Posts tagged travel blog

So my wonderfully dapper and super nerdy friend Jon (who was studying abroad in Paris) came to hang out in Florence for a few days. We then journeyed to the distant and foreign area that is known as the South of Italia. We took a train down to Naples. Then the super sketchy ghetto train from Naples to Pompeii on which I got some death glares from an old women for no reason at all. Just me. Not Jon. Whatevs. 

We then had about 2 hours to run around all of Pompeii Scavi. Might I point out that it is huge and not easy to walk around. We grabbed a map and walked as many places and saw as many ruins, frescoes, baths, vases, and even some frozen people. That was surprisingly difficult to see, for me. The thought of the fear that the people must have felt as they were quickly burnt and then solidified under lava is truly frightening. They froze, clearly fearful of what was coming. Many appeared to be running away or crouching down. 

Enough of that. We then got back on the ghetto-esq train to Sorrento, only to learn that our hostel was in Sant’Angello, the town just north of Sorrento. So we walked up to Mami Camilla, the cutest hostel ever with amazing breakfast. But first, we checked in, put our stuff down, and went for a hunt for food. We walked back toward Sorrento, where it seemed more alive (actually very alive) and got dessert. By this I mean I got chocolate cake and Jon got 2 gelatos. No judgment, they looked amazing. We also got pizza at this place that was poppin’ with people called Jhonny’s. No, that’s not a typo. Let me tell you, Jhonny makes delicious pizza. Sorr

The next day Jon woke up ridiculously early to go for a run. I slept. Then we met and went to breakfast which consisted of all kinds of pastries/cronetti, fruit, yogurt, cappucini, fresh juices, and FRESH JAM> I LOVE JAM. And they had orange, strawberry, apricot, and kiwi. KIWI. DELICIOUSLY fresh Kiwi jam. I was in heaven. 

Then we took ghetto train to Naples. Another train from Naples to Rome. A last train from Rome to FCO (airport) and hung out for a bit in the terminal. Jon went back to Paris and headed out for my next adventure: Dublin.

Hi y’all

I went to Croatia last weekend. Yup, I waited in line at customs and got my passport stamped, and then set foot in Eastern Europe for the first time. It was pretty cool. 

UNfortunately, I have not been able to upload pictures which is really quite a shame because it was such a beautiful country. So I’m going to pull a Dante and attempt to describe it to you. With words. 

When I first arrived in Split, it was a dreary day. Rain poured down onto my tiny umbrella and I as a complete stranger of a Croatian lead myself and 3 other girls through a busy markets of clothing, meat, underwear, leather purses, and postcards. We made a few unexpected turns and ended up in the most unlikely place that lead to the apartment we would be staying it. I can’t even describe it as an ally, just a mixture of front patios and backs of apartments. All concrete except the one narrow set of white stairs, as if at this point I wasn’t already at risk at falling over from exhaustion from sleeping on the floor of a boat and not wearing the proper rain shoes. However, the Croatian man unlocked the door and carried some of the luggages (not my little duffle, that I was clinging too). I entered the apartment cautiously, completely disoriented. Inside I found the perfect studio apartment, complete with a new bathroom, plasma tv, kitchen, and a table with 2 chairs. It was going to be home. The bright orange blankets contrasted wonderfully with the daisy and blue sheets. The pink towels that sat at the edge of the bed sang “guest towels” to me. But it would be home all the same. 

After some complications with an overly complicated shower, I was able to change into a fresh pair of pants, shirt, and dry shoes. My friend and I set off to the “F caffe” to meet for a walking tour. The sun was shining and suddenly the chaos of the market seemed friendly and welcoming, rather than overbearing and foreign. We quickly found the front of the Palace. Diocletian’s Palace. However, unlike a castle or Versaille, the town has literally grown from the palace. Like an onion that is left too long to its own devices, with roots growing out of it, the town has added and tacked itself to many parts of the palace. Rather than being grand or majestic, its more eclectic.  Gelaterias, drug stores, and bakeries line the front of the palace and the Riva spans out with benches and outdoor resturant seating. Palm trees line the harbor line. Our very Croatian tour guide stood before us and began telling us all about the palace. How Diocletian was elected to emperor and the only one to ever retire back to his palace, leaving the empire to fight over the next ruler and his wife and daughter to be murdered by the war. Pleasant stories?

We walked through the sea gate, that used to be directly on the sea, down the white, marble stones (this will be important later) into the shop area where the overpriced jewelery and souvenirs are stored in what used to be a grand entrance. Now it is dark and water-stained resembling more of a glorified dungeon area - if dungeons were large. We proceeded through a secret gate to see the ancient ruins of the dining rooms and the “binging rooms” (Romans were the first belimics, true story). You could almost see where the large feasts would be held on the remnants of the stone that have a clear view of the absurdly blue Adriatic Sea. We then went to the center of the palace, where the people’s abodes start appearing. To the east there is the Diocletian temple turned chapel with the addition of a large bell tower. To the West is the passage that leads to the old Jupiter temple/now baptistery. North is the large archway with a double gate to protect from invaders. Right outside a large statue that could pass as Merlin, but is actually a bishop stands at at least 15 feet tall is faded bronze with a bright gold toes that bring good luck.

From there we decided it was time to the beach. And some lunch. So we pulled out the very undetailed map we received at our apartment and headed off toward the harbor. We ended up walking every way to get the beach. We had been advised to just follow the road that ran in front of the palace and then go right. However, no one told us when we should go right. So we wandered down some very real streets, and somehow ended up at the train station running across the old tracks to the small shack of a station. We existed the 4 lane station and head along the harbor where buses park to take you to different cities and the ferries and cruise ships line the harbor. Here we found a very shabby looking sandwich shop. I, of course, felt the need to buy a humongous prosciutto sandwich with lettuce, pickles, corn, and red pepper sauce. All for about $3. YUMMY. We proceeded to follow the port and walked all the way down a dock hoping to round the corner and find the beach. False. There is no “corner” just a one-sided dock. So we walked back down this 100 meter dock, crossed the street and chose the left fork this time (Ps, there was a fork in the road). We winded up and around a hill and finally found a stairway (not white stone) to a small little beach. Literally a few meters of sand and a kind of lagoon like beach area. We sat at one of the cafes that border the beach and I munched/downed my sandwich while my friend drank a coke. We watched the peaceful little lagoon and its lack of waves. After we had enough of the beach, we head back to the city center to climb the bell tower that was added to the palace in the Middle Ages. After some confusion, we figured out how to buy tickets and climbed up. At first, the passage was barely wide enough for one person to literally climb the stairs, which were ridiculously steep. I clung to the concrete walls around me, ignoring the slight claustrophobia that threatened to overtake me. We got to a terrace area where the bell tower reached the height of the roof of the temple/church. From there, the stone staircase disappeared and was replaced by a thin steel one. One of those almost makeshift looking ones that shake and echo as you walk up. I kept my eyes forward as my legs seemed to get less and less stable with each ascending step. At the top of the tower, the entire city of Split was visible. The red roof tops shone in the bright sun (that decided to make an appearance finally). The ocean sparkled and reflected on the almost toy-looking boats.

PS I’m giving up on this because I clearly talk too much. And because I was able to upload. Please compare and contrast.

The rest of the trip consisted of going to Brela for a day, buying non-alcoholic party drink for my friends birthday, along with lots of yummy goodies. Eating huge meals once a day and small snacks in between. And the ferry of death on the way home which was marginally better because I was able to sleep on chairs.