Cortona: monday tues wed

Monday the 5th
Got to Cortona with no problem. Walked around the square, ate some gelato, took in the view, bed really early.

Tuesday the 6th
Walked around with two american guys for a couple hours. Found the gelato I had been looking for. It made me go "this is really good.", not "I hope I find that gelato everyone talks about." It was melon gelato.

Will go get my camera and go take some pics now that I've gotten a bit of a feel for Cortona.

The paris hostels are all booked up. I managed to book one day for the 14th and am just going to stake my bets on a HI hostel that you just have to show up in the morning for.

wed
took a daytrip with a german women to a wine loving hill town called moltopuchiano (not how itsspelled, how it sounds)

it took about an hourandahalf to get there, so got to see a lot more of tuscany. great veiws at the town. had no wine, but took tons of pics.

Yes, there is one reason why I wanted to go here and I won't be ashamed. Everyone has reasons for going everywhere and it often is because of a book, magazine, movie,picture or guidebook. And maybe it was from someone else, but can you tell me they didn't get it from a book, magazine, movie, picture or guidebook?

So with my copy of "under the tuscan sun" in my pack I will go, probably monday.

Perugia: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

My body officially does not appreciate extreme weather changes. I went from hot Italy to cold Switzerland, to cool Paris and am now back in Italy and not feeling fantastic. I feel a lot like I did the night before I got sick in London. My stomach hurts, my chest is congested, and my head is getting stuffy... but I am happy to be back in Perugia with my fantastic view from my room and my 1 euro an hour internet cafe so I can empty my cards once again.

Last night I stood at the window of my room, my reflection blending in with Perugia and the lights on the surrounding hills...
"Michelle! You get to write in Tuscany(umbria)!"
"Everyone writes in Tuscany(umbria)" I snapped back to myself
*pause* *shakes head* Ok. Forgetting that the place you wish you were is PARIS *cough* You are not writting a guidebook or novel (as much as you like to daydream that you are)- you are journaling- writting in your diary. And don't worry, in 3 to 4 weeks you will be in the uncharted journalistic territory of Roland and can sell millions of copies with your descriptions about the Velkommen sign at sunset.

I had this nightmare vision of me spending all my free time in Chicago searching obsessivly for a cheap flight deal to Paris for my next vacation, so I started journaling, it's been a little while since I have. My room has a wood desk and chair just made for a little before bed reflection.

Wed: Today is a internet day and I'm ok with that because I don't think I'll be having more than this. I was thinking of my bag and camera as having to travel with a child- having to take care of it, watch it, make sure it is ok and safe, people pay more attention to you when you have it... until I was on the night train to Florence on monday night and a french women came in with an actual child (adorable 7 month old baby). My backpack and camera are nothing like a baby. Aww, babies. So lovely. Infants scare the heck out of me, but a 6-8th month baby is fantastic. So little and squirmy. They can't walk so they can't run away, they can't talk so they annoy you a little less. They just sit there all little and precious and bounce and make cute noises. There were three other backpackers, a somewhat weird canadian girl who looked and acted like she was 18 and two guys from oklahoma and we all kind of fell for the baby. The girl and I were always ready to help out and hold him if needed, the guys would let the baby hold their hand or stare at them. Because baby vibes are healing and good. As long as they dont cry- and this baby didn't at all.

The only thing I am doing today other than this is getting some veggies. I've found I like pasta a lot more than I thought I did, and (of course) it's incredibly cheap here- so I eat a lot of it. I am not a huge fan of Italian cuisine- too much cheese and cream. But a small pocket of it I adore. Lamb, Pasta, articokes, pesto, a little cheese, fresh fruit, gelato. I need veggies.

Went out with a french girl to see the night life of Perugia because she feels you havent really seen a city if you havent seen it at night. It was kind of a slow night, but i liked it.

Thursday: Went to Assisi. It was nice.
it is strangely windy and cold here. winter coat weather.

Friday: Rained buckets today.

Most of the shops, including the grocery store was bizzarly shut this morning. No reason. I asked around but havn't the italian and those I talked to either didnt have the english or knowledge as to why. Some shops have opened now, its like threefourths of the town decided to stay in until the rain let up a little. (found out it was a local holiday of some kind)

Was a little vulnerable on the street so I found a caffe and asked for camomile tea- got dargeeling. Caffiene. Stood at the counter because it was cheaper and drank the pot. Walked to the only town hall and pretended to be a part of a torino tour group so I could get out of the rain. Found another open cafe with lots of tables and chairs and journaled for 2 hours. Figured a few things out that I needed to.

I wont go into it now- but in conclusion- I am not a victim. Not a walking target.
Not a dumb, stupid, stuttering klutz. I am a brunette, but will accept that I am a temporary blond in other countries.
I am a beautiful, strong, competent, talented, intellegent woman and I will view myself as such. The end.

Will now go see if the grocery store is open.

It was not. Wandered around up and down main street. Left my unbrella on a bench. Realized I had abandoned it and 45 minutes it was still there. I guess unbrellas are safe here.

There is a movie theater between the street where I use the internet and my hostel. And I had seen a few time the poster for the Da Vinci Code... maybe perhaps it was not dubbed? I practiced and practiced )well 4 times) movie dubbed? in italian. but there were a lot of people and the desk women were impationant. I couldnt get an answer. Parlay englase? no? cinema dubio? no answer, shes helping the next person. I got from the desk girl that it was subtitled. not dubbed? no. subtitled? some of it. excellent.
Turns out it was subtitled for the FRENCH parts. and was very much dubbed.
So I watched all of The Da Vinci Code in Italian.

I had been planning on walking out when I couldnt pick up anything anymore- but thats the thing about action movies and movies based on talked about books... I wasn't too confused... a little annoyed with the poor sad Sophie music and the high pitched Italian they chose to dub Audrey Tatou's voice... and Tom Hanks hair was truly terrible... but I picked up on most of it.

and it was kind of meh. I don't really blame the movie or actors for that- just the material.

When you found out (suprise suprise) Sophie is a decendent of Jesus I just groaned. How many times have I heard that one? sorry for anyone who didn't want to know or hasnt seen it. But the second you get that sad sap parents died when she was 4 story is it really a suprise?
And if it's this huge secret the church will do anything to cover up- why do they put a fat puffy faced priest in charge and have a mental patient do all their dirty work and they all follow a crazed professor? And why would a group of cops and bankers care about covering up the fact that jesus was married and had a kid? What exactly would they loose?
I sat there thinking this, this is what the big hallaballo was over?
Why did everyone waste so much time and energy making this book so controversial and discussing and discussing and discussing it? Much worse things have been said about Jesus and this was, even if it got some stuff from history, a fiction book. Seriously. The writer used the bloodlines card as the big reveal.
"Impossible" Sophie says when Tom Hanks tells her, her "shocking" blood line.
"It's not impossible Sophie. It's actually the most obvious. Every freaking story with some girl or boy with a dead or missing parent story also has the accursed bloodline issue as well."
I'll admit, it is tempting to throw in that whole bloodline thing. The mystery! The big secret! The shocking revelation! "She decends from such and such." "They are brothers!" "She is actually her mom! Oh. who. cares?
How about everyone keep the parents and bloodlines and family situation they have and have to deal with them?
I almost did it in one of my stories (maybe V and M are actually brother and sister so M is actually from royal blood!) then decided it was a horrible, unoriginal idea and vowed to never ever use the bloodlines card.
That poor card has such little life left after all the string of shows and stories with secret evil organizations. M was going to have to stay in her slave bloodline.
I'll have to come up with something else. Like all the nuts all the slave folk eat gives them secret powers! heh heh heh. Oh stupid story.


Saturday: It was still quite cold. I was prepared with my coat and sweater. I used the net (need to get accomadation for next 2 weeks), called turtle for an hour, walked for three hours. Bought a book- Bella Tuscany (the second one to under the tuscan sun) for just 11.30 euros.

Got back at 5 and cooked a lot. Plotted out what I would see in Paris. Read a little, Went to bed early. I don't feel sick anymore.

Sunday: It is sunny today. I read on the church steps, snacked on my pasta, walked around with two girls who are leaving for croatia today.

I decided on Tuscany/Umbria (and missing Paris)

After an absurd amount of thinking about it, I decided to go back to Tuscany. Going back to Spain had to much "I should" wrapped into it, there will be plenty of things I should and have to do when I get back.

Monday
I checked out of the hostel and walked out with my backpack and a garbage bag I had just thrown everything in. My coat hadnt dried very well so I went to the laundramat and as it dried I got everything out of the garbage bag and organized myself. Checked mail and made sure no wwoofers had written me, nope.

Went to the station and called my family. I was going to spain. No, I was going to Italy. But I like France. But I should start to learn Spanish. But the sun is hot in italy. What if I choose Italy and I loose a leg? The people in Paris are pretty and I like France, but I have a train day left and I really want to use it. Opps the train to Madrid just left, oh I'll get the next one. I want to stay in one place. I want to travel. I really liked the view in Perugia, I wanted to write there. But I could write in Spain and start to learn a little Spanish. back and forth and round and round. I usually make decisions, for the most part, fairly well. Movies, food, where I want to go or do, clothes- all fine. But if I come to a fork in the road for what I feel to be big decisions my brain shorts out. My family was nice to me.

At the end I was going back to Italy, to Tuscany/Umbria. It was the one place I really felt like I was leaving too soon, hadnt seen nearly all I wanted to. I really liked Spain, but I felt like I had said goodbye for now and was good with that. I was going to spend a week in Perugia, see Assisi, spend a few days in Cortona, maybe even go to Florence, Lucca and then get a cheap flight to London after 22 days. It would be relaxed and cheap and all I would worry about was writing in my journal, getting groceries (but not too many- i really am on a budget now), and walking. There were no booked hostels, trains to the next place are less than 5 euros, and the my only deadline was june 21st to fly back to london.

So I went to the Bercy station, looking around me and trying to take more in of Paris and it wasn't happening because part of me wanted to forget the train pass, throw my things in storage and walk around for 4 days. I had one metro pass left, I could run to the eiffel tower- maybe even take a picture. I hadnt taken any pictures of Paris.
I was wanting to just and the travel fairy was good to me, the night train to florence was not full.

Tues-

I am still missing Paris.
Yesterday I was searching to see how easy it would be to get a flight to Paris from Italy and I would have to go to Milan 30 or so euros, the flight would be about 35 euros, and then the bus to london would be 30. So 100 euros to get back to Paris and then to london. As opposed to my original plan to take my sweet time making my way to Pisa or Parma and getting a 20 euro flight back to London.

I had this nightmare vision of me spending all my free time in Chicago searching obsessivly for a cheap flight deal to Paris for my next vacation. I was about to spend all my time in Perugia thinking about Paris. I had done everything there I had planned to do. I ate some bread, walked by the seine- saw the bridges, people watched, walked to the arc de triumph, met up with a friend, met some people, sat in a cafe, saw the park in montmarte where a scene from amelie was filmed, climbed up to the sacre coure, walked through the lourve gardens. It was 5pm and my train to Florence left at 7pm... "I will just jump on the metro, run to the eiffel tower, buy some post cards, take a picture and run back."
Absolutly not. The eiffle tower is on the other side of town. You know the rule, an hour and a half before a night train leaves, you and your flighty always-late self is planted in the station. This is the last day your train pass is valid, if you miss this train you are stuck in Paris for 20 days.
That could be ok...
Yes it could. But you really, really wanted to go back to Tuscany/Umbria because 2 days wasnt enough. You want to go say goodbye to Italy because you feel you havent. You have a great plan, feasible but still relaxed with your current budget. Remember? You already decided that. And you've already reserved your couchette bed for 25 euros.
But I have an unused metro ticket!
Let it be what will get you back to Paris, just like the coin over your shoulder in the Trevi fountain.
Ohhh... that's a good idea. A magic metro ticket. My ticket back to Paris.
my gosh...
.......
I had been looking at a Paris map to get myself into reality and I saw I had only walked through about an 8th of Paris. An 8th, and that was just inside the walled area. It made me incredibly sad. An 8th. I hadn't been too concerned about only being in Paris for 3 full days before. Paris to me had almost been in the same arena as New York and London- hyped to high heavens. I would be fine with never going to New York again. I would be fine with never seeing London again either (though I will be there to get a Marks and Spencers lunchbox and fly back on the fabulous British Airways). If I got offered a free apartment and really sweet job then I'd think about it, but for visiting again, meh. But Paris...
It's not that I want to move to France and learn French or even live in Paris for a few months. It's not that I got there and was swinging a rose around composing poems about the romance and life. The romance of Paris is too hyped to the point of clique... but there is still something about it. I realized there was a reason I like so many movies from Paris- because it is a great city, and I had barely touched it. That was why I was missing it, I hadn't seen EVERY bridge on the siene. Only half of them. I hadn't picked my favorite one like Sabrina did. I didn't skip rocks on Charles bridge. I didn't walk down every street. I hadn't taken a wicker basket and gathered flowers and a baguette. Cripes I had barely walked around.

On sunday I had told Philippe that I was living in Paris. Taking the metro, cooking, doing laundry, running a few errands, researching on the internet, going to a cafe, walking with friends, pretending the eiffel tower doesn't exist like the some of the other Parisians. And I was ok with that because I knew I'd be back. He laughed at my explanation.

And I took no pictures. I just looked at my camera and I just wanted a few camera free days. I just wanted to walk purseless, bagless, free. There are enough pictures of Paris out there in the world. but i could have bought 12 postcards for a 2 euro but didnt because i was with phillipe and we were on a search for a cafe- when you live in paris you don't make the person you are with wait while you patronize a tourist stand. silly goose. should have bought the postcards

I couldn't change the fact that I had to run errands or things to figure out or had a lot of sleep to catch up on. but it was like I had only been there a day and a half. sigh... how clique and common to be yearning after Paris. Even if you are having to watch for pee on the streets, even if it's a modern city with millions of tourists and tons of pickpockets- I walked around and thought "that's a bakery! and that is a cafe! and that's a flower stand! and that's a pretty parisian women wearing a scarve!" You see those things everywhere, but Paris was one of the places where it all started. There is a reason why people love it and miss it.

Paris/ thursday, friday, sat; sun

Paris_
typing on a parisian keybourd is labourious.
this is how that sentence would look at my normal pace...
typing on q pqrisiqn keybourd is lqbourious:
and 2's are é's and m's are ,'s : so needless to say i wont be typing much: i know i could change it but its been two months so i cant remember where everything is-at least on the crazy keybourd i usually find it eventually.

thursday
left the now sunny alps, just got in, am going to bed: plan to do much needed errands sat and the louve or the orsay museum sunday and then i dont have a clue what im doing:i wish i did kinda; but thats what you get when you put things off. =)

friday
i think my first full day in a city is by far my favorite day: I leave my camera in the hostel; i make no plans; i only put toilet paper; a pen; water bottle and a peice of paper in my thai purse and i just walk around and get a feel for the place; In every city I usually have a image; something i associated with the place before hand running through my head non stop: In Rome it was an old Kodak fast film commercial (two american girls in bright clothes traveling in rome see a car with a cardboard sign advertising a city tour: they laugh- should we do it? yeah they agree: Do you need film, the prettier of the two girls asks the other: No I have film: The pretty smart one however grabs KODAK 400 (or 800; i cant remember) film (that probably cost a fortune): So you see the girls zooming around rome precariously in the crazy red car- having the time of their lives and snapping pictures of the colusseum; the forum; and all the other sights: THEN you see them get their film back and smart prettier girl's pics turned out great, while not as pretty girl looks at her pictures glumly "i should have used your film..."
and every time at the end of this commercial i thought - why doesnt not-as-pretty girl just ask her friend to make doubles (they both took hurried pics of the same thing- neither of them were trying to make art) and then they can split the cost of the 50 dollar film from the tourist kiosk? (heh: ok i didnt think the last part 8 years ago; but the thoughts been updated to add that:)
yeah so that was the hamster wheel image for rome, and after a week i was going a bit mad:

Switzerlands image was an obscure film about Heidi (the heidi of the alps) when she is older. Charlie Sheen was Heidi's nowhot and in military uniform childhood friend: She goes to this girls school during the war and after the school is evacuated this evil man for some reason takes her and five girls over a glacier in the alps so he can push them off and kill them. Which also made little sense to me. That seems like a lot of work- to journey over the alps and over a glacier to find a cliff to push them off. It's the mountains, he couldn't find a closer location. I guess they wanted the drama of 5 girls roped together being drug over a glacier and being feed only bread and water (though i always crave bread and water when i think about that movie. I think i may have watched it a lot. I also owned the book. at the end Heidi prevails and Charlie and Heidi KISS on a dark swiss road and then smile and walk back.)

I have quite a few rolling images for paris and they are all fantastic. Amelie, Sabrina (newer one), love me if you dare, happenstance, he loves me- he loves me not, Red, Blue, ( and NOT white), before sunset. It turns out my hostel is two blocks away from the sacre cour (the scene with the park and the carosel and she has the guy follow the arrows to the top of the stairs so she can sneak his albums in his motor bike and not have to speak to him right away. I am sad to say there is no red phone booth in the park, but everything else is there. I sat and watched everyone for awhile (i'll climb the stairs tommorrow) french children are incredibly beautiful. their eyes are so bright and peircing.

I had to get some things by the opera house so I walked around and looked at the statues-there are these green ones that have size twelve feet. That was cool.
The steps are a seating area for the public (I LOVE that about europe; how everywhere the stairs to a well known builiding just become this public meeting place) so i sat for awhile. I realized I was humming lines from "the phantom of the opera" when this parisian turned and stared at me- it's a problem when your by yourself for a long time, in the cinque terre I had a song on my mind and i thought I was completly alone on the trail for a good distance so I burst into song, singing the whole 4 minutes, only to come around the bend and see a guy sitting there "...Thats... a nice song."
"...Thanks. Sorry. *ran away*"
I also sat in a park that has 30 benches in a half moon and everyone had claimed one each for their lunchtime. I started to watch this fasinating couple having a very painful conversation, but then felt bad for treating their emotional pain like a movie to be watched. But it was facinating, better than watching foriegn soap opera: I first saw them enter the park and didnt know they were together right away. She looked like a student- glasses, casual dress, tied up hair. He was in a very sharp buissness suit. Then I saw him say something and she looked back at him sharply and said something short and kept walking quickly and his shoulders hunched up; She sat in a huff on the very end of the bench and crossed her arms, staring firmly ahead and the suit guy sat on the bench and then put his head in his hands- very distressed (that was when i got totally hooked- before i was just trying to decide how they became a couple because they looked quite different... but he looked older, maybe her father... no, a couple. Her professor at law school and secret lover... naw too clique... Oh! Now he is pleading with her... begging her, trying to hold her. She is talking in short words, pulling her arms away-he has done something very wrong and hurt her deeply, her lips are pursed while she talks in french and tries not to cry but nevertheless she is crying. He is leaning into her and touching her arm... I looked away because I knew I shouldn''t be making entertainment out of it. But some popcorn would have made it perfect.

I walked back to the hostel and met Philip, a parisian I had met in the Lisbon hostel. When I had called him the night before the poor guy was the first to get the firm direct michelle "I've had some people not understand we were just hanging out as friends and is this just as friends because thats is all i am interested in" boundry.
I do not feel bad because I wouldn't even have to do this if guys didn't try to cheat the system and avoid being turned down for a date by using deceptive words like "hang out", "hey fellow traveler, wanna go for a walk around the city", "grab some dinner": if they want a date they should bloody ask for a date so I am at least given the chance to say yes or no instead of being pulled into rediculous hair touching and asking me if i've ever had a boyfriend and why not and I should have a boyfriend and what am i thinking, what is on my mind and trying to hold my hand and touching my back as if I havn't crossed streets on my own for 20 years and thinking a kiss is a sure thing just because i am simply there when I never agreed to go on a date with them in the first place and was led to believe it was just casual hanging out.
I am not putting up with it any more. It is a complete waste of my time and theirs. If they want a girl who gets starry eyed and kissy after knowing eachother for an hour they can go find her. (and i still havn't been able to say "i am not attracted to you, i am not interested and here is why... " but i am getting close to that point. no more niceness. because their pea brains would hopefully compute that (or they could think i was a witch and either way i get them to stop trying to make a walk down the sidewalk to get a freaking kebab romantic). the fact that i like being single right now and if I did agree to have a relationship with someone it certainly wouldn't be with the first schmuck who tells me I am attractive does not compute with those boys. Most of them who have tried havn't even gotten one check on the non negotiable list (and it's only like, 10 things- incredibly attractive being #1 ;0) ). Min told me I was too picky and I told her I was ok with being too picky. I don't have a deadline. I am perfectly happy with how things are and I don't like momentary commitment. "I'm going to test you out for a month or a few years and we'll see where it goes." has never appealed to me. They may not understand or respect it but I do and that is enough.)
/end rant

No. didnt say all that to philip. just made sure it wasn't a date in no shape or form. He was very good natured about it. He thought I should write a book about all the guys who have followed me in europe.
He took me to quite a few of the paris overlooks in the department stores, showed me around, and then we went out for indian food (and paid for our own meals). it was a very nice friendly time.

saturday
did all my laundry-16 euros all together. cooked and then went up to the sacre cour steps with a 19 year old brit boy matthew. He was sitting in the kitchen looking bored and drinking wine and was all for walking (i felt no need to give him the is this just friends speech). Especially when he had heard the"every where is romantic" rome story and just groaned "oh gosh". yes. we walked to the arc de triumph; watched the crazy 14 lanes go around it as the sun went down. took the metro back.

sunday.
Have got to figure out where i will be for three weeks france spain italy.

and walk around river with philip

and get some free wine tonight because i gave matthew a metro ticket.

....................................
I refuse to say that i am homesick. I don't get homesick. I get tired. I start to miss a few comforts and feeling. but I have never gotten homesick.
But if I were to be told I could easily change my flight back to be earlier and not be charged I might think about it. I have had a really good trip. I am ready to get things ready for Chicago and form relationships there. I am ready to listen to my music and wear my clothes and hold my pens.
But I have 3 more weeks in Europe and I truly want to take advantage of that... I would just like a home base. that is what i am wanting right now. I really dont want to go home early- I just want to live somewhere for 3 weeks. I dont want to book any more hostels; look up any more train schedules; lug my stuff to 4 more places. I just want to stay somewhere- to know that one place.
I havnt heard back from any of the 7 wwoofers I wrote and its my own fault since I just wrote them a week ago- last minute. My heart wont break if I dont get to wwoof. I just want to be somewhere and to just think about my journal, cooking, walking, possibly working in exchange for a bed. I do not want to think about where I am going next.

I have 2 days left on my train pass (and 3 days before it runs out) to get somewhere.

Italy: The one country where I feel like i missed out on a lot. And everything is so close, so accessible. I could stay in Perugia for a week, Cortona, Lucca, Florence, Assisi. ALl the hostels here are cheap. I would be more than ok with still traveling around in Italy. Men and all. and flights back to london are cheap.

France: I like listening to them. I get followed a little less here. Fresh Mozzerella cheese is only 84 cents at the supermarket. It is very pretty here. It isn't as hot- a big plus.

Spain: I am determined to get serious about learning spanish when I get back. Being here, "living here" for three weeks might very well help with that. It would be like I was paying to learn spanish. Only it would be on the streets, in the shops. But i dont have a phrase book; I could also possibly do this http://www.vaughanvillage.com/
. as well. Meet people from spain.

ugh. this whole wishy washy cloud head debating is what got me here in the first place.

MON
still dont know i thought and thought and wrote pro cons, am now going to the train station and calling my bank so then i'll decide.
on one hand- i will have think and work and relate more than usual, but it will be a change. and it could be very good for me.
on the other- it will be fun, it will be different places and there wont be dander of me yeqrning after italy when i plan my next vacation.

Might not be able to update for quite a while- at least a few days.
michelle

Grindelwald> Tues, Wed

Yep I-m goingto switzerland. Hanging out in Rome one more day Monday/ have no idea what ill do but I will be a little more productive than i was sunday. gardens or ostia antiqua (like pompeii but betterpreserved)

take night train to Bern

Tues
Met a girl,Min; from korea who is my age who was also going to grindelwald:which is high in the alps.

Bern, then an hour train to interlaken and then an hour train to Grindelwald,

Wed
Took the cable car up to First with Min. I dragged my feet becquse i didnt want to pay that much: We werent very prepared with winter gear but it was suprisingly warm amid all the snow. then after a half hour it was alll green. incredible views all the way down once we got out of the snow and fog. My hostel is magical . great food. swity very expensive, but i hqvnt noticed too much because my hostel gives free breakfast and a four course meal if you pay 12.50 cfh about 10 US:


Thur Train to paris. grindelwald to interlaken,then int. to bern, then bern to geneve, then geneve to paris.

got to paris without much incident: am pretty tired; havnt slept well the last couple days: still hqvent figured out what im doing the next 3 weeks: i finally contacted some people four days ago but understandbly havnt heard back:

Rome> Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun

Rome.
WED
I got to my hostel *the pop inn* and as I unpacked and listened to the traffic outside I realized I am quite excited to get to explore rome.

was traveling to rome till 4. its 7 now. will buy some water for tomorrow and get to bed early.

THUR
Rome truly is a great city. I walked from the coluseum (i didn't go in because I am cheap and have heard dozens of dissapointed accounts. and you can walk all around and look in through the gates and see almost everything and save 11 euro), to the forum, to the trevi fountain, to piazza de poplalo, to a view above the city, to some churches in the square, to the panthean, to another piazza, and the campo de fiori.

Despite the traffic and all the tourists it felt very walkable.. The tourists didnt really bother me, sometimes they were comforting, knowing there would always be people on almost any street I went down (until I was in a small gelato store looking at the flavors to decide and 11 fat americans crowded in behind me so I ran away)
I bought water at the SPAR supermarket and they were giving away a free roses. So I walked home with one and watched the sun set over rome and its ruins. A very nice day.

FRI
will walk through the forum today. Am prepared with water and a snack. Then will probably go to st. pauls *I have on a modest skirt that covers the knees and a sweatshirt so I dont get turned away for being a hussy.

actually jjust went to the forum. sat and read and rested

SAT
went to st. peters (though i did take the metro to st. paul first when I got out and was puzzled as to why i was in a rougher neighborhood with no looming cathedral or touristsin sight)
went to the museum and saw the sistine chapel and then the cathedral.

I knew the sistine chapel was at the very end of the museum and so my grand plan was to run to the chapel, see it and then work my way back. But they've got it worked out- esspecially on busy days like sat was that you only get to go one way- they loop you around and around the museum- it took me 2 hours to get through the museum and to the chapel. I got there at 220 and they shut the doors on everyone behind us at 230 /when the museum closes.

there was all these recorded warnings in 10 different lanuages and signs before you enter the sistine chapel that it is a place of worship, no pictures and silence. when you enter the sistine chapel it looks and sounds like a chaotic train station- packed front to back with people- most of the snapping pictures. SHHHH the gaurds kept saying while clapping their hands. Silence please! it only lasted for a second. though the chapel itself was smaller than i expected- i had always invisioned a 10 football field size ceiling and this was like 1 at the most (mabyer two, all the people threw off the scale a bit for me- but i think its one) the ceiling was still incredibly beautiful. Ive seen so many pictures of it but there was quite a few moments of wow, i didnt know that was there. Everyone kept loudly talking and taking pictures and i had the thought that its quite a privilage that we even get to see this. though they wind you through the museum there is plenty to see- thousands of sculpttures and hangings. my favorite was the map hall- more on that later.

the cathedral- was a really big cathedral. and the popes buried in there or embalmed creep me outmore on that later

went out w- a guy from the hostel who had asked me the night before if i wanted to grab some dinner. sure, why not. and it was fine but the night wasnt very relaxed because he hadnt meant grab some dinner. it was lets have a romantic night in rome even though weve just met eachother. when we got back I thanked him for dinner and rang my hostel areas doorbell, rediculous system
He looks at me incredulously/ so i dont get a kiss.
No. ring bell again- did you expect one? I ring the door buzzer again which is not opening
Well ... Yes. he said like an indignant spoilt child.
well im sorry if you got that impression (though i really shouldnt have said that because i gave no impression. i gave the opposite impression. friends. friends.
bah. half of the night was both of us giving eachother hints as to what we wanted/ it was exhausting, only he didn-t pick up on my hints or even my sentences when I flat out said I thought this was just two travelers grabbing dinner and thats what Id prefer. I think i could have given him a document in bold letters and he still wouldnt have gotten it.
what do you want to do on the spanish steps. wink wink. nudge nudge
*take a step to the side* people watch
what do you feel right now (looking at the trevi fountain at night)
nothing. (I know I was supposed to smile and sigh and lean into his arms but i made sure we were standing side by side because i had already gotten 20 hints and was getting so tired of sending them back)
what are your thoughts on the parthenon (romanically said) what are you thinking right now.
Im thinking you need to pick a resturant because weve been walking around for 4 hours and you keep saying your hungry but then you dont pick a resturant
The next guy at a hostel who asks me to explore a city with him is going to get a clear boundry before we even step foot to leave. and if i make less friends so bloody be it. rediculous. though w/ an aussie all id need to say was as friends? and they would say Yeeah, as maates. because aussies are awesome. and a brit would say. a little offended like Well, yes of course, and then they would say something somewhat loving and jabby and maybe a teeny bit mean but witty. because brit boys are lovely.

I am not being nice anymore. Ill even flat out tell them I am not attracted to them/ guppy fish who cant be firm and pick a resturant, cant enjoy all the amazing sites around him because hes trying to force romance and make every one seem romantic, cant addapt to crossing streets like an italian and we have little in common, and he thinks Im very strange but he still wants to kiss me? bah. american boys. i-ll forgive them as a whole later.

i ve forgiven american boys and i feel better now. water and chicken and bread makes everything better. an actual meal does.

sun
laid around on my bed feeling sick because it is the 21st and that is how I feel on the 21st. Booked an overnight train to Switzerland.

MON
I was sitting in the hostel looking at a map and trying to decide if I had enough time to walk up to this park and I heard some people talking about Bill (the stupid boy I walked around Rome with) and how he annoyed them and this australian said "He just kept complaining about this girl he spent money on." I didn't get to hear any more because the blond girl knew I was "this girl" and she must have given an eye message to the australian guy because they abruptly changed subjects. SPENT MONEY ON! I told him before we walked out the door that I pay for my own food. I gave him money. HE WOULDN'T TAKE IT. We argued. Neither of us would budge. I told him he wasnt my boyfriend, this was just two people grabbing dinner and I was paying. He wouldn't let me have the bill. He forced me to let him pay. and it was 6 EUROS. I was supposed to kiss him for 6 euros? It's not as bad as the guys who think a girl should sleep with them if they pay for dinner but it is still pretty bad. and for 6 euros that I could have paid myself and WANTED to and tried to... this is why some girls DON'T let guys pay for them because there are idiots out there with idiotic delusions and bad mindsets. 6 euros...

Took some pics of the coluseum, Walked through the forum to get some gelato- talked to a couple from california, walked to the trevi fountain and tossed 1 coin in over my shoulder so I could come back to rome.

Naples: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Naples:
Sunday: 11-2 train to rome
3-5 train to naples
6-7 local train. jumped on a fast one that passed the stop I wanted so I got a bit of a naples tour. When I realized this I got off at the next stop, 20 minutes out of my way, I went to buy another ticket since my hour one had expired. When I walked to the ticket window the 40ish yearold teller's face brightened and he opened his arms. "HELLO!" he explained- completly taking away my delusion that I might blend in more since I'm so tan. No, I am very still obviously a north american. I've long ago stopped trying to figure out what gives it away. I am just a "blond" american. "where are you from?" he asked as he sold me the ticket and his younger partner looked at me and smiled and asked if I was from New York
"no, the midwest"
"ah, well you are a very lovely girl"
"grazi." I'm not going to count him on my hit-on list because the way he reacted to me just walking up to the window made me kind of smile

got to my naples hostel, got everything worked out, and was safe and sound in my room by 8

Monday: I had planned to go to Capri today, with the hope that i would meet another lone traveler or couple to go to pompeii with tuesday, since walking around the ruins occasionally by myself with a camera didn't appeal to me. There are 3 ferries from sorrento that go there. 7am, 10:40am, and 2pm. I woke up at 6:30 without an alarm, took a shower, did internet, had breakfast... but then realized it was 9 and it is a 40 min. train ride to sorrento. i would make it if I hurried. but I forgot my shorts in my locker. I forgot this. I forgot that. I kept on having to walk into the room to grab something else. I walked quickly to the station but realized I had no bottled water, so I resigned myself to the fact that there was no way I would mak ethe 10:40 ferry. and just 3 hours at capri seemed a bit of a waster. I would go to Pompeii. there should be enough crowds that I would be fine.

I bought an ugly straw hat for 5 euros. rather extravagant for me to spend so much on a hat I hate. on a hat. but I had read 15 people die in pompeii a year from the heat (pompeii has very little shade or water stations). I also bought a 2 euro yellow unbrella (parasole) just in case. I got fruit and bread and sat at the station when two little blond girls walked past me. I knew them. I knew them because I had been yearning after their pizza in the hostel dining room the night before. I kept casting furtive glances at it, considering walking up to them and giving them a euro for a slice half a slice. you can get a whole pizza here for 3 euro easily. but it was 9pm and i didn't really feel like hightening my adrenaline by going out in the dark in naples. you aren't really encouraged to go out at night in naples.

I went and asked them if they were staying at the fabric hostel. yes they were. it turned out the ferry to capri situation had gotten them as well, so they were going to pompeii.
So after a ride on the train and a little conversation I was gifted with some friends for the day...

They laughed at my ugly straw hat and I realized the heat related deaths probably arent happening in early may... but it would protect my eyes.
.....
I never quite expected to feel this way... Pompeii had been a huge reason for going to Italy. Pompeii *cue grand music and silver sparkles* But after 3 hours of walking past one half house (made of brick with a small band of orange or umber stucco still on the wall, with a carpet of dirt or grass) after the other- i started to get the museum drain. 4 hours. Not. one. more. ruin. but Pompeii was a fairly large city in its day and it did go on. and on. I think I may have gotten more out of it had I been alone. I would have imagined every inhabitant- their furniture, their clothes, their job, their quirks. I could have done it to... but I was with people. One one had I was relaxed, on the other hand I could only let my imagination go so far. I had to keep up and watch the ground so as not to trip. I am glad I was with people though. and I got to go to pompeii. What amazed me the most about it were the frescos. Very faded, but amazing they were painted 2,000 years ago. There are scenes of 2 women sitting on a bench on a green hillside with buildings behind them that I keep thinking about. I could have a house of frescos. I would paint them myself.

tuesday:
I didn't get to capri. got as far as touristy sorrento. I missed the cheaper ferry after a series of getting off at the wrong stop, not being able to find a restroom, tripping and smashing my good knee. Needless to say no guy followed the girl with the straw hat stuffed down on her head so it wouldn't fly off, hiking boots, and hitched up peasant skirt with the bleeding knee. so I walked around sorrento for awhile, saw lots and lots of cheap scarves but my heart wasn't in it so I didn't buy any. I was just looking for one to make the day right (or to make up for my lost scarve) but none of them were that grand. Sorrento has a small dirty beach, but some really nice views. Bought bandaids at the grocery store with little bears on them. the train schedules arent totally updated in napels. the local one I took turned out to not be as the schedule said and it shot me to naples so I took the train back. It was kind of a blah day, but it was alright.

natalie *(one of the aussies i went to pompeii with( came back that night and was telling us *me and tamika, the other aussie) about her trip to capri. When she found out i had been to sorrento she exclaimed how amazing was sorrento!
and I looked at her... and tamika laughed (she had already heard about my day)
when she showed us the pics of sorrento, they were the same things I saw. the view, the gorge with the street below leading to the wharf. I told her I had seen the same things, but had had a bit of a cloud over my head at the time

wed
rome. I got to my hostel *the pop inn* and as I unpacked and listened to the traffic outside I realized I am quite excited to get to explore rome.

Then Rome!

Perugia: Thursday and Friday

Thursday: trains all day. got in at 4.30. took 2 hours to walk to and find hostel. It has an amazing view of Perugia and the surrounding hills of Umbria.

Friday:
A mother and her kid are walking up a never ending flight of stairs. The kids huffs and stops. The mom tugs on his arm wearily "come on." The kid pulls back "I. can't!" He whines, planting himself into the ground "I'm tired!" The mother is also very tired "You aren't going to spend all night on the stairs. Pick up your feet, we are almost there." The kid slumps a little, still not moving "I don't want to." The mother tugs harder "come on!" The kid flops himself dramatically on the stairs. "NO! I can't!"
"GET UP!"

And you will just have to read more to understand that story =)

I decided to spend the day in Perugia. Yes, Assisi was only 20 minutes away. But I was right here, for just one day- in a hill town. (a hill city, but it has all I wanted in a hill town. Views. hills. gelato. Old buildings. townspeople. Internet cafes.) One thing I really liked about Perugia is noone seemed to care at all that I was there. I was being compelty ignored and it was wonderful. I didn't feel safe at first when I first got there, but then found that every guy that did something that seemed fishy- stopping abruptly, changing direction, standing on the street- had a reason for it. (walking to his car, waiting for someone, opening a door). "What a great town-city Perugia is." I finally thought, relaxing. I sat on the stairs of the town center for awhile just taking in the sun. I love central meeting points. Everyone just sitting on the stairs. Though the cleaning guys come around with their brooms to sweep the stairs and just look at everyone sitting on them, sweep the one available section,and in typical italian fashion- move on. I found a market selling cheap clothes and almost bought a three euro skirt and then remembered I would have to travel with it, and it was one of those skirts that you know if going to fall into a pile of threads after a few outings. It got warm so I took off my sweater and rolled up my pants under my skirt. I was wearing my lovely white top. I knew it was dangerous- but nothing had happened to it yet. Maybe it would make it to Chicago to go flower arrangment shopping on a July day. I would go hiking today. I wanted to anyways. Hiking through the lush green hills I could see from my hostel window seemed perfect. When it got later I would go back to the hostel (the lockout ended at four) , grab my camera and upload my pictures in 2 hours. I went to the tourist office (got a little lost finding it) but found a couple great lookouts over the town on the way). They didn't have any walking or hiking trail maps. The women went through the dusty files and got out a printout in italian of train schedules to the surrounding mountains. I went to the internet cafe and wasted a little time there, looking for hiking trails online. I decided to go to the surrounding parks. But first- the grocery store! I got an apple and orange and took off in the street that looked best to me on the map.
I got out my orange and started to open it as I walked down the hill. And then a guy in a dusty jean jacket with slumped shoulders came around the corner, walking slowly. I was immersed in the joy that is peeling a fresh orange while you explore a new town, but I was watching enough to see him look down at me as I passed, and then he turned and started to slowly follow me down the hill. Little alarm bells went off so I crossed the street and pretended to be immersed in the expensive jewelry case. He had stopped and was standing watching me, but it was a fairly pedestrianized area, so in 20 seconds later a buissness man and a pregnant girl came down the stairs and so I followed after them, 3 normal people walking down the street. I made sure the man wasn't following me. His intent on me seemed to diminish after I turned the corner with the pregnant girl.

I was angry. For one thing the crooks here in europe are so... dissapointing. Don't get me wrong- I'm thrilled. It's for my benefit that the ones I run into are nitwits. But how stupid would a guy think I was to think I wouldn't notice (even if I'm opening an orange) him watching me and changing his direction 2 seconds after I've passed him. You wait till the girl has turned the corner at the very least. These men are starting to really make me angry. I want to turn around and start pumpeling them "YOU DO NOT FOLLOW A WOMEN. UNDERSTAND! THAT IS AN INVASION. IT IS NOT OK. You don't try to indimidate or scare her or blow gross kisses while glaring at her or yell at her to "come here." and then yell more when she understandably does not." With that thought I chomped into half of my orange, juice ran all over my hands. Opps. shouldn't do that. I wouldn't turn around and pummle them- I wouldn't want to get that close, and I don't know how to say what I want to say in italian (or portugese or french or spanish) anyways. But a rage has been building inside of me and I'm trying to take care of it. I came upon a steep staircase that wound around trees and greenry to come out unto the street far below.
Argh! I made myself look at the walkway. 2 months ago this wouldn't have bothered me. Now it does. I realized in Deiva Marina, when I was looking suspiciously at old women hobbeling on canes that my brain was just doing what brains do. If something happens that upsets it, it wants to find a way so that that upsetting thing never happens again. Hence- all people are crooks/muggers and to be avoided. I worked on that, still working on it. But narrow streets and stairways were still getting to me. But instead of walking away, because you are pretty stuck in a hill town if you don't walk down any stairs. Did I feel unsafe? No. Was the man from earlier anywhere around? No. Where the hairs up on the back of my neck? no. So I walked down the stairs. All was well. I got stuck on the side waiting to cross the street and looked down at my shirt. An orange stain was on my top from the earlier chomping.. Argh! oh shirt. poor white shirt. Now it had been demoted to be one of my many stained shirts- set aside for the day I become a painter. I walked a while and couldn't locate where the heck I was on the map. None of the streets worked. After an hour of walking on main streets and not finding where I was I sat down. I can't do this. I don't want to anymore.
Remember about not giving up right away
Bah! I am. sick. of. this.
Ask for directions.
No! I am just going to sit here.
You are not.
I am!
...
It's a tendency I have. If something involves just me, I have a horrible tendency to just give up and shut down right away. and with working on it I feel like a mom dragging her kid up the stairs. all. the. time. But I got up and asked where I was and found I had walked north instead of south. Circular hilltowns are really bad for my already faulty sense of direction.. Even my map reading skills can barely keep afloat.
I walked back to the square with the steps and wrote. I had made the connection earlier that when the guy followed me I had been (unknowingly) walking down to a car park. So the guy probably thought he might see if he could get a free rental car from the soft, pretty, orange-eating american girl. Or at the very least a free purse.

Got my camera and discovered downloading my pics would take 10 hours. But I had wrote, and the kid had shaped up. So I made the plans I needed to (to the best of my ability) and went home.

Sat: train to Naples.
actually not. I found a place to download my photos. I found out it would take about 5 hours per card, so I decided to stay in Perugia just for sat night. I had my naples hostel booked and decided to overcome my adversion to calling people. Only to be hung up on SEVEN times every time I opened my mouth after they said "hello, fabric hostel". I tried everything to get them not to hang up. Bonjorno. Chow. Parlay Englasee. Hello. Ihaveareservation. Please don't hang up. I don't know what was going on. Maybe I sounded like one of their crazy old girlfriends. I wrote them an email to see if being their sunday instead of sat would be alright but they didn't write me back. I checked out of the Perugia hostel with the plan to hop on the train if there was no email, but dang it I tried and if they charge me I'm out... 15 euros... and It will be very nice to get this full card thing DONE WITH. A canadian girl told me she just sets her camera to take less pixels so her card fits a lot of pics. And if I'm taking that grand scenery shot, I can always change it. So that's what I'll do now.

I can not quite express the joy that is enveloping me right now as "California" plays on the radio. California! I think it's my karmic payment for having to hear "S.O.S." every. damn. day. I don't know if it's an american or british song. I'm pretty sure it's american but I didn't hear it till I got to europe, and the worst is I saw the video in Porto about 5 times so every time I hear it I've got the booty moves shaking around in my head It's not a bad song really, it is kind of catchy... in the way that at first you think, oh this song is kinda fun... and then it latches itself to your brain like the evil leach it is- S(booty shake down). O (booty shake up)S (booty shake down) will someonehelpmeblahblahblahgotthebestofmesososososososososososblaharrrgh "shake it shake it. In the cittAYYYYY of L.A. In the cittAYYY city of (something) keep it rocking. keep it rocking.. KEEP IT ROCKIN.." Such a great great song. a song of fun. a song of peace. a song of dance.

Should be on the train to Naples and the fabic hostel of phone problems tomorrow.

ok... I know most don't really care... but the dinner song is playing. oh life is good. it really is. dod ododod do do do do . I am sitting on the corner.... It is a song to bob your head to. Who says you need an ipod in europe. I say you don't. my camera is more than enough for me.

9pm All. Day. in. a. internet. cafe. Don't desire to do that again. I don'tt think I'll ahve to though.

Verona: Wednesday night

Decided I didnt want to spend the day hopping from one train to the other and kept thinking about Verona so I spent the morning on the Venice train station steps soaking in the sun and took the 1pm train to Verona. and I got to talk to a british boy for a bit. soaked in his british accent as well. It was a lovely one. not stuffy, kind of subtle.

If I havent mentioned it before, most of the radio in Europe seems to be English/American music. I was grocery shopping in Padua and there was a rap song playing (they dont bleep out words) so youve got Bev and Sue housewife shopping for their lettuce and milk amid "you gotta breeeeeeeeeathe oh. breaaaatheee. oh. you b......s gotta ..... f....ng.... and I am looking up at the ceiling going "oh my gosh." that uncensored rap music is playing in a supermarket as everyone else walks around completly oblivious. Luey and Bonnie told me that youll even be in a fancyish resturant and uncensored music will be playing and everyone will just be eating as they looked around somewhat shocked. Its interesting. I guess if mostly spanish music was playing I wouldnt be picking up on all the swear words either.

Got to Verona at 4, hostel was pretty amazing, in a old villa- garden grounds and all.

I didn't go to Verona because of Romeo and Juliet. Frankly I think they both needed serious counseling and if I was an english teacher and had a say in the matter... well I'd still probably teach it so that they kids weren't thought as nitwits when they got to college, but I wouldn't spend too long on it. Certainly wouldn't wax on about how it's about love and it's power. They were both wanting to kill themselves at the drop of a hat when things went bad. and then they ultimently did. Does that not make any teacher pause when they are about to teach it to teenangers?
There should at the very least be a PSA at the end of it in textbooks. "If your boyfriend Ben dies in a car accident, you can be depressed and incredibly sad but do not kill yourself because that would be really stupid. He was going to dump you this summer anyways."

Despite my feelings about Shakespeare, I did go to Juliets courtyard. It was free. In the courtyard is a statue of Juliet. There is this belief (I have no doubt started by a guy) that if you rub her Left breast you'll have good luck in love or something like that. So the poor bronze statue's right breast and arm is completly shiny.. It was rather funny seeing how the different cultures reacted to the customary pose with the statue. I watched a whole group of japenese tourists pose with her one by one as their tourguide took a picture. Most of them were rather embarresed, they mostly just held her arm. A lot of them still wanted luck in love though, so they just quickly and bashfully touched the boob. after the photo and then ran away. It was actually a rather beautiful statue. I stood and looked at it for quite awhile. I didn't think she looked like a Juliet. She looked braver. more independent. more mentally sound. and in a really nice dress. I touched her hand and told her I thought she was cool and I knew she wasn't Juliet. She was the brave and beautiful lady of Verona, withstanding a never ending tourent of sexual harrassment day after day and still having a great sense of who she was. I did not get my luck in love for the year, I wouldn't do that to any female, but especially not a friend.

Everywhere in europe there are people who make themselves look like statues (paint themselves white, bronze, gold, black) and stand in costume with a money jar in front of them. I noticed the notJuliet statue and I had a simularly shaped face. Wow, I could make some money in Verona if I dressed as the Statue. The statue heard my idea and tilted her head to her shiney right side, reminding me why I've never seen any statue person dressed as the Juliet statue in Italy. Oh that would be horrible. Even if you put up a sign.

Hung out in the garden of the villa hostel and wrote.

Venice: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Since Italian men are infamous for hitting on women I am keeping a tally. So far its up to 6 (2 very very old men, 2 younger men, 1 middle aged men, and 1 old man) 8 if you count the scary men blowing gross kisses). Not bad for 10 days. It really hasnt been bothering me, most of them arent scary, and I have been using them as practice on how to deal with being hit on. As a plus, on occasion I walk away thinking "you know... I am a fox." which makes me start laughing and there is joy in the world.

My fake engagement/marriage ring does absolutly nothing here. A guy asked me if I was "alone" (single) and I flashed the ring with a "i am taken" expression and he started laughing at me, took out his keys- put the key ring on his finger and said "see. I can do that to."
A british guy who is traveling with his girlfriend (he lived here for a year( told me all the ring means to italian men is that they just have to try a little harder.

Monday: Took a long leisurly time to walk to the street by the station.
Will miss padua. Very glad I came. I feel like I have a nice secret. All the covered sidewalks with the pillars, the river walk, all the bike riding locals, the market, the enormous square (2nd largest square in the world, moscows is bigger- though lisbons seemed pretty big to me. The first guy to hit on me in padua told me this but seeing as he was hitting on me I didnt believe him. But then I kept hearing it from people who werent hitting on me. I told him I was from canada (winnipeg) but then he started asking me all these questions and I realized I needed to change my lying location. I am now from Kansas. Kansas City to be exact. I know its silly to lie about where I am from to my new boyfriends on the street seeing as the US is huge. But Iowa and Chicago are mine. They are a part of me and I dont want to just hand them off to just anyone. (the hostel people get to know the truth though)

Am taking a12:30ish train to venice, checking into my hostel and doing more exploring. maybe some of the islands. I feel so pleased with my vaparetto card. 72 hours of hopping on and off the vaparettos. usually ist €25 euros. but because I am under 29, I bought a rolling venice card for €4. which got me a free map (worth 2.5) and the vaparetto pass only cost €15.

Really need to figure out what Im doing next month and where i am staying in tuscany. the next hostel has free net (but only 15min a day) so might get to do very very short updates)

Monday
didnt do much. checking into new hostel, doing internet, train took a great deal of day. walked around till 8

tuesday
not including being able to clean your room with just the snapping of your fingers, the best part by far of Mary Poppins is when they get to choose a drawing to jump into and walk around in. Just the concept of it is wonderful. Thats how I feel, getting to walk around Venice. I am walking around in a painting.

It was driving rain until 4pm today. But since I was in venice I did everything I planned on doing. Sit on a park bench and eat my banana-orange-breadoliveoil for breakfast, Go to the islands of murano and burano, and walk around venice. Looking back on it, since I really truly only had one full day here, I wouldnt waste it going to murano again since it (and burano) took almost half the day. It was nice, but most of it didn-t make me stop like venice does. If you really like bright colors, which I do, burano is really nice because all the houses are painted in a different shade. But again, venice is better. Found another girl in the tiny hostel who wants to see venice at night so thats what we are doing. I dont have my hostel set for tomorrow so Ill really be flying by the seat of my pants, which is nice for a change. just realized i could stay in venice another day if I really wanted to, but i probly will move on.

to my turtle- i hope all went well. breathe.

Padua or Padova: Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Friday:
At 3 I was sitting in a padua park with all my stuff (since I found out the hostel didnt open till 4), eating chocolate and chips, in a very foul mood and feeling like every choice I had made that day was foolish, wasteful and dumb. Skipped lucca, skipped pisa, jumped on the next padua train in florence (I had already jumped on 3 trains and was in a bit of a groove of catching the soonest train I could) only to get charged €23 when the conductor came around because I had gotten on a fast eurostar train not totally covered by the pass (something I could have easily prevented had I thought a little) but at 8 I was standing on a bridge with a soul restoring canal view, writing in my journal, at peace after stressing and struggleing and finally learning something valuable about myself and life in general. life was good again.

Saturday: A train strike (they are pretty frequent in Italy) started friday at 9pm and lasted till 9pm sat night, so I made it a "enjoy padova" day. And I did. The nice thing about staying in a prison is you dont mind being locked out of it for 8 hours. I walked through a farmers market, bought a couple organice oranges, sat on a church pedestal and journaled, walked to what I thought were roman baths (I had read somewhere on the net that they had them, and so when I saw padua spa on the tourist map I thought, hotdog-there we go, if its not to much maybe Ill have a massage. A long walk, and the spa turned out to just be an events center with a cultural-charity fair going on. The plus side of this was that there was a cafe at the spa that had a salad bar where you could have a HUGE salad in a big bowl made for €3.50. carrots, beans, 8 different greens, tomatoes. It was awesome. (I think using the expression "awesome" is rather american. whenever I use it the other nationalities (esp. the australians) giggle a little, because this is one of the words they use when they are mocking americans"it was awesome man!".)

I saw a bicycle theft. but there were no police around and I didnt see their faces. I walked to a pretty park I had seen friday and who should be there but the bicycle theives, exchanging packages and money with some other men. I looked around for a police officer and again saw none. So I found a populated area of the park and had a nice seista.
Went back to the open hostel, used the bathrooms and washed my clothes.

Walked down the main pedestrian street and there were about 15 police officers showing citizens their helicopter, sedgeway (silly thing with two wheels you ride around standing up. Gob rides one (thats for you Rachel) and if you dont know who Gob is, you are missing out)
Walked through a clothing market with lots of €3, 5, 10 clothes. Am able to control myself a little more.... knowing that whatever I buy goes directly on my back. Didnt buy anything, just enjoyed shopping for cheap clothes. Its a experience I need on occasion to keep my happiness bank full. I bought a banana gelato (are you noticing a theme for italy =) ) and walked under a monument to a square and oh the joys of witnessing a crime in a small city- there sat the bike theives. Im glad they didnt see me when they did it, because no recognition forms. I felt somewhat obligated to at least tell someone. because it was the third time and the police were only 4 blocks away. I told one of the policeman who wasnt busy with the toys (though I had to wait for him to store his sprite in the police car first.) I told him I saw it happen, saw their faces in the park, and they were right over there. I pointed on the map. "Will you show me"
I didnt really want to do that, seeing as I was going to be in padua for 2 more days, and I had seen all their friends, and Im sure their business has more to do than just liking bikes, but him and I were walking and he was explaining to me in somewhat broken english how things worked in Italy. That he needed to catch them in the act. "If you want to press charges against them..."
"they didnt do anything to me... I just wanted you to know"
But it continued to be all about me and if I wanted to go after them. When he clarified that it was four blocks away he stopped. "that is too far. the burglers, they are everywhere. If you saw them, 5 minutes later someone else will see them. I can call someone else, if you would like me to."
"no. thats ok... I just wanted you to know"
" you dont want me to."
"no." I was momentarily worried this would make me an accomplice or something but he shook my hand and then walked back to hang out with his friends. The police here mystify me a bit. I havnt actually seen them be very police-y. Ive seen them smoking, window shopping, hanging out with eachother, riding sedgeways... but thats it. and they are always in packs.
So I was released and sat on a bench listening to music and watching the citizens. I like padova, it feels like a very true, working, living italian city. I think Ive seen 2 other tourists while Ive been here.

went to bed early

Sunday:
had decided before to do a day trip today. verona or venice (I had planned on staying in venice for 3 nights, but it was so pricey, I decided to do a day trip from padua one day and then just stay two nights in venice. But then I was thinking about verona, since its so close and everyone seems to have it on their list. Meant to take a early morning train to verona, walk around a few hours and then take a train to venice and then back. But when I left right on time I realized my camera batteries were happily charging back in the room. crap. Since I knew I was locked out till breakfast, I went to my bridge and ate my oliveoil and bread snack. Got hit on by a garbage guy. He didnt actually collect any garabage. Just looked at the cans and then zoomed in on me. He was fun. He was short and cute and 25 and talked and talked. He asked me what I was doing and when I told him about the verona daytrip he talked about this nearby garden while the garbage truck waited for him. He told me how he loved motorcross in california and how he makes good money with his job and has a house, a car and a motorbike... "and if you like..." he said... I started to laugh "quit laughing." I tried. But as they veer into the punchline of the hitting on session I just get the giggles. So I smirked. " So if you like I get off at 11, and I could take you on a tour." He raised his eyebrows. (at somepoint I was again commanded to quit laughing. Hitting on a women is very serious business. ) "no. I think Ill stick with my daytrip" "are you sure." he raised his eyebrows. "im sure." (he then gave me 3 more chances. but I was sure. "do you think Im a bad guy?" (Italian men seem to love to say this in some shape or form when you reject them. dont you think Im a nice guy? ) If I wanted to hang out in padua another day I would have stuck with the aussies (who I would meet when I got back) who stayed in my room the night before. not an italian who is pitching his home ownership to me."
I ran to the station and a ticket to padua was 3 € more than I thought. €7 one way. The venice was only €2.5. So I decided to stick withthe original plan. and Im glad I did.
I rode a vaparetto all around and almost wanted to cry. I wouldnt have been one bit ashamed if I had. I was in Venice. Venice! Rode all around, walked all around. Excited to be here 2 more days. Did get zoned in on by two pickpockets or somethng at the station. A guy bumped into me and I thought nothing of it for a second seeing as their were hundreds of us from the train shuffeling through the station aisle. But I was feeling an intent, eyes on my back and I glance back to see a younger bald guy behind me who had been looking at me and then looked over at another bald guy who he had a head movement to. The other bald guy then looked directly at me. It felt completly wrong so I walked a tad bit quicker (just enough to not be right by them) and weaved around and stood behind a postcard stand. I wasnt scared. but I was watching them. They came past and I could see them looking around quite a bit. They didnt see me so they zoned in on a blond women. I went out to the steps and sat by a group of backpackers. There were millions of people around. I watched the crooks. They went to the square, consulted with some friends, then broke off and latched on to some tourists. One bent rather obviously by a short women who was carrying a tan purse. I realized just then that I hadnt been shocked or upset that I got targeted. I just acted almost on impulse. I felt a little older.

Tomorrow, Venice.

Riamagorre: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Internet is so expensive in this area. So donàt expect many updates or posts.
After thursday I.ll be near Venice (Padova-Padua) until Monday, then Venice two days mon tues, then I don-t know for four days, in tuscany somewhere (hopefully perugia). Then the naples area to see capri, pompeii and mabe positano. then rome, then paris, then ???

Monday: GOt to the Riomaggorie at noon. Nice hostel.
Sat on the main fishing-town center area, ate gelato and watched the visitors disperse and the locals venture out onto their balconies. One was watering his plants, another hanging up laundry, One women was just watching people, another smoking, another setting the table to eat by herself. One the square a laughing old man and younger guy were trying to keep their identical dogs from getting to know eachother.
I liuke riagmaggore

tuesday walked to manarola, corneglia 0 trained to vernazza,
went grocery shopping in la spezia. I need a couple veggie days.
went out with 2 australians(rebecca and clair) and a brit (luey) for a glass of wine. a dangerous thing to do, but had fun. ate lots of olives with pits. danced in the small bar with one of the australians and an american to jermericoy (however the heck you spell it) Dancedancedancedance.

wednesday
got myself to walk the rest of the walk. Corniglia to Monterosso. Bonnie (also an aussie) and Luey had told me the last half of the walk was quite hard and I had said "oh well I walk a lot". They just smiled at me. The way you do when you know this poor little foolish soul is actually going to come against and how they will change their tune.
I do walk a lot..... on flat ground. Not 14,000 steps. Not steps really, stones stuck into the mountians. Up and down and up and down. Was still magnificent.
Made some pasta.
Talked to Bonnie and Rebecca and the new aussie. Went to bed.

Thursday
Said goodbye to Rebecca and Bonnie. Enjoyed a gelato by the bay. I am really glad I stayed in riomaggore, really liked the town. Took the train to monterosso and walked around. Booked a hostel in naples. Since I was somewhat dying at the end of the walk the day before, I knew I really hadnt gotten to really enjoy the end, my favorite part visually because I somewhat rushed it. My plan was to walk Monterosso to Vernazza (opposite way), but I stepped up two stairs and my knees creaked just thinking about it, and it was getting later so I just walked 40 minutes of it and then walked back. Took a picture of some of the never ending stairs for my memory collection. Took the train to Manarola (the second town next to riomaggore), because I had just passed through it tuesday. Almost liked it as much as riomaggore. Its a stunning town, where as with the others you can see the mountains, the hills with the vineyards and flowers wraps itself tightly around the town which just makes it different and special. Splurged on a grilled mixed fish platter. It was good. I kept hearing from others that they had "the best pasta they ever had" or "the best fish they ever had" in one of the towns. I cant say it was. I can say it wasnt bad fish. It was good fish. Bread, chicken, dessert- I could tell you if it was the "best ever". I dont think my pallet is that trained for various seafood.
Walked back on the via dell amore to riomaggore and watched the sunset. packed (I take rediculously long to do this for how many times Ive done this and how little I have)

Deiva Marina: Saturday and Sunday

Sat: rode train from Nice to Genoa to Deiva Marina. Talked to a mother and her daughter from Michigan. I told them it was nice to hear the midwest accent again. They said likewise. (there were some people from wisconsin at the granada hostel... but a wisconsin accent is like a bostonian one to someone else from the east coast... they just took it in a direction they probably shouldnt have.)

Got to Deiva Marina at 5pm. A Italian Lady was sitting by me and when I told her where I was going she said "ah, Deiva Marina- a place for writers"
Wow, I thought, as I walked to the restroom. I choose an out of the way town just because roomms were full. and it-s a place for writers. I wondered why i hadnt read about it in guide books. they are obsessed with stuff like that.

When I got back I asked her why it was a place for writers. Expecting to hear names and their writerly artistic exploits in the hidden creative bubble of deiva marina and she laughed "because thats all there is to do there. Just the ocean and a hill."
"well... I do like to write."
"thats good. you can write a poem."

Sunday
Stayed in a 4 person cabin with a kitchen by myself (and sat). Very nice.
Deiva Marina I think is a place most americans and aussies and canadian and brits dont know about. Lots of italians enjoying their campsites. Hills like the smokys alll around and a nice little beach and lovely ocean view. Did have to walk 40 minutes to town. PLayed dodge the italian cars the first half of it, then got a sidewalk.
had gelato.