Euro Trip Day six: Florence/Firenze

A view of Florence from Piazza Michaelangelo

9-17-09 Florence

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal which I kept on my trip through Europe.

"Woke up at 10 to 10, checkout is at 10. I had to hustle to pack up my things. Got out in time, and walked to Termini to catch a train. I also tried to get my train arrangements for Venice to Munich, but the ticket guy said it was sold out, even sleeper cars. Shit! I am in trouble. So I just get on my train, and brainstorm on the way. I discover that I can get a night train from Venice, Florence or Bologna, and worst case, I could go on an earlier train and either attempt to find a hostel, or sleep in a park. That is all for now...

At the Florence train station I talked to the ticket lady, and she initially said that it was full, then said I could go, I would just have to pay an additional 45 Euro to upgrade to a sleeper car. I had no other options, so I went with that. At least now I know I will get there, and will be able to rest, relax and sleep. As I write this now, I am in hostel, b. It is a very nice and scenic viewing spot for the city of Florence. The views from here are absolutely spectacular. I love the vibe of Florence, it is very similar to Naples in that respect. The people here are very friendly, and were helpful when I got lost. Also, the women here are super hot.

Although there are tourists here, it seems a lot less touristy than Rome. When I got here, my hostel I guess was full, so I was handed off to another one. No problem. The accomodations look good enough.

I struck off through the city through a slight rain. I saw the museum with 'David' in it, but the line was way long. No time for lines with only one day here. Then went to see the copy/fake 'David'. What's the big deal, I look better than him. Just kidding, it was really cool. The piazza where the fake Davis is located has some really awesome statues in it. I sat down near them, and examined them from every angle. Some of my favorites so far.

Saw a few nice churches, the Duomo, and a few piazzas. Then got really F---ing lost, I mean, I was off the map that I had of Florence... but I saw some nice scenery--a winding road with massive and beautiful villas. The people helped me get back to where I wanted to be. Apparently my accent is alright, because when I ask for directions, they answer me in Italian even if they know English, as they don't know that I am American. Now I will strike off back toward the hostel.

later that night, I walked through the streets of Florence to the 'David' copy. I stopped at a produce market for an apple to eat in the Piazza. I felt really safe except when I walked down a really dark, dirty, and littered street that was loaded with maybe 50 gypsies. At that moment, I knew that all eyes were on me and if shit went down, my only defense would be flighty feet, and a single flying apple. Luckily nothing happened, and I hada great night time stroll. When I walked back to the hostel, I avoided Gypsy Lane. Florence is nice, I would like to go back there at some point."

On top: Man fighting a Centaur

Bottom: Fake David

Euro Trip Day 5: Rome

Above: In front of the Basilica in the Vatican

Below: Drinking from the Fountain in front of the Spanish Steps

The following is an excerpt from The my travel journal chronicling my adventures in Europe.

9-16-09 Roma

"Went to the Vatican with Nick, a guy I met from New Zealand, and a tour group. We were

hoping to catch a glimpse of the Pope, but it was too crowded by the time we got there, so we only saw and heard him on the big screen TVs . The tour was very informative, and the ceiling and front wall of the Sistine Chapel are awesome! After we finished with the Vatican, Nick and myself walked to a few places including the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. I was at the Spanish Steps the day before, but at the time did not realize that was where I was. We people watched on the steps, and drank a Heineken. Then we took the metro back to the hostel. I showered, and went to the Yellow Bar for some wine. After some wine, the Kiwis and myself went on a mission to get some food, and got lost. We ended up getting Donner Kabobs by the Termini. Donner Kabobs are delicious. After that, we retired to our room(which smells like an old shoe) for some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day, traveling to Florence."

Belvedere Statue in the Vatican. Known as the best ever statue of a human torso.

This guy really looks like he enjoys it.

EuroTrip Day 3: Roma

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal:

9-14-09 ROME

"Woke up a little late with a slight hangover. Said bye to my friends that I had met in Naples and walked to the metro. Walked from Dante Metro stop to Napoli Central Station which is in Piazza Garribaldi. At the station, I met a couple from Palo Altothat was having difficulties, and seemed frustrated, and I helped them find our train." They were nice, but looked like idiots with backpacks completely engulfed in duct taped hefty bags. "Train ride was uneventful besides gaining some much needed shuteye. I already miss Naples and hope that I meet some cool people in Roma.

When I arrived in the Rome Termini Station, it was raining. I luckily had my jacket handy, and the walk to the 'Yellow Hostel' was only a few blocks. I was checked into the hostel around 3:00 PM. The rooms are not quite as nice as 'La Controra', but are adequate.

When I was checking out the room, I met a couple guys from New Zealand, and three girls also from there. Apparently, they put me in the Kiwi room of the hostel. The kiwimen want me to go with them on a pub crawl, but with my headache, I don't know if I can commit to that. I decided to think about it while doing a mini walk of the city to help me get a lay of the land.

I walked about 30 minutes to the coliseum, and sat and took in my surroundings. I am so glad that I decided to add this Italy excursion to my agenda. I walked around the coliseum and checked out a few of the ruins and archeological sights nearby. One cool thing about Rome is that there are running fountains of water on the sidewalks around the city, and the water is delicious. After my walk back, I decided to get a panini from a nearby restaurant. When I got back, the Kiwi guys were about to leave for the pub crawl, and I vetoed that idea for myself. The kiwi girls and I decided to go to the 'Yellow' bar downstairs. After an expensive pint of Newcastle, we went to the restaurant next door so they could eat. I was not hungry, so I just had an Italian beer, and another Kiwi girl Molly gave us some wine.

After the restaurant, we went back to the bar, and eventually played beer-pong and foosball in the basement. My Florida Gator beerpong skills whipped every European and Eurasian in the place. After a while, I went off with a group of Americans and Australians to get some more pizza. On the way back, we got a few more beers, Piralta's I think, and drank them on the street. We found a huge truck which was jacked up, and we staged death photos.

When I got back to the hostel, there was a passed out drunk Canadian guy in my bed. I yelled at him the get the hell out of my bed, but he was not coherent enough to give a logical response to my threats. After a little time at the front desk, it was sorted out, and my bed was moved into the adjoining room with the Kiwi guys. I took the time to send a few emails to friends and family, and went to bed, in my new room, which smells like a shoe. The end of another great day in Europe. Tomorrow should be quite busy, tomorrow is my Uber-Tourist day.

Ted Kennedy Statue in Rome?

Staged Death Photo in Rome.

Eurotrip Day 1. Naples, Italy

View from my room in Naples

The following entry is an excerpt written directly from my travel journal Day one in Europe:

Roma-Napoli 9-12-09

"When I landed, I already had my bag(I had not checked it, which saved my skin). I pretty easily managed to find the Leonardo Express train to Rome's Termini Station. From there, I had a little difficulty finding the booth to validate my Railpass. Once validated + ticket bought, I hopped a bullet train to Naples. When I got there, I decided to walk from the Napoli Central Station to the hostel(La Controra Flashpackers Hostel) because Google Maps said it was 3Km 30 mins. It was not 30 mins, very hilly, and got slightly lost, but all the Napoli people I met were very friendly + helpful, although a part of the city I walked through was covered in graffiti, and looked post-apocalyptic, like 'Mad Max'. The area where I stayed was much nicer. Immediately after arriving at the hostel, I met several nice people that I will tour Naples and the surrounding towns with. There are a lot of Germans here.

Observation: Naples is loud, people honk horns constantly,

As I write this, horns are honking.

-Traffic in Naples stops for NO ONE!

No such thing as crosswalks. "

Later this first night, I drank a bit of wine with the new friends that I had made, and a few of us decided to hop a few buses to get to an Italian rap concert in the city's main square. We took a jug of wine with us, and had a great time. The Italian language is a romance language. Italian rap music is not a romance language, and sounds pretty gross, but to me, life is about having new experiences, and a rap concert in Naples was a new one for me.

Below is my new North Face Terra 60 backpack on my room's balcony in Naples.