Embracing Roma

I don't have a clue how I can sum up today but I will do my best. We got up at 7 and headed out for a walk visiting several sites on our way to the pantheon. We walked through gorgeous narrow streets and visited many piazzas. We took a nice walk along the river, taking pictures of the beautiful bridges. 

At midday, we came back to the hostel and went to our favorite place to eat. We both had the pasta special for lunch. It was a cheesy white sauce with ham and orange flavors. Then, we decided to head out for another long walk ending with a service by the Pope at St. Peter's Piazzo. 

We walked a similar route but also hiked up to see Michelango's keyhole. It was well worth the trek. What an amazing viewpoint. Kari picked out a nice gelato place which was a very good deal. We shared a cone with tiramisu, dark chocolate, and pistachio ice cream. Delicious! 

The mass at the Vatican was a special experience. Pope Francis is very nice and I really like him. Although he looks a little down in our pictures, he usually has a upbeat attitude! It was great to sing together with the Pope and people from all over the world coming together under the same God. Over the course of the service, the evening turned into night and the Vatican was beautifully lit up. 

Back at the hostel, we hung out with two Lebanese, a Frenchman, and some Canadians. We had a good time exchanging stories. The boy from France taught me how to make Italian espresso coffee. After my first go at it, he said he was not proud and I had failed the test. Haha. He has high coffee standards. The next try went better. I really want to get my own stove espresso maker once I get home! Now, we are enjoying some wine and chatting away. 

Tomorrow, Kari and I hope to visit San Paolo Basilica and go out for our last pasta lunch and gelato in Rome. Then, in the afternoon, we will head up to Florence. Overall, Rome is my new favorite European city. It is not overrated at all. It is everything Rome ought to be and more. I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain so lets hope that promise of returning to Roma comes true:) 

 

Immagini da Roma

The narrow streets by the Pantheon

St. Mark's Square at Vatican City

Enjoying our delicious pasta

The view from the Spanish Steps

Trevi fountain by night while eating gelato

More of the Eternal City

Today we headed out to Vatican City where we were poured and hailed on for a short time. We really enjoyed the Vatican museums. St. Peter's Basilica is everything you would imagine the head of the Catholic Church to be. It was fun to climb up over 500 steps to the cupola and experience the amazing view of Vatican City and Rome. Next we headed over to the coliseum, where we took in the ancient stadium architecture and learned more about the society and games of old. After being out over 8 hours, we went back to our hostel and freshened up. Tonight, we plan to head to a local pasta place. It's off the beaten track so the daily special is just 4 euros! 

Roman forum and night walk

Had our first meal in Italy. We were amazed by the pasta. Spent the day with Adam, an American backpacker. We visited the Roman Forum. Roma is incredible by night which we got to experience walking from the Piazzo del Popollo to the Trevi Fountain. During the walk, we got to see the Spanish steps and  the coliseum lit up. Wonderful day and immensely exhausting. 

Roma

Kari and I just arrived at our hostel thanks  to their excellent directions! Now we are freshening up and preparing o go out for our first Italian meal here in Italia:) 

Day one for Kari

It was a joyful reunion this morning at Newcastle airport! We spent four hours in York before headed off to Manchester airport. Now we wait and sleep until check in at four am. Happy to be starting our travels together:)

A day at the fair

This morning, Mary, Chris, and I headed off to the Northumberland County Show. This is similar to the county fairs we have back home in Minnesota. It was a fun event, although we had to wait in quite a bit of traffic to get there. The first thing we did was get a pork and apple sauce roll. Very tasty. Speaking of food, we embraced the taste tasting at the food tent. I loved the oysters and cinder toffee. Of course, I had them separately. Most of the time, we spent watching an impressive horse jumping competition. However, we also got to see the Devil's Horsemen perform as well as a competition in side saddle riding. I snapped some great photos over the course of the day. In the evening, they took me to the Badger, which is a nice restaurant just north of Newcastle. I got a wild mushroom dish topped with whipped goat's cheese. It was delicious. I probably should have spent the day preparing for Rome, but how could I have passed up a day like today:)

Tonight, I will be running around like crazy getting everything set to go. I have to catch the 6:53 train in the morning to Newcastle and sort some things out there before heading out to the airport to meet Kari at 8:35. Then, we will be off to York for several hours and eventually will make our way over to Manchester Airport where we are spending the night. Good thing I know where there are quieter areas to sleep;)

So long, farewell. Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight.
I may have watched the Sound of Music last night:)

Gettin stuff done!

Tonight, I purchased train tickets from London to Alnmouth for July 6. This will be the last leg of travel before we head home on July 10. Purchasing these tickets in advance saved me 150 quid! Major savings there:)

I conversed with Kari, making sure she is set to go, as she is boarding a plane tomorrow. Can't wait to see her! Although, I had to battle many wifi issues, we got everything discussed and figured out.

For supper, I made the best sandwich I have ever had in my whole life. I am such a great cook;) seriously, I am. I am crap when it comes to baking. But for cooking, I am a flavor master! I sauted wild garlic (picked on my walk today), pea shoots, onions, and mushrooms in oil olive, butter, and Brie. Then, I placed it onto a Rustica bun and topped it with cranberry jelly and Brie. It was heaven for my taste buds!

This evening, I also confirmed reservations for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tickets for Kari and I on Thursday at 11:30. Very excited:)

Anyways, not really sure how I will spend the rest of the night, but tomorrow I am attending the Northumberland County Show! So, that will be exciting and interesting to compare to the county fairs back home.

Blessings

This weekend has been most wonderful! The weather has been warm and sunny so everyone is delighted! 

Last night, Richard and Carol took me deep up into the Cheviot hills just a couple miles south of Scotland to Alwinton. There we had a lovely sandwich and presecco picnic by a babbling brooke surrounded by the hills speckled with sheep. A most beautiful scene. Then, we attended a music concert exploring the sounds of the lute, violin, knee violin, cornet, and guitar. The musicians were incredibly talented. Two of them can be heard on the soundtrack of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Much of the music they played were Northumbrian tunes from all the back to the 12 century to the 18 century. Overall, it was a lovely evening. 

This morning, I took a walk through the gorgeously green pasture and then got groceries. At church during family news and notices, I announced Kari and I's accommodation predicament for the weekend of Lady Melissa Percy's Wedding. After the service was over, a lovely elderly couple offered to room is for two nights and another couple offered to room us for the last night. Both couples insisted on picking us up and dropping us off at the airport as well. So I am feeling very blessed that we will be taken care of in June during the wedding! :) 

Pictures from Portugal!

Faro

Quinta da Regaleira: 

The first reason why I wanted to come to Portugal!

View from Quinta da Regaleira

Loved just walking from my hostel into town

Picnic in the hostel estate

Streets of Sintra

My favorite sunset walk

Pena Palace

Looking over Sintra

My carriage ride through the grounds of Pena

Hillside on the way to the Castle

Castle of the Moors

Pictures from Greece!

 Embracing the cypress horizon

Paleokastritsa

 Corfu Town

Sunsets in Paleokastritsa!

Boat tour to the caves

Clear water of Platakia Bay

Monastery

The Last Night Out with Chris and Sara

Natasha and Nikos

The rocky beach of Platakia

View from Pool Bar

Harbor of Paleokastritsa

In Alnwick once again

My homestay family was waiting for me at the station! It was a happy reunion! They had me over for tea and biscuits before dropping me off at the super market. Its really weird being back in England. Not to mention freezing. It was sleeting when I got off the train and its just 5 degrees Celsius. Ridiculous! It looks different because the leaves came out while I was gone. I am loving all the green! At the store, I picked up some fruits, vegetables, and bread. Once back at the castle, I checked in with the guards who were quite confused thinking I had gone back to America. After that was straitened out, I talked to Wade and he assigned me to a room up in Hunter's Block. Far away from my old room in Lion's Tower. O well. He is really busy with the new students and the alumni group which is visiting the castle. So, I might not get access to my bags and laptop for awhile yet. But, I really want to upload some pictures from all my adventures in Greece and Portugal! Tonight, I hope to go to David's class again if it is being taught tonight. I was enjoyed his class:) So, I will keep things posted about my ongoings as I prepare for Kari and I's big trip starting on Tuesday!!

Close to home.

In the last week I have spent 37 hours in an airport either in Manchester, Faro, or Kerkira Airports. And guess what. I am staying over night in Manchester Airport again on Tuesday night with Kari before we head out to Rome. Last night in Faro was pretty good because they didn't have any flights leave or arrive from 10 pm to 6 am . So the airport was really quiet and they shut off half of the lights. The costa coffee employee said I could sleep on the costa couches over night so I got out my sleeping bag and that's what I did. Sleeping over in airports really hasn't been bad at all. Now just two train rides stand between me and the castle. It almost feels like going home now since Alnwick is so familiar to me. 

I can't wait to settle back into castle life for a short time. I also am really excited to upload the pictures from the last three weeks! :) 

Palaces of Sintra

Well I know exactly where to start: exhaustion. It was a marvelous day yesterday but I was drained of energy. It seriously took all of my will power and might just to get ready before crawling into bed.

Yesterday morning, I talked with some travelers over our breakfast. Hamman, Dina, Ora, and Akiva were a unique grouping as they were two Jews traveling together with two Palestinians. They said they were making peace on behalf of their countries. I also met a girl from Mexico, Karla, who rooms with me along with a young woman and her daughter from Brazil. In addition, I met an interesting couple the day before. She was from Bulgaria and living in Sweden, while he was from America and living in Austria. It's always so great to meet people from all over the world and observe the differences in lifestyles.

As far as what I did goes. Late morning, I walked through Sintra to the bus station to catch a touring bus to Pena Palace and Castle of the Moors. First, I went to Pena Palace. It was beyond anything I could ever express in words. The architecture was more middle eastern than anything else which was neat. The vast estate was my favorite part. It's always my favorite part of touring castles and great stately homes. There were trails and all sorts of fountains, gardens, and wells hidden amongst the forest. Needless to say, it was fun to explore. Just as I was about to head over to the other attraction, I

discovered that an hour long carriage ride throughout the park. was 7 Euro. So, of course, I stayed for awhile more! It was just the driver and I the whole time and I even got to drive a bit! It was so neat to experience the park the way the Portuguese royalty would have enjoyed it. 

It was nearly six pm before I went over to the Castle of the Moors. I didn't spend a long time there. However, the views were spectacular and it was fun to walk along the wall overlooking all of Sintra! Then, I caught the bus down the mountain and went to a small outdoor cafe restaurant where I got a Portuguese specialty: sausage cooked in burning brandy served with traditional bread. I had sangria with it. It was a tasty meal. But, I need to start remembering that meat is often not the quality that I would prefer. This is where I realized how spoiled I am with my lean venison diet at home. Afterward, I headed back to the hostel and collapsed into bed. 

This morning, I will be preparing to leave this afternoon. It is a little sad to leave Sintra but I am so glad I came to experience this unique town. At around noon, I will walk over to the train station and catch a train into Lisbon, where I will catch the 14:39 train to Faro. Once in Faro, I will go over to the bus station and get a bus to the airport, where I will be waiting until my check in time at 4 am. After landing in Manchester, I will get on a train back to York and then a train to Alnmouth, where my home stay parents are picking me up! So that's the agenda. And first comes my delicious breakfast of varied fruit and muesli:) 

Probably won't be posting until I am back at Alnwick again on Thursday evening! 

Pena Palace gardens

Castle of the Moors

My cooking meal

Quinta dos Lobos

This morning the hostel served a nice breakfast and then I spent the remaining hours of the morning exploring and enjoying the grounds. The estate is one of the oldest in all of Sintra.

This afternoon I got groceries and had a picnic out in the grounds. I don't think that I will be touring anything today. However, I went on two walks through Sintra and will probably go on another one this evening. It's been just a relaxing day!

 

Tomorrow, I plan to tour Castle of the Moor and Pena Palace.

The large old pool makes for a perfect picnic spot!:) 

Sintra

The land of palaces.

I am so glad I decided to come to Portugal to see this city! I am loving every second of exploring its beauty! 

The following pictures are from Quinta da Regaleira!

Good morning faro

View from my room. Just about to head out for the train station! 

A good nights sleep

Finally feeling refreshed and well rested! Today I am taking trains out to Sintra, where I will be for the next couple days. Hopefully my travels run well! I haven't really seen much of Portugal yet because I took a taxi from the airport straight to the hostel and it was dark. Looking forward to maybe viewing some scenery during the train rides. 

Pretty sunset flight to Faro!

Faro

Just arrived safely at my hostel! Very tired and heading straight to bed! 

Waiting---

Overall, my overnight stay in Manchester Airport wasn't so bad. It was a long 22 hours that's for sure, but it wasn't dreadful. 

By 2 pm on Saturday, I had hit the 'What am I going to do with myself?' stage hard. Somehow, i pushed through. Even sooner, I had reached the point of not caring about how I looked whether I was spread across four chairs or sprawled on the concrete floor while trying to get some sleep. I am sure I got some odd stares.. Haha. 

Although I only got three hours of sleep last night and only two the night before, I managed to remain wide awake and alert by fueling myself well with coffee and food! 

Manchester Airport

Ten hours down, twelve to go! I am happy that I did get 3 hours of sleep. I am going to try for more but it can get quite loud. Time is passing pretty slow but at least it's moving steady! Ha. But, I have nearly used up my hour of free wifi so maybe tonight if the hostel has wifi I will report on my first experiences in Faro!  If you think you are having a slow day... Think again! Ha:)

The last of Hellas

Yesterday was muggy and overcast. I am glad my last beach day was on Wednesday. Last night, Chris and Sara took me out to their favorite restaurant, the Dolphini. I had pita gyros, which were delicious. It was a lovely evening. 

This morning was my last in Corfu, Greece. My time in Paleokastritsa  has been a special experience but its time for new adventures else where. Tonight, I fly to Manchester, England where I am staying the night at the airport. Tomorrow night, I fly to Faro, Portugal. I might not have Internet for a while so don't worry if you don't hear from me. 

Thoughts,

Yesterday marked the 125th day I have been away from home. That is also the number of journal entries I have. For the first time in my life, I started a diary and kept with it for more than five days. I am really proud of my achievement because its been a great way to document my travels. I know many years from now I will enjoy reading and looking back to this time. 

As I have been gone over four months now, I have put together a list of things that will be odd and unfamiliar when I come back home:

- not having to rely on public transportation. I don't think most Americans realize just how much driving is part of our American culture. I really miss it. 

- not being able to buy or drink alcohol. It's not like I need it but its  just nice to be considered responsible enough to have it. 

- having a cell phone. At the moment, I always need wifi to contact anyone. Calling people will also be a convenient luxury I am not used to having.

- waking up in a familiar place. The first morning I woke up in England, I was so disoriented. Haha. It was a Where am I? moment! 

- hearing English all the time. I am going to miss listening to the foreign sounds. I would love to hear English from a foreign standpoint just to listen to what it sounds like without understanding it.

- being around friends and family! I am very much looking forward to this! However, I will miss meeting new people from all over the world everyday. 

- working at a job and actually having hard homework. Lets face it. These last few months have been cake when it comes to hard work. Hopefully, I will be able to buckle down and focus on getting things done. 

- the fast paced American lifestyle. It's much slower over here in Europe. There usually isn't a rush to do anything. Except for driving, then they are crazy fast and impatient! Haha. 

- personal care products. When you are living out of a backpack and often flying, you can't bring much. So, you just have get used to not using hair products and wearing minimal make up. 

- having stuff in general. I only have the essentials which has made me realize how little I actually need in life. 

- normal everyday life. I have changed so much through my experiences abroad. It might take some time for me to readjust. 

Even though it might be strange at first, it is going to be great being back home in July! I can't wait to rediscover Minnesota and catch up with friends and family!:)

A picture I drew for Nikos and his family. It's their view of Platakia Bay. It's not much, but I know they will love it! 

Another day in paradise...

At the Apollon, I had a Greek meze lunch. Nummy as before! Then I walked up to the monastery and spent two hours just relaxing and enjoying the gardens there. Okay, I also did some people watching too! It's so interesting when people are from all over the world. Eventually, I had to leave because they were shutting down for the afternoon. Most places shut down for several hours in the afternoon so people can rest. So, I picked up some fruit and juice on my way back.

On the beach, I was sun tanning and some Spanish men and their girlfriends were playing around the water not really wanting to get too wet. I found it funny and I was warm from the sun so sorta to spite them and to cool off I went running in. Whof. It was chilly, more than normal. I swam all the way out to the rocks, climbed up, jumped off, and swam back to shore. The wind was so gusty that I didn't stay out too much longer. I was shivering despite the sunshine. Although, I did enjoy the spanish music hits that they were playing for a little while. 

In the evening, I went up to the Belvedere Pool Bar and spent some time with Nikos' family. Natasha made me a popular drink the Greeks often enjoy. It's made with Fanta and is very citrusy. I liked it. Fay and Spiros were working on homework together.  I watched USA Baseball highlights on the TV. I even got to view glimpses of the Twins! Very Minnesota proud:) Later on, Nikos made me some mushroom soup with pita bread! Pita bread tastes so much more amazing here! It was a nice, quiet evening except for when Spiros was a little wound up and crazy. I really get a kick out of that wild, wide eyed kid. 

At the moment, I am sitting and enjoying a Greek coffee while listening to people exchanging morning Kala Maras and a Coldplay hit. It's perfect:) 

 (somehow Coldplay music always works it's way into all my holidays! Ha)

Yamas

That's cheers in Greek. My knowledge of the language here doesn't go much beyond that! Haha.. 

It was another relaxed beach day for me. You know you are tan when the locals start thinking you are Greek. 

Not really much else to report! Well I suppose I could share some interesting tidbits about Greece:

- clothes in general are sorta optional. Especially on the beach. I have seen couples skinny dipping together at 11 in the morning. Overall, it doesn't bother me at all. It's just the way they do things. 

- over half the men on the island are either named Spiros or George after the two most renown saints of Corfu. This makes learning names so much easier. Haha. 

- toilet paper cannot be flushed and they don't have shower curtains or doors. As a result, the whole bathroom gets soaked. You get used to it.

- there is not a right or wrong way to spell something. Anything goes! I love that because I have always been terrible at it. 

- the Greek coffee is like sugary mud! And I love it! :)

Sara my apartment neighbor holding a wildflower she found on the way back from the beach. Doesn't it look like a bouquet of flowers instead of a single bloom? Just exquisite!! 

Received much news today from home:) it was lovely to hear about the family! 

Greece souvenir

Buying long sleeves.. Keeping the fact that I live in Minnesota in mind:) 

Lazy days

It poured while I was here at the cafe yesterday so I got a toastie while waiting for it to slow!! Spent all day reading and relaxing in my room. Relishing the quiet and privacy because it will be hard to come by when I start hosteling. Today there are sun showers which have been neat to experience here!! More lazy plans today! With Mother's Day and Dad's birthday, I am really missing home! But, in less than two months now, I will be home!! 

Routines

After my Meze meal and Greek coffee at the taverna on Thursday, I fell into temptation and ended up down by the beach swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing! At this point, I don't really care if I turn to toast. I am just embracing it. The snorkeling went much better since I got to use Sara's mask instead of Chris'. It made all the difference. The other one leaked so bad because it was way to big for my face. Without having to worry about that issue, it was much more enjoyable and I got to see so much more. I spent the evening at the pool bar drinking Greek coffee and visiting.

On Friday morning, I woke up at 6:30 and watched the sunrise. It was a magnificent display of pastel colors over a cypress horizon. Just beautiful. It was an excellent way to start off the day. I headed down to Apollon Taverna and got Greek coffee. Yes, I know I know there seems to be a trend. Haha. I love the coffee here. It's like sugary mud. In the afternoon, I jammed out to my favorite tunes before heading down to the beach for some swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing. What can I say, I am a creature of habit, just like my Mom! After I had my fill of sunshine, I came back to my room to fill my stomach with fruit and bread. A traveler's diet. Fruits carry lots of water, perfect when water can be scarce or undrinkable. Bread is cheap and lasts a long time without going bad.

Friday night, I went up to the pool bar and Nikos invited me for a free spaghetti dinner along with the other holiday guests. Also, I got to try a flaming crab dish. It wasn't just spicy , it was actually on fire!! It was like a small bonfire at the table for several minutes. It was delicious!

Saturday morning, I went hiking up to Bella Vista, Krini, and Angelokastro via the Donkey Trail. The views were well worth the trek. In the late afternoon, I had a siesta nap. Then, went to the restaurant for a snack and called it an early night after a chat with Chris and Sara. The hike was exhausting.

This morning, I had my usual at the Apollon to check up and check in using the Internet.

Well that's the run down about what I've been doing, but here is what I have been thinking. Sometimes as I travel I lose sight of what's important. It's not about where you have been or even what you see so much. It's really about what each place can teach you. One must be careful not to let it turn into a photo shoot with famous sights in the background. Being in Greece has taught me generosity. The people I have met here, especially Nikos' family, have really gone beyond what is expected. Overall, I am excited for all the experiences I will encounter throughout the rest of my travels. Of course, not every experience will necessarily be a positive one but that's all apart of the bigger picture.

As much as I love living abroad, sometimes I just long for a day at home surrounded by family and friends! :) Wishing you peace in your hearts.

Kerkyra palace

Built by the English!

Meze

This is a Greek lunch! Num!

Fun in the sun!

Tuesday I spent the day in Corfu Town. I walked through the Esplanade and along the Liston, sat enjoying the palace, hiked around the Old Byzantine Fort, explored the narrow streets lined with shops, enjoyed a sweet Corfiot pastry, and bought a sporty Greece zip up sweater. While out and about, I had never seen so many polo club or Ralph Lauren shirts in my lifetime. They were everywhere I looked! Chris and Sara also drove me up to the Bella Vista spot on Mt. Arakli looking over Paleokastritsa! It was stunning and quite an exciting drive to get up and down with all the hairpin bends.

After we got back to our apartments, I left for the super market and picked up a 1.5 litter bottle of wine. Chris and Sara hand me try it earlier and the dry red was so smooth and tasty. It is made just two villages away! I then made noodles with a red sauce with a side of bread and olives with tzatziki. It was a delicious meal. I walked up past the monastery to a viewpoint to watch the Ionian sunset. T of the monastery dogs followed me out and we played together. My face was thorough licked. I watched the sun sink in the sky with a horizon of golden cliffs and a shining sea. I returned to my room and sat out on the balcony as dusk set in while enjoying another glass of wine.

Yesterday was beautifully sunny. Perfect for spending the day on the beach! I first walked to another bay to catch a boat tour of paleo! It was nice to be out on the water in a boat. I got to go into three different sea caves and view the lion's head cliff outcropping. We were out for 35 minutes and it was only 7 euros. The rest of the morning and afternoon I spent on the beach. Platakia doesn't have any sand just pebbles so moment of the tourists go to a different beach, which is nice because it makes it more relaxing for me! I went snorkeling again and saw lots of fish! But I can't go for very long before the goggles start leaking because the mask is too big for me. I swam out to some rocks in the middle of bay and took in the view from there. I sorta became an attraction for the touring boats because they were taking pictures of me perched up high. So, I smiled and waved before I threw myself off and went crashing deep into the azure water below me. What a rush!

Last night, a storm came rolling in from the east. It was cool to see the lightning crack and hear the thunder rumble. It was peaceful to sit out on the balcony as the rain fell.

Today looks like its going to be sunny and hot. The glittering bay is calling my name and I wish I could spend the day on the beach again but I don't think my slightly burned skin would appreciate that. So, I am going to enjoy the view from the shade and hit a taverna for some wifi since I don't get any at the apartment any more! There is only one thing left that I want to do before leaving Corfu and that is to hike up to Bella vista and to Angelokastro which is the ruins of an old Byzantine fortress. But, I am not in a rush. I am in Greece for anther week:)

Hope all is well back home! Heard the weather finally is looking up for everyone!

Corfu Town

Spent the day hiking the old fort and exploring the capital of the island. I really enjoyed all the narrow streets and street shops.