Rome!

So Rome.

I have to start out with a big thank you to the Canadians who adopted me when we met at that awful hostel in Rome.

You guys really made my trip.

I will always fondly remember the times we had together, like having a heart attack in the rental car, being stranded in the mountains without water, being pushed into the ocean, being talked into eating McDonalds, being told to order drinks that taste like gasoline, and laying dying of a hangover in a park in Rome. Wait...so....you guys really were trying to kill me the whole time, weren’t you?

But really, I was so nervous about traveling alone and I shouldn’t have been. I met tons of awesome people—some as crazy as I am—and that is what made the bulk of my trip so great.

In fact, I wanted to get this blog entry finished up today (yes, I actually do spend more than 10 minutes on these updates....) because one of my new favorite Canadians will be in Copenhagen tomorrow! Woo woo! And, since I plan on playing tour guide all weekend, I don't see myself sitting on the internet doing this very much well, actually, I guess we'll see how much time I really want to spend with my guest, he is Canadian after all...

Interesting side note to all of my close family and friends, my only actual visitor to come to Copenhagen will be someone I met a few weeks ago. Hmmm. HMMMM. Interesting. Very interesting.

I arrived in Rome, made it to my hostel, which was full of incredibly rude employees, showers with no water pressure, toilets that didn't flush, no common room, no internet, and last but not least, bed bugs. In other words it was a barrel of monkeys....but not really. Besides the bed bugs though, I survived and had a truly lovely time in Rome.

It is really a ridiculously magical city. Every time you turn a corner you run into something so quintessentially Italian I could die. My entire time in Rome was spent walking through Plazzas that happened to contain national monuments, wondering down tiny little streets, standing at espresso bars, eating amazing food, and licking the windows at Dior and Prada. And Italian people! Dear Lord, do Italians know how to dress. Everywhere I would look would be some stunning person dressed to the nines, wearing amazing clothes, just put together in the most beautiful, classic was possible. I didn't do any shopping the whole time I was in Italy and I'm still upset about it.

It was amazing and lovely and all other good words in the thesaurus.    

I don't really know how to describe the cities I visited in better words (which is why my 'Paris' post is just a bunch of pictures of food.) But it was really an amazing experience, and I cannot wait to go back sometime. And I have to go back....because the one thing I didn't actually do was go inside the Coliseum. There was a long line, and it was hot, and people were rude, and I was really hung over, and it was really expensive. Okay people? Don't lynch mob me people, I saw the outside. I will go back and see the inside another time.

Okay, well Goose 2 is sick today, which means it is my responsibility to go to the living room and watch Garfield with her and drink hot chocolate. Conicidently, mom, that Garfeild t-shirt you gave me for my birthday found a slight more age-approprate home with Goose 2. It's her favorite sleeping shirt. And it's got English writing on it, so it's cool.

Have a lovely weekend my little lovermuchkins!

Leanderthal

A Little Bit of Greece

For some reason I thought that blogging while traveling would be easy. For some reason I thought since I was traveling alone, it would be a nice to have something to do when I had spare time. For some reason I thought I could document my solo adventures online, supplement them with pictures, and contribute something substantial to a blog that has lately been, to be honest, rather lacking.

Well, obviously I was mistaken.

Not that I didn’t have adventures or take pictures enough to fill a blog and a half. I was just too busy having a blasty blast to even think about this imaginary internet space. Not to mention, my wifi has decided it hates me and I basically had no choice but to borrow hostel computers or mooch off the laptops of fellow travels in order to just check my facebook semi-regularly (I’m addicted, I know) and alert my family I am still very much alive.

Point being, oopes. Didn’t blog about my adventures, I guess I was a little too busy having them.

The whole trip was absolutely amazing. Filled with sunshine and clear blue oceans. Cliffs, canals, and cathedrals.  Lots of delicious food, amazing wine, and fantastic people.  My soul and stomach have been so nurtured in the past three weeks, I almost feel ready to face real life again in California.

Almost.

Nope, just kidding.

So I started the trip off in Greece, spent four days in Athens and one day on the island of Hydra.  I was really nervous about going to Greece because the economical state the country is in right now, and all the riots in Athens. Luckily though, I didn't find Athens the least bit threatening. Of course, I did still have the fear in me, so I didn't leave the touristy areas that much--which wasn't a big deal since everything there is too see in Athens is in about a five mile radius.

Four days was a bit much to spend only in Athens, but I made it work by overdosing myself on history, eating really good Greek food, drinking a ton of coffee, and

working on my tan in one of those post-card perfect Greek island villages.

I realized a few things in Greece. 1) that I have to go back and spend a good month on the islands, 2) Greek coffee was actually created by the Gods and given to the people as an eternal blessing (I could go on and on about how strong and creamy the iced coffee was, but I'll spare you) and 3) I want a blue door.

The only down sides in Greece were all the disfigured stray animals, and slightly murderess looking Greek locals ( but they all turned out to be friendly...not sure if that helps ).

After sitting in the airport, on the plane, for an hour and a half while in thunder stormed on my last day in Athens, I moved onto Rome.

But that is a blog post for tomorrow, when my ADHD and my job allow me to sit at the computer and go on facebook and youtube and check my email and troll tumbler find time to update.

Hope someone out there enjoyed the pictures, until next time!

Leanderthal

PS

I may have had Greek Yogurt or Gelato every day I was in Athens. There are not witnesses so it can't be proved.