally came out around noon and we headed over to the ''marceto chentrale" (central market); it was made up of hundreds of small venders, selling everything from jewelery, clothing, and lots of little replicas of the statue of David. We did a bit of souvenier shopping and then headed over to the indoor market which reminded us a lot of Granville Island! It had a fish market, meat stands, bakery, and lots of fruit and veggies. We were able to grab some bananas and oranges which really hit the spot and was much better than eating yet another protein bar..or spending €6 on a sandwhich!
We got our second serving of Gelato and enjoyed sitting and people watching in one of the main piazza, piazza d'repubblica. Everything here is just so Italy!
Anyways, we don't have many plans for the rest of the day..will probably grab dinner in a couple hours and then hopefully will do some more sightseeing! We're leaving for Venice tomorrow, so hopefully will be able to connect once we're there! Take care for now.
Lots of love, Kristin & Kerry

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Day 4 - Travelling to Florence

2007-05-04T16:13:39Z

So we were up at 9:00am today, checking out of our hostel bright and early and getting ready to head to Venice. It would be no understatement to say that neither Kristin nor I were ready to leave the beautiful city of Rome or the new friends we had made there. But we caught our first Eurorail train of the trip and it was quite the adventure in and of itself. Turns out we ended up getting off at the wrong stop in Florence, and long story short, after a bus ride into the city and an hour and a bit of walking around aimlessly ( with huge backpacks on I might add) we found the hostel. Only to find that the hostel we were at had moved. So we waited fo 20 mins until the owner came to find us and walk us another 20 mins to the right hostel where we climbed up 5 flights of stairs (still with 30lb bags on our backs) and finally were able to crash. Post adventure trek however, Florence is beautiful. Very pedestrian oriented and very very typical European architechture. We will hoever have more to say tomorrow when we actually get the chance to explore a bit more. Take care and love you all!
-Kristin and Kare.

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Day 3

2007-05-04T16:03:12Z

Sorry for the late update! It's been a very busy (and eventful!) two days, and we didn't get a chance to tell you about our Day 3 adventures...
So yesterday we did the Colliseum and the Roman Forum. WOW is the simplest way to describe it! We took the metro, and as we walked out the station, we were greeted by the Colliseum right in front of us across the street. We were able to skip the lines to get in by buying our ticket down a couple blocks at the entrance to the Roman Forum, where there was no line, (thank you Rick Steves!) We went with two awesome girls that we had met the day before (both from the Vancouver area as well) so it was really fun to be able to hang out with some other people.
None of us were too excited about the Roman Forum, and figured it would be a few piles of ruins overgrown with grass. Were we ever wrong! It was amazing. Absolutely amazing. I won't even try to describe it to you, so you'll just have to wait until we get some more pictures up. (which may be a while...we just got into Florence; our hostel doesn't have internet and it costs over €4 for one hour...that being said, we won't be on much for the next couple of days) We spent a few hours exploring the ruins, and then left to meet up for lunch with one of the girl's we were with, stepmom and brother.
We went to this little restaurant hidden in a little alley about 15 minutes away from the Colliseum and 5 minutes from the Pantheon. It was delicious! And I was quite proud of myself...I tried a traditional Roman dish, OX-TAIL in a tomato sauce! It was actually very good and tasted a bit like stewing beef, though it was next to impossible to get it off the bone/cartilage, so I ended up picking it up and eating it with my hands which consequently somehow resulted in sauce all down the sleeve of my white (and only) sweater. I complemented it with a plate of roasted red peppers in oil and seasonings. The meal was mucho bene! Kerry had a plate of ravioli which was incredible as well. I would highly recommend the restaurant, it was fantastic (thank you Rick Steves again!)
Overall though, it was a long day...we left around 10:30 and didn't get home until after 7. Shortly after 9, we did a night walking tour of the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. They were beautiful too.
Anyways, my internet time is just about to expire. We might get a chance to get on again while we're here in Florence, but there's a good possibility it won't be until we reach Venice (which will be on Sunday) Hope all is well back home, and we're starting to miss everyone..a little bit! Write again soon.

xoxo

oh and just an interesting side note that I know Mom wanted to know... gas in Rome was €1.31/litre! So no complaining about the $1.25 back home!

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Photos

2007-05-03T09:18:38Z

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Day 2

2007-05-03T08:17:16Z

So today was pretty much amazing.
Kristin and I got up at the crack of dawn aka 8:00am for breakfast and then left for "La Piazza Reppublico", where we were meeting up with a tour group to see the Vatican. We saw the Pope and toured the Vatican city, including The Sistine Chapel and St.Peter's Basilica. Our tour guide's name was Tad ( he introduced himself as either Rad Tad or Tadpole...goodtimes), and he was pretty entertaining and informative. We learned a great deal about Renaissance and Baroque periode art (Kendall and Ash you would have died!) and then we walked through the various corridors and chapels that make up the Vatican city.
There are not even words to describe what we saw today. I wouldn't even know where to begin to explain to the beauty of the art we saw. The Sistine chapel, the Basilica and well... the entire city, was breathtaking. Kristin and I barely spoke the entire time we were there, we were so enraptured with what we were seeing.

Before we even got inside however, We went at 11 am this morning to St.Peter's square, where we we blessed by the Pope along with thousands of other people, and then went and stood in line for the next 2 hours in the pouring rain (yes...it rained), before entering the city. We finished at around 5:00pm and headed back to our hostel by way of the city Metro, Italy's (much cleaner) version of the Sky Train.
When we got back both Kristin and I layed out our clothes to dry a bit and crashed for a much needed power nap ( goodtimes!). We stopped to grab a bite to eat for dinner at a little pizzeria on the corner, and now we're going to see about maybe doing some exploring with some fellow backpackers. Hope all is well and we will talk to you soon!
Ciao!
Love and hugs,
Kare and Kristin.

Day 2 remains copyright of the author Kris.Kare, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day 1- Part two

2007-05-01T19:30:18Z

Ciao!
So we have nearly reached the end of our first day in Italy, and although we have done one update today already, we thought we might as well let you know how the day finished off.
After finishing our last entry, we decided to go and do a bit of exploring of the city. Within about ten minutes of leaving the hostel we found ourselves face to face with an incredible old brick church and Basilica. Across the street from this was a gorgeous fountain, and some of the most beautiful architechture we had ever seen! Kristin and I took a few pictures of what we thought were the Spanish steps (they werent but they were still beautiful) and then chased some pidgeons around the piazza before sitting down for lunch. After lunch, we decided to venture back to the hostel for a power nap so we could be well rested to continue exploring this evening. Today was a stat holiday in Italy as it is their labour day so there are a number of things including a major concert happening around the city tonight.
Roma is amazing, the weather is warm and the buildings are beautiful. We found ourselves a little caught off guard however by the extent our the language barrier. Considering the amount of tourism attracted to Rome, we had assumed that functioning in English would not be an issue...wrong. A weak attempt at ordering a drink in a cafe in Italian taught us that Italian was not quite as close to Spanish or French as we might have hoped. Not to worry though, we were able to struggle through using our phrase book and a number of stupdi looking hand gestures.
We have met a number of people in our hostel, including our roommates, who are from southern Spain, as well as people from Australia, USA, etc...
Finally, after enjoying or first slices of truely Italian pizza (amazing) we are just about ready to call it a night, as the jet lag is beginning to kill us.
Write again soon!
Love and hugs,
Kristin and Kerry.

Day 1- Part two remains copyright of the author Kris.Kare, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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