Switzerland

   I arrived by train from Venice at 9:30pm. I hadn't had any supper so once I found my hostel and checked in and dropped my bags, I went next door to the Thai Restaurant and got some good ol' pad thai. There was enough for me to take home and have for the next night. I went right to bed so that I could get up early and start my adventures. 
   I woke up at 8 and had some breakfast and then started off. I ducked into a store and asked the girl working there if she had any ideas of where I could go walking distance in Interlaken that had nice scenery. She explained a couple places right in town where there were nice bridges and rivers. After that, she told me to head to the lake. She told me it was a 45 minute walk, but I thought that was doable. I started off, walking in sync to my music but nobody ever knew! It was such a pretty walk. Tractors were cutting and bailing hay, para-gliders were high up in the air and I even got to see one landing and got a great photo. Once I got to the lake I just sat and enjoyed the view. Once I got bored I went to the information desk and asked them for their opinion of what I should do that didn't involve the mountains because I knew I was going there the next day. they told me to take the train and so I stopped at the capital Bern, and then to Thun and then finally to Spiez. They were all very different and cute spots. Bern was more busy as it is the capital city and Spiez was a cute town on the water. I got back and heated up my left overs and headed up to bed as I was exhausted from walking all day. 
   When I got up to bed I had 2 new roommates, Jamie and Amber from Arizona. We got along right from the get go and boy was I excited to talk to someone haha. We chatted for awhile and made plans to meet up the following day after our day adventures. I got up around 8, had breakfast and then headed to the bus station. I had to take a free bus to a station and then had to pay $63 to take a train up to the highest points in Europe which is Jungfrau. Unfortunately it only took me to the stop before Jungfrau and it was another $150 or more to get up to that point. I decided that it was just as good from the spot I was at. I took my packed lunch, climbed up a hill and took in all of the scenery. It was possibly the most beautiful scenery. I then took the train back down to a place before I got on the bus and went for a hike to see some more waterfalls. These ones were less impressive. It was however pretty cool that I was walking through a mountain and that the waterfalls were inside of the mountain, but other than that I was not very impressed and wouldn't likely go again but the walk there was amazing so I got something good out of it :) I spent some time in that town and then went back down. I got back to the hostel around 6pm and met up with Amber and Jamie who went canyoning. I met 2 couples that they had met on their day and we all became great friends over beers and stories. They just loved hearing my travelling stories and told me that I should do a comedy show that outlines my travels or write a book but they preferred seeing me tell the stories haha. We went to another part of the hostel where more people were having drinks and got back around midnight. The next morning was cool and a bit rainy so we all hung out until I had to leave around 1pm. We said our sad goodbyes, I felt like I was leaving my best friends for years. They really were amazing people and I really hope to see them all again someday soon!! Jamie and Amber I will actually, I am staying with them while I am in Paris so we are all super pumped especially me to know I am going to have friends for 3 days in a row in such an amazing place!! 
    I spent the afternoon in Zurich which is the second most expensive city in Switzerland. It was a really nice city but I was tired so didn't do too much walking around. That evening at 9pm I boarded a train to travel all night to Amsterdam. 

Until then folks!! My travels are coming to an end :( 

Venice

So if you did not see my facebook post, I was not in Slovenia... I was actually in Austria. Beautiful place by the way, would love to go back there sometime. Once I got on my bus it was a few hours to get to Venice. Once off of the bus I was required to take a boat to the actual city. I did not have any directions to my hostel so I asked a boat taxi if he knew where it was. He got the phone number and called and got some directions for me. After 10 minutes and clearly lost, I wandered into a Best Western. They told me to head in the opposite direction of where the first man had told me. Off I went. Another 10 minutes later, lost again! These damn streets are narrow and when they tell you to go straight and there is no place to go but diagnoal left or right, you are forced to pick which one you think they want you to go. So one more person asked, she called for me again and we got it sorted out. I finally made it, half a litre of sweat later!!

I dropped my bags off and was given a map and the must sees of Venice. I changed my shoes and ventured. It was already 5pm and I only had until noon the following day. I was told to get a 24hr boat pass which would take me to all of the places that I needed to see. It was soo beautiful. I couldn't have been in a better mood! Well I am sure if Nick was with me it definately could have been better but you get my point, I was just loving it! At 8:30 I decided I should have something to eat. I found a place that served pasta for 10 euro. Spagetti Carbonera please and thank you!

Once my belly was all filled, I headed back to the hostel. I was told earlier that at night they turn on the air conditioner so I was really excited to get back to a refreshing room. I get back and no AC. I go downstairs to the office which had the AC just boomin and asked if he could come turn ours on. He hesitated and up he came. He plugged the AC in and put the fan towards my bed. Something was up! He left and then I realized....the AC was supposed to be hooked up to a window because all of the hot air was blowing back into the room. Off I turned that and had a cold shower instead. I finally got to sleep at around 11 and was up at 7 to start more touring. I went to San Paulo's Square and took a ride up the Bell Tower to get a great view of Venice. I was also told to go to Burano Island where all of the houses are brightly colored along the water. I was informed it should take about 30mins to get there. I was misinformed yet again. It took me 2 hours to get there and by the time I got there I had to get right back onto the boat to head back because I had to get back to the hostel, grab my bags, get on the boat to bring me back to the train. I was not impressed but since I know I will be dragging Nick back there someday, I will go back then :) I can just see his face now if he is reading this haha.

Off to Switzerland I went !

Croatia

SPLIT- I arrived in Split at 8am after taking the overnight ferry from Italy. I did not know the address of my hostel so I asked a taxi if he knew where it was, his response "no". I went to a cafe to get Internet and then found the address and went to the bus window to ask which bus would go there. They told me to go to information. I walk to the information centre to be told he can't tell me because they are affiliated with another hostel. I said well if the bus company won't tell me, and you won't tell me, how do you expect me to find out where to go? Frustrated he said FINE ill tell you then! So he says its 20mins on foot and after my injury and with my bags I preferred a bus so I said well is there a bus? He tells "yes but when you get off you won't know where to go!!" So I stopped listening and took a taxi. Once I arrived I dropped my bags and went to walk around. I ended up reading under a tree in a park because it was just too hot! That night back at the hostel I met a couple of girls from Canada and invited them to come to the KRKA national park the following day. We woke up and headed for the bus station. We got on a bus at 11 for 2 hours in which a man puked on the bus due to the heat and the brake happy bus driver! I was already nauseous so it took a lot of deep breathes to calm my stomach. We are then told we need to wait 2 hours for the next bus but it would only take half an hour to get to the park. As we are waiting, a pigeon flies into the window, and dies! If that's not bad enough, a lady with shit stains on her white skirt bends down and picks up the pigeon by the neck and flails it around! Unsure what the hell she was checking for. Both her and the pigeon disappeared! We finally get onto the bus and its sooo worth it!! We spend a couple of hours at the falls and then back onto the bus we go! After all of that we spent the next day lazing on the beach!

DUBROVNIK- I took a bus at 7 and arrived around 1 in the afternoon. I decided to venture down to the old town and take some photos. After some ice cream and walking I went back to the air conditioned hostel and figured out the rest of my accommodations and trains. The next 2 days I rested my still sore and swollen foot. I read a book and a half and loved every minute of my alone time, although this whole alone thing is getting old haha.

ZAGREB- I took an overnight bus from Dubrovnik to Zagreb and slept very little. I arrived and immediately booked a bus to the Plitvice Lake National Park. I dropped my bags off at the hostel and set back for the bus station. I spent the day hiking and taking in the views of the crystal clear lakes. The only downfalls being 43 degree heat and not being allowed to swim. It wasn't too bad when paired with cold water and an ice cream :) I got back to my hostel at 9:30pm, showered and went to bed.

I was up at 5 to catch a train to Venice. You ask, where am I now? Just at a cafe in Vallegh, Slovenia... I had 4 minute to get off one train and find the next, and well dammit I failed ok?! So now I'm about to get onto a bus to head to Venice and will be forced awake at 6am tomorrow so that I can get all the sights in that I wanted. Currently tho, so happy as I just put on a cardigan cause its a bit chilly! Oh what a wonderful feeling!!

After Venice I will be off to Switzerland and then Amsterdam. I will update when possible :)

If your reading, I want to wish Kyle Ferron and Steph Lutz an amazing wedding day tomorrow!!!

Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre

Firstly, i would like to wish my best friend Mary-Beth a happy birthday and her sister a wonderful wedding day!!!

I left Rome at 5:30am to catch the train to Florence. I arrived around 8:30 so I wasn't able to check in to my hostel yet because it was too early. I decided to head into town to start to see the sights as there were many and I only had one day. The receptionist at my hostel was great, she gave me a map and circled all of the sights that were worth seeing so I went by that. I loved it there. The buildings were all in such great condition. In Rome, it seemed that the inside of the churches were beautiful but in Florence it was the outside that impressed me. It started to down pour in the afternoon which was quite refreshing. I preferred the rain to the 40 degree heat that's for sure. After touring around all day I was back at the hostel by 9pm for a shower and to bed. I was so pumped to be staying somewhere with Air conditioning and then the stupid guys staying in my room turned it off at midnight when they got back to the room, so yet another day waking up soaked in sweat.

That morning I left at 6:30am to venture to Pisa to see the leaning tower. When I arrived I got a bus ticket for 1.40 euro which was good for 70 minutes so I literally went there, took some pictures, met a lady and we took pictures for each other although she wasn't a seasoned picture taker so mine didn't turn out very well haha, and then headed back to the train station to go to Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre has 5 towns on the water. Each town is a bit different but all have only 2-3 restaurants and then souvenir shops. I had already used a day of my euro rail pass so I just continued on that day and trained to each of the towns. I was staying in the first one, had dinner at the second one, and layed on the beach of the fifth one. My feet needed a break from all the walking I did in Rome and Florence but unfortunately something happened to my foot and its swollen and hurts to put pressure on it so I've just been hobbling around walking quite slowly. If the swelling doesn't go down I will have to get it checked. My time in Cinque Terre was nice in the way of scenery but it was very boring because I didn't end up meeting anyone. I just arrived by 12 hour ferry to Split, Croatia and had to get some wifi because I have no clue where my hostel is. I found the address now so I'm going to go to the info desk and sort myself out.

It's been a pretty quiet time since Rome so not much to report on.

Talk soon!

When in Rome

Arriving at my hostel in Rome to a familiar face was sooo nice!! Although I LOVE meeting new people, sometimes you just don't want to do the whole "where u from, how long have you been traveling, where have you been before here etc." We got our stuff together and decided that lunch was a must so we stopped to see a few sites on the way to finding a place to eat. Our lunch ended up being the worst food thus far on my trip from a restaurant. It was a deal for pasta and beer, and well they just dished out the crap stuff to the cheap tourists haha. We finished with some ice cream as we were soaked with sweat. It was 40+ and walking all day was just not enjoyable. There were drinking fountains to fill my water bottle while walking and I drank 4 bottles without having to use the washroom due to the water coming out of my skin. My newly washed clothing are no longer clean haha. 

That night we went to an authentic pizza place and met a lady and her 13 yr old son. She had a friend who lived in Rome and typed out restaurants that were good and so since she was leaving she gave it to us. After pizza, which was amazing!! We went back to the hostel with a good buzz on due to beers lol, but then got lost on the way home and lost that buzz and had to start over. I opted for waters at about 1 because I couldn't keep my eyes open because I had been up at 5 that morning. We stuck around the hostel bar and decided we would go out on the town the following day. That night I met up with two girls from Toronto that I had met in Mykonos and then met up with them in Santorini and then spent 2 days with them in Rome!

We woke up and ventured again to some more sites. The entire city is just amazing. For you who know me well, shoulda saw me snapping pictures...I couldn't walk 3 ft without seeing something beautiful. We had lunch at one of the spots on our new list and let me tell you, it was the BEST place for salads I have ever seen. Upwards of 30 salads to choose from. It was so refreshing with again, all the sweat being produced. After walking a few more hours and stopping into the Vatican, we decided to try another spot for dinner but it wasn't open until 8 so we popped into another spot close by for our authentic Italian pasta feast. We started with a bottle of red wine (yes girls, I'm starting onto the red lol) and bread with oil and vinegar. I had fettuccine with meat sauce. The sauce was quite plain, they don't tend to use many spices but the noodles were the best I've ever had. They were so fresh and delicious. The Vatican by the way was amazing! We could not get over the artchitecture. We still have no clue how they did any of it, just stunning. After dinner, we went back to the hostel to meet up with the girls. We went out for some dancing and then back to the hostel for sleep! 

We were a little late getting out of bed so we headed straight for lunch. We then started for the Basilica. The lines were long and it was the hottest day yet, but it could of been the effects of the wine but they were quickly diminished again due to all the sweating haha. Up 320+ stairs we made it to the top of the dome for some pictures overlooking the city. Saying a prayer at St. Peter's Basilica is now checked off my list- what a building! 

We had a slow moving day but ended it by the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. I had such a great time and so many laughs with Kristina, Veronica and Lisa. We said our goodbyes and I jumped in for an ice cold shower and off to bed. 

I am currently on a train on my way to Florence which was a very last minute decision. 

Until next time! 

Santorini

Santorini- there is nothing but amazing things to say about this place. As I was on the bus from Mykonos I met a girl from Australia and we realized we were on the same ferry and stuck together. She told me where she was staying and I remembered seeing it on the drive to my hostel which was called "Anny's Studios". We had forgotten to exchange info so I decided I would be a creep and walk to her hostel in the hopes that she would be around the social area. When I got there I could not find her so I explained to reception I met a girl named Georgia and that she was staying here but we forgot to exchange info... And just like that they gave me her room number. It was a little unnerving so know they give that info out so freely although it could be my innocent face??... Right?? Haha

Anyways, we decided to meet up the following day with her roommate Shelby from the US, and we would rent quad bikes and go see the island. What a fun and tiring day! We literally went ALL over the island. Checking out the red and black sand beaches but neglected the white sand beach as we assumed it would be like every other beach. We were gone for 8 hours and decided we should go to the "beach party". I say it in quotations because when we arrived with some other friends Shelby had met at a previous island, the party was by the beach but not on it, it was just at a bar BY the beach haha.

After some dancing and sleep, we all met up for breakfast and went to the beach and pool for the afternoon. That night we went to Santo Wines which was suggested by my friends that were there last year. We couldn't stop saying "can you believe we are here right now? This is just amazing". The wine was great, the views were stunning and we were all solo travelers brought together. Everyone we met thought we had arrived together and were friends because it seems when you meet other travelers, if you click, your instantly the best of friends and its like you've known each other for years. The downfall to this is that you are constantly saying bye to people you really get along with and will likely never see again.

Enough sap, after dodging cars on our walk back to the hostel from the wine tasting we all went to bed and met up the next day to have a full day of sun by the pool. My hostel had free laundry so we did laundry and got our tan on. That night we went to a town called Oia which is famous for its sunsets but to be honest, they were amazing all over the island. We had a few drinks and ended the night with some dinner. We met for breakfast the next morning to say our goodbyes. Georgia and I are going to try to meet up in Croatia but Shelby was headed in a completely different direction. I really hope to see them again sometime, they were such refreshing and funny people, it really was such a great time in Santorini.

Next is Rome where I will meet one of my best friends. She went to University with me and lived in Ottawa with me :)

I would like to give a shout out to my mother in-law - Happy belated birthday!

Mykonos

When I got off of the ferry, my hostel had a bus to pick everyone up. I stayed at a place called Paranga Beach Hostel. A sweet girl from NZ sat with me on the bus and we ended up hanging out for the 2 days that we were there. I also met two Canadian girls who were on vacay after teaching for the year. As you walk onto the grounds of the hostel you are immediately greeted with a view of the ocean as we sit on the edge of a cliff. There is a pool overlooking the water and on the right and left of you are beaches. It is high season at the moment so the beaches are JAM packed and not enjoyable for me, so I hangout by the pool. We decided the first night to all have some drinks. We missed the early bird sale of tickets to a big party and we thought 40 euro was too expensive for a party so we just had some drinks at the hostel.

I was unfortunate and had to room with 6 Canadians (19 years of age) and another guy from Alaska. All I cared about was that no one puked in the room. I was in bed at 2 and suddenly woken up at 8 to "HELP ME!! I'm bleeding, I need water!! Jesus guys I'm bleeding someone give me some water!!!" It didn't really phase me cause I knew they were all friends but then there were arguments and yelling but eventually I got back to sleep until 10.

I later came back to the room to find the "bleeding guy" crying to his friend claiming he didn't deserve to be yelled at, they left him at the bar etc. etc. My NZ friend, Bridie, and I ventured into the town and watched the sunset and had dinner and walked around the shops. When we got back I was exhausted and went to my room around 11 to find everyone asleep and the bleeding crying with a bandage on his leg as well as a plastic cast on his leg and crutches, I almost laughed out loud... I know, that's mean.

Anyways, the next day I was off onto another ferry to the beautiful island of Santorini !!!