Italy – Rome, Napels, Pompeii and the Pissing Rain

Italy was high on my list of places to visit during my time here in Europe and although I really enjoyed the experience and seeing all the sights with all the massively long history I have to say it did not stand out as the best place I have ever been and I was sadly a little disappointed. I know now that there should have been some more planning with this trip and you CANT always wing it. I really wanted to go into the country areas and see where cheese, wine and food were made – experience the fields around Tuscany and due to time constraints and travel plans we ended up staying in Rome most of the time and only got to travel down to Naples and Pompei.

The first night was wandered around to try and find a restaurant and seemed to be coming to a loss and needing to settle for a pizzeria and around the last corner back to the hotel found a place wall to wall in fairy lights – and WOW I keep saying oh my god! Oh my god was the best meal I ever had of the freshest home made pasta and Osso Buco that melted before you even got it to your mouth. It was amazing place with amazing service with the best Italian food I could have imagined. A definite night of food to be enjoyed.

Rome has amazing history and goes back with so many stories for many many many years and it was great to see the Vatican, Colosseum, Plaza de Spania, Fountain de Trevi, Old City, Naples, Pompeii and a few museums. I have to say and I hope this does not offend anyone – for a beautiful area with the most intelligent discoveries and potentially beautiful culture I found myself in a strange mix of emotions – the Vatican although amazing art completed by the one and only Michelangelo was wall to wall with tourists costing $15 euro a person fascinated by the statues that to me seemed to go on and on and on and on and on, there was gold lining the walls everywhere, then you walk outside to hear and see for yourself the poverty and financial turmoil that exists in the city and country – this seemed strange to me some how.

The Colosseum was also a conflicting building – aside from the face we got lost on the top level and seemed to cut laps wondering if we would ever get out ha ha. I had an idea I guess about this building and its history but until being there and having the privilege to see and read for myself of what these so called civilised races of beings (as they constants portray themselves to be) had found as a form of entertainment, then venue would completely fill up so that the communities and royals could sit and watch a massacre of other humans in what I feel to be the worst way possible, and they pride themselves on coming up with new and innovative ways to do this.

I lived in such an amazingly privileged time of life where history education and the access to information is at hand. It is an innovative world and the time is now I feel very luck to be apart of that and to be exactly who I am.

Off to Naples and Pompeii for a tour seemed like a great way to fill in a day and of course it PISSED DOWN rain for the first half of the day which was of no great concern to me as we were travelling on the bus and it was quite nice to sit listen to the rain and relax. Unfortunately this mean we did not get to see as much of Napels as we would have liked. Then off to Pompeii where for some reason as we finished lunch came out and the rain went away just in time for us to wander through the ruins – it was amazing to see all that has been preserved from the ashes of Vesuvius Volcano and the work that has gone into restoring the city to it’s original state. Walking through you can imagine exactly how life would have been back in 79AD and it was surprisingly more civilised than I expected. We meet great girls traveling with family from Canada and america and had a great day and lots of laughs with them – it truly made they day to have them along the trip great sense of humour. Thanks ladies. (there are more images to come I just need to get the time to do some downloading)

Spanish Love

I was going through my images the other day and I have started to notice something about the shots that I really like to take.

LOVE – there is so much love here it is not overwhelming in any way it is truly touching. I have been so caught by seeing people in love and the display of kissing all around it catches me for a moment and I can’t help but have a minute and smile.

Sitches Weekend

Last weekend Glenn and I went to Sitches just a twenty minute drive from Barcelona. I have heard a few things about Sitches but it was a place that for the first time I had really felt as though I was really in the Mediterranean. It was a beautiful place to spend the weekend it did make me a little home sick as it was on the beach and although it was not Portland it did remind me of how lucky were are to have access to the beaches and coast line. We walked about and saw all the sights along the beach, we ate lunch at this cafe where we all had something very Spanish or as my friend Enric calls it “Catalan Cuisine” Paella, Fidiua, and black rice was shared amongst us all – I had never had black rice and I have to say it was a bit weird to eat but it did taste very nice. See pictures below of my trying ha ha.

More sights after a 3 course feed where Glen discovered why I am saying I can’t help eating so much − lunch in Spain is a 3 course meal inclusive of dessert and coffees ect.. then dinner is generally a smaller meal at about 9pm. So none the less this is my trying to explain why I will come home a whole size larger and now Glenn is starting to understand.

See apartment we stayed in – it  is nice to have friends here that are generally lovely and want to show you around makes the stay so much better http://www.tripadvisor.es/VacationRentalReview-g187502-d2217413-Rafael_Llopart-Sitges_Catalonia.html#slideshow

We all went to the supermarket and obviously gathered groceries which was good fun. Then Glenn cooked up another wonderful meal of Salmon, salad and sweet potatoes (which Enric found strange as in Catalan they have them as a dessert) dinner was on the terrace at Enrics apartment overlooking the town and listening to the waves crashing while talking about anything and everything eating and drinking. It was good to talk to Enric as I knew after our chat that I had made the right decision to cut my internship short (long story but lets just say it has been a challenge and one I am happy to move on from but one that will always be remembered and treasured that I am sure will be benefit me from here on)

Back to Sitches – At about 12:30pm we ventured out to see the night life an as much as I am going to say here was that I had an amazing time out and an eye opening experience. WOW I have lived a sheltered life until now ! Good times!

The next day was enjoying the sunshine and getting a small tan on the decking, Enric made us breakfast one in which I have never tried before but have come to enjoy very much, fresh orange juice with bran cereal – Yummy and good for you. Then out late for Italian food and walking through more of the sights along the cliff this time and what a wonderful day. We ended up at this apartment building on the edge of the cliff that was white and watched the sunset over the ocean and as I said earlier – I truly knew I was in the Mediterranean then.  Pictures say it all -enjoy.