Eurotrip 2010: In Europe, NOT spending Euro’s...Kuna and Forint instead (9)

Hello friends,

This evening I write to you from a very nice train. It’s an Austrian one, and it’s headed from Budapest to Vienna as Mel and I are making our way to Zurich Via Vienna. When in Switzerland we will get a bit of a break because we will be staying with her bf Stoffel in Zug for a week before finishing up our last two weeks in Germany.

This past week began on a bit of a low note due to weather, but ended on a high note due to a pleasant and unexpected surprise in Budapest. After leaving Greece, Mel and I headed back over the Adriatic to make our way to Croatia via Italy. There is no easy way to go direct from Greece to Croatia with Eurorail, and we still hadn’t been to Venice, so we were alright with backtracking. As soon as we left Greece we wanted to go back though. The weather changed completely.

We have been so lucky with weather this whole trip because we’ve had so much sunshine, so we can’t complain, but we had to dig into the bottom of our backpacks for our warm gear so we could comfortably travel again. We stayed in Venice for a night and it poured rain. The good thing was that the campsite we were staying in bumped us from a tent into a sweet bungalow so we didn’t get soaked! Because we were desperate to find the sunshine in Croatia we only had one day in Venice and took an overnight train to Zagreb. I enjoyed Venice though, and it was cool to see all the canals and water. Melody and I shopped a lot to find the perfect Murano glass jewellery. There were so many beautiful things to see, from the masks to the jewelery, to the glassware, that we kind of lost track of time and didn’t see as much of the city as we could have. What can we say we love to shop, also it was pouring rain so we didn’t feel too badly about it. The sky did open a bit after our canal-side lunch and we were able to wander and get lost in the labyrinth that is Venice.

From Venice we headed overnight to Zagreb, arriving at 4:18am, and we waited around to catch an 8am train to Split. Our plan was to head to Dubrovnik where we had booked an apartment, but after arriving in Split after an overnight train and another 6 hour ride, we were not interested in taking the 4 hour bus all the way to Dubrovnik to only stay a day or two. I cancelled the Dubrovnik apartment and the man didn’t charge me at all, which was very nice so please do stay at the Petra House if ever in Dubrovnik. I don’t know if it’s any good, but if you need to cancel they are nice about it!

In Split we found a hostel (after turning down the many nice old people looking to rent us their apartments for the night). We stayed at the Snooze and Booze and were content to Snooze and Booze and beach while we were in Croatia. We were there for the beach’s and the party, so sightseeing wasn’t on our list of top things to do. Imagine our displeasure when we checked the weather for the next few days and realized that rain was on forecast EVERYDAY! Even in Hvar, our next stop; which prides itself on receiving 2750 average sunshine hours a year!!!! Our first day in Split was overcast, but we went to the beach anyways, didn’t swim or anything, but spent a few hours at a café drinking cappuccinos and having girl talk; always a good time if you ask me, and although Mel and I have spent the last 9 weeks completely together we never seem to run out of stuff to talk about.

That night we were going to take it easy even though it was Friday because we knew the next day in Hvar we were going to have a big night at the famous club Carpe Diem. We ended up going out though because many locals we talked to told us WE HAD TO go out on Friday in Split. Mel and I both got dressed cute but casual, wearing flats for a low key night….we were not prepared for what we encountered on the way to the bar.

We hit up the same spot as the night previously, but knew we were in for a treat because there were swarms of people walking the same way we were, and we got excited…too bad we had only brought 50 Kuna (about 7 Euro) which would buy two beers and hadn’t pre-drank at all. I knew what one of my tasks for the night was “get free drinks”. I wasn’t prepared for the other task which was, don’t get stepped on by the beautiful giant Croatians.

Mel and I are Dancing Queens so took over the dance floor right away…we worked up quite a sweat and made it known that Canadian girls know how to work it. The bar played a lot of top 40 American music at first, and it was funny to watch people sing along to the songs that they had no clue what the words were saying. Later in the night they played actual Croatian music and I had the opportunity to dance with a very attractive Croatian football trainer/player named Marin…sigh. He told me that the Croatian music they were playing was emotional for him and his friends because the musician had recently passed. We danced for a while and then I told him that "I'm sweaty”. To this he looked very uncomfortable and said "No No, your not." And I was like ya “I’m sweaty” and he said, "No, You’re just my girl tonight”. At first I was a tad confused, but then I realized though his English was good, their was still a language barrier that caused him to think I was saying, “I’m Slutty”. I cleared that up pretty quickly, and we both laughed about it after, but kudos to him for his response....What if he took it as an open invitation to invite me to spend the night?...that would have been awkward.

Melody and I hung out with Marin and all his really nice friends the rest of the night and the drinks were free flowing. Our low key evening ended when the music stopped and the sun came up. Those are the best nights though, when you go out with no expectations or anything and you are blindsided with fun. The next night however was one of those nights with high expectations, no motivation and lots and lots of Rain.

Melody and I stayed at a lovely apartment hostel on Hvar island, with a room all to ourselves and very beautiful veranda. The first night in Hvar was low key, but we did get to meet up with two Aussie girls Olivia and Jane who we had partied with in Split two nights before. The first full day in Hvar was supposed to be rainy, but to our complete delight the sun was out and it was warm. We walked to Hula beach club and rented two chairs for 50 Kuna each and basked in the sun on our last beach day and last swim of Ocean water for a while. It turned out great and we made use of Mels water proof camera and the fact that Europe is A-ok with toplessness! The next day it was back on the Katamaran to head to Zagreb for the night via Split.

The Katamaran was scheduled to leave Hvar at 1:45pm arrive in Split at 2:45pm and then we would catch a train at 3pm to go to Zagreb. 15 minutes was cutting it close, but the train station and port were super close so it was doable. When boarding the Katamaran it was real shaky and inside was worse so Mel and I waited off the boat until departure...foreshadowing? On the boat they were playing the Korea vs. Portugal game so I was happy to find a seat close to watch…only problem was all those pesky people who kept getting up and standing in front of me while they asked the bartender for a barf bag… It was crazy! I mean due to the choppy water from all the bad weather this boat was skipping on the water and was sooooo wobbly and everyone on the boat just looked nauseous. I don’t get sick really but I was feeling nauseous and hating my life, but it was the worst when the woman in front of me started making use of her bag. Like if I don’t see or smell puke then Im good, but as soon as I see or smell it that’s it! I didn’t Guelph though, I’m a lady…and I had a wicked game of football to occupy and take my mind off the fact that everyone around me was spewing their guts out. Forza Portugal!!!!

The domino effect: Rainy in Hvar, Mel and I leave Hvar, Water is choppy we both become nauseous, Katamaran is 15min late due to weather, Mel and I run for train, Mel and I miss train, Mel and I take bus to Zagreb, Mel and I Nauseous whole night in Zagreb. Upside: I still had fun, the hostel was wicked and showed us a nice chill time, we had Szechuan! I highly reccomend the Funk Hostel in Zagreb.

The train from Zagreb to Budapest was great as Mel and I were able to sleep most of the way until a large group of Hungarian school children boarded on their way home from an overnight class trip. 4 girls came and sat in our 6 person car with us. We smiled and Mel and I laughed to ourselves because the sweetest girl was wearing a sweater that said BITCH! down the side, and we just knew that her, nor her parents had any idea what that meant. The girls ranged in age from 12-14, and when they started playing music on their phone a familiar voice tickled my eardrum! JUSTIN BIEBER is truly and international success! Tweens everywhere love him! We bonded over Justin and I told them he was Canadian and that we were too. The girls didn’t speak English really, but they knew and loved many of the tween musicians and of course my girl GAAAAGAAAA!

Before we knew it Mel and I were celebrities on the train, I felt like Selena Gomez. The kids were taking our pictures and taking pictures of us. The whole group of children had matching bandanas and they were going from car to car signing each others as their class trip was coming to an end. We signed the bandanas of the 4 girls in our cart (I got real good at drawing an 11pt maple leaf) and before we knew it our car was packed with all these Hungarian kids wanting us to sign their bandanas. It was super cute and made us pumped to be heading to Budapest.

Mel and I didn’t originally plan to go to Budapest but it got added into our itinerary somewhere along the way, and boy am I glad it did. Another one of those things that you have no expectations for and then get blindsided by an amazing time. Our first day was spent taking in the sites on the free walking tour. Our guides Agnes and Balag were locals and full of spunk and really interesting information. I don’t know much about history but felt like they truly gave me a lesson. It was very cool learning about Hungary's communist past as well as religious past, and quite surreal being in a country that sided with Germany during both World Wars. Hungary used to be a huge country, but due to wars lost much of its land and people, many of which can be found elsewhere in the world. Hungary was controlled politically communist until the late 80's and the people are very happy to be a free and independent country.

When they became free the people had almost nothing so the UK sent over large amounts of clothes and charity shops were set up all over the city. Budapest is a bargain shopper/vintage lovers Dream!! Mel and I spent the rest of the afternoon tracking down the best shops in the city, most of which can be found by looking for the Union Jack on store signs! Yes, we shopped and at one point I spent 7000 forint!!! (but thats only 25euro, so it was great because I got 3 shirts and a pair of pants and shorts). I have no idea how I'm going to get on the plane, I'll probably have to wear everything I own so my suitcase isn't overweight.

Our last day was spent at the Spas and Baths and it was lovely and cheap! I got a full body massage by a man with amazing hands named Baros. I was a little nervous at first because he was young and kind of cute and he touched me in places that,...well you know what I mean. It was my first massage ever and it was amazing, definitely a must do in Budapest!

After feeling relaxed and nicely pampered at the Spas, it was back to breaking our backs with our backpacks cuz we had a train to catch! We are now on an overnighter to Zurich where we will be staying with Stoffel.

Croatia and BudaPest are both places I must go back to. Mel and I felt a bit shortchanged in these places; Croatia due to the less than average weather and Budapest because we felt like we didn’t have enough time there. Both are places I must go again! (to dance with Marin and get felt up by Baros).

Now I will try to sleep as we arrive at 7:20am. I have bumped my flight back a week so will be arriving back in Canada on July 14th, so let's play together then!

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo

EuroTrip 2010: Let's ride!... (8)

Hello my friends!

I am on a Ferry watching the Italy vs. Paraguay World cup match and I’m heading to Italy, so hopefully they win so the country will be in good spirits when I arrive!. We left Santorini last night after 4 of the best days of my trip. I loved Santorini and am honestly really sad to be leaving Greece. Of course I am happy because we are heading to Venice and then Croatia, so my beach days aren’t over, but they certainly are numbered.

We arrived in Athens on the 8^th and stayed for two nights near Omonia station. Great location, 10 minute walk to the Acropolis and right in the middle of other sites such as Prostitutes and junkies shooting up, and as Melody so unfortunately encountered, grown men jacking off in the early evening on public street corners (Ya this happened, ask her about it, she loves when the scene replays over and over in her head lol). The location worked well for us though. Because it wasn’t safe for us to be out of our hostel after 10pm we were home both nights pretty early so could have early mornings for sightseeing.

Our first night in Athens was really very fun. Melody met Elsa and Stathus on her travels to Hawaii. They are a happy and fun Greek couple who love to travel. In Hawaii they raved to Melody about the beaches she would encounter in Greece in comparison to Hawaii, so Mel was super stoked to be here finally. We contacted them and to our delight they planned a night time tour of Athens for us on their Motorcycles!!!

(Authentic Crete food and drink after motorcycle tour with Elsa and Stathus)

Melody and I were pumped and were able to take in the sites with two locals showing us the way. We ended up in their neighbourhood Exarchia, which is a really cool neighbourhood that reminds me of Kensington Market but on a larger scale. They told us that they liked living there because it was a very informed area full of people with ideas and people who were able to discuss and take action on issues; I was inspired by the revolutionary feel of the place. Before going to Athens Melody and I, like many misinformed westerners were worried about the protests and violence happening in Athens due to the Greek economy. Fortunately before deciding to nix Athens we had talked to Elsa who told us that the only issue is there can be remnants of tear gas in the air, but because she is active in the protests she would have extra masks for us to use if necessary!….but no protests were scheduled while we were to be in town, and anyways I had packed my own masks…you know for all that microscopic razor sharp volcanic ash that was going to be in the air…. Hahaha (I am a worrier and the daughter of a worrier…. thanks mom!)

Elsa and Stathus took us to a park in the area called “Your parking, Our Park”. Literally, it used to be a junk yard which the government had promised the community would be transformed into a beautiful park, as the area and Athens in general is lacking in park space. Well the government never put their words into action, so the community got together and basically cleaned the area and made their own park…revolutionary no? There is a playground for children, public gardens, a lot of sitting space and mosaic work.

It was very lovely at night, and really cool during the day when Melody and I went and checked it out later. We felt like we were seeing a part of Athens that not many tourists get to see, and of course that was due to Elsa and Stathus our exceptional hosts!. I really appreciated the neighbourhood and the park as it made me even more confident that my schooling in Recreation and Business studies was the right choice. Parks and public spaces are key in building community and safe neighbourhoods. Public space is used inappropriately in so many places. In Canada we have so many parks and public spaces, but many are underused and people are afraid to get out there and get to know their neighbor. But in Athens the people were starved for a public space to get together, so they took it upon themselves to make it happen. I just felt very inspired and I think I may need to go back to school and continue my education!

They next day Mel and I headed to see some more ruins, Greek Style! The Acropolis really is a site to see, but like many old European buildings it’s in a constant state of restoration; kinda ruins a picture for you. We wandered the streets and made sure to eat a Gyro (with French fries of course), and I also purchased my third pair of shoes….which I love. We made it an early night though because we had a big day of going to the most wonderful place in the world ahead of us.

We arrived in Santorini after a long day of ferry travel and were greeted by a smiling Greek old man who was delighted to take us to International Youth Hostel Anna in Perissa, the south east town of Santorini. This is where we saw our first white houses, but they would not be our last.

(the black beach)

We signed up for the Traditional ship boat tour for our first full day in Santorini. We got on the boat around 11am and started our journey with about 60 other tourists to the Santorini Volcano, the hot springs, the fishing island of Thirassia and we would end our tour watching the sunset in Oia (the place you see on postcards or when you google Santorini). At the first stop of the tour we learned that Santorini had really only been a tourist destination for the last 20 years. It was purely a fishing village until the volcano erupted its last time in 1958. After the island was decimated the Greek government went to Santorini to help rebuild and they brought with them infrastructure; Santorini now had electricity! It was completely rebuilt with tourism in mind and now 75% of the inhabitants make a living off tourism, the other 25ish% are in construction.

The next stop was awesome because we got to jump from the boat into the water and we had to swim about 5 minutes to get to the hot springs which were a copper red (white bathing suit top was a bad choice). We made friends with some American kids on a grad trip from Northeastern (for credit, so jell) and we got some fun pics of us with the-I’m gonna say “nutrient full”-mud all over our bodies. Not sure if we were supposed to rub it on us, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was! The swim back to the boat was cool, literally! When we swam from the hot spring back to the Aegean sea there is a change in water temperature and colour ...and that temp change makes my nipples hard just thinking about it.

For lunch we stopped for 2 hours at the fishing island of Thirassia, but rather then eating fish, Mel and I took the much more budget friendly route of souvlaki platter for 2 and a coca-cola for 5 euro each….much more economical, and sooo filling!

Then it was off too Oia (pronounced EEyah) for the sunset. Now this wasn’t just any sunset, this was the most incredible sunset I have seen in my life. On this trip alone I have seen some fabulous sunsets, like sunsets I’ve literally written home about. But usually there is something on the horizon that blocks the sun, but nope not from Oia. The sun was a bright fiery orb and the world seemed flat as the orb sank below the surface of the horizon, never to be seen again….(until the next day). It really was amazing, see for yourself.

Also, we rode donkeys to get to Oia, and it was sooo funny. But truthfully I was a little put off by it because my donkey was real little and he was last and the guy kept whipping him and I didn’t like that he was doing it and it was also a tad scary because we were so close to the edge and there were like 50 donkeys, and its really hard to take pictures with one hand and hold on to the reins with all your might with the other…but I survived.

(My donkey, I called him Donkey)

Instead of island hopping as was originally planned Mel and I realized that we’d rather stay on Santorini for our whole time and really get a good feel for it, rather than spending hours on ferries and not feeling like we saw any islands. So the next day we spent the morning laying on the black beach (black due to volcanic rock), and in the afternoon Mel and I rented an ATV and did some intense island touring with our new American friends from Northeastern, George and Jonathan. At some points we were rolling with a sick ATV biker gang of 12 deep. We rode to the highest point on the island, and then headed to Kamari beach for the last of the sunshine and to do a little cliff jumping (I jumped twice and I was so scared, but you should have seen the little kids that were jumping, and the heights they were going from, like how do you have no fear?)

(Mel and both must learn how to jump without plugging our noses)

We ended our ATV adventures with a wine tasting at Santo winery and yes we saw another amazing sunset. This wasn’t the end of the night for Mel and I though, I mean it was Saturday after all. We had some drinking and dancing to do….and what better place to do it then at Beach Bar….the name says it all and it was really fun. Not as wild or crazy as something you might find on the party islands of Mykonos or Ios, but good enough for Mel and I because where we go a party is inevitable!

The next morning was our last day on the island because we were taking an overnight ferry back to the mainland that night. We kept our ATV for a few more hours and headed to the Red Beach which was probably the hottest beach I have ever been on and it looked and felt like what I imagine mars would look and feel like…RED HOT! Then we drove on some wicked fun windy roads to the middle of the island to the town of Thira. We said a farewell to our American friends with a promise to have a Boston-Toronto reunion soon and then headed into town to do what else but take pictures and check out the shops. Oh we also ate some more Gyros….!

I am sad to leave Greece because the people were just sooo friendly. I was at first worried about the language barrier and had practice sessions with fellow Canadians on the ferry here on how to pronounce “Meh Late Anglikah?” properly. Because Greece is a tourist hotspot their signage is for the most part both in Greek and English….ya the saying it’s all Greek to me is very accurate. I loved seeing the revolutionary side in Athens and being around people who cared about their government and who were excited about being involved in the issues. In Canada we don’t have that excitement about issues, at least where I hang, and the youth aren’t taking issues into their own hands. Maybe this is good and it means that we’re on the right track and all is gravy, or maybe we just don’t care? But it would be nice to actually feel enthusiasm and interest towards how my country is being run, like the Greeks do. Maybe I need to expand my own knowledge, or maybe Steven Harper needs to shake it up a bit. He should start by legalizing public drinking!….not public drunkenness, but being able to drink in public is something you can do all over Europe, and you’re bound to find people getting together in one of the many public squares chatting, and having a good time with each other. We have our pre-drinks, but if you want to go out you need to have money, and that’s something I’m just not going to be rolling in when I get home. Public drinking is something I am down for! Who’s with me?

Ok, rally when I get back! I’m working on pushing my flight back a few days so I can finish all the days on my Eurorail pass…Ill keep ya’ll posted though and let you know when I’ll be back. As always feel free to msg me and comment or send some love my way….I miss ya!

Love and Kisses,

T

EuroTrip 2010: Italy. Let's get ruined! (7)

Hello Friends,

I am now in Greece sitting on the balcony outside my hostel room listening to the night time sounds of Athens. In the sketchy area that I am in (near Omonia station) the sounds include yelling, bottles smashing, the faint call of a prostitute and the soft whir of sirens in the distance. I have had a great time in Athens so far, and am off to the Volcanic Island of Santorini tomorrow morning, so I should get started telling you about Italy!

(I need to work on my tan in Santorini!)

Where to begin? Well as you have all devotedly read my last blog I guess I can start in Cinque Terre. This was the day hike we did with no sleep after our 36 hour journey from Barcelona. The Cinque Terre is made up of 5 villages along the magnificent Italian Riviera that are all connected by train or foot path. We went to 4 out of the 5 villages, and enjoyed the cliff side views.

(Cinque Terre town)

(coastin)

After the hike I high tailed it back to Genoa because I had a train to catch to Milan so I could meet up with my cousin Steven. I made the train and was able to find my hostel, after a short freak out and watery eyed plead for a restaurant to call my hostel and tell them i was going to be there after midnight and to not lock me out. On the way I also managed to pick up two Aussies that had been aimlessly wandering the streets of Milan for 3 hours looking for Accommodation. They would have been lost without me...literally...Good deed for the day:check.

That night I slept like a baby and woke up well rested. Steven and I met near the train station that day and he took me around to some spots he liked in Milan and we got the most expensive espresso I had ever had. Most of the day was spent walking and talking and when we realized we were lost, we found a map and saw that we were basically where we needed to be. Such great sense of direction us Gouveia's have, thats's why I'm such a great traveler.

(Me and Steven...Italy has the most McDonalds out of any European country)

After saying goodbye to Steven and making him promise he would try his hardest to come to Canada soon, I met back up with Mel, and the two of us headed to Florence. Honestly, I was glad my travelling alone was done because it was quite stressful and a little scary at times. I was proud of myself for doing it though, and am sure I will do it again, but the first one was tough...but the lack of sleep may have also attributed to that.

In Florence we camped at this sweet site owned by Plus Camping. These campsites are located all over Italy. They give you a tent with beds in it and electricity and the whole thing basically cost 1 euro more then camping with your own tent, so we opted for their facilities. Oh and we also finally got to do some real laundry!!! Yes, to clean underwear!

Florence was beautious and while we were there there was a Gelato festival going on. I had about 8 cups in the span of 2.5 hours so was quite satisfied and engorged. My fave part of Florence was the church in the pic below and of course Michelangelo's David. Truly a masterpiece that I wasn't prepared for. The shear size of the statue is insane and then the detail and precision just mind boggling.....truly a must see!

(yummy, not sick of it at all)

(Loved)
From Florence we headed to Rome and stayed for 4 nights. Saw the old city and lots of ruins!!!! We went to Palatine hill and of course to the Colosseum which was really cool. Only problem with Rome and Italy is that there are sooo many tourists! Probably why we found Italy to be a bit rude and felt like they didn't want us there...prob because they actually didn't want us there. The country must be sooo sick of tourists. Melody was put off because as she pointed out, the people want our money and that's it. We didn't feel like customer service was a strong point or that people who were performing for money were there to entertain, because they basically play a song and then put out their cup and don't smile or anything, it was quite off putting. Lot's of great accordion players though! I'm thinking of getting one for SidePonyNation!

(Colossal!)

(I went to the Vatican and LOVED THE SISTINE CHAPEL....this is the roof...shhhh don't tell anyone!)

Thank god we didn't leave after Rome because as we made our way more south Italy got less expensive and friendlier! Our last stop was in Sorrento, a town on the Amalfi coast, beautiful views and hot weather. On the train there from Naples we met a young couple from Milton. They were backpacking too, and with an 11 month old son! They weren't new to the back packing scene, but they were taking on the new challenge of backpacking with their bundle of joy Levi. It was awesome talking to them as they were both super down to earth, seemed like good parents, and they gave us hope that having kids and settling down doesn't have to suck as much as I think it's going to. (Sorry to anyone who has settled down and had kids lol, but if it sucks it doesn't have to! ;)

The Canadian couple talked to us on the train because they saw that Mel and I both had Canadian flags on our bags. Now I got my Canadian flag luggage tag (thanks Tarah) because I thought that's what people did when they went backpacking; they repped their countries flag. I quickly found out that this was not the case, and that Canadians are THE ONLY ONES rocking their flag on their backpacks. I've even gotten some slack for it from an Aussie guy because I think people think were really trying to distinguish ourselves from Americans. Maybe it used to be about differentiation, but it's not about that anymore. Now I think it's more about pride and I really dig that it's a Canadian thing. Especially since were a country made up of immigrants, it's nice to know that so many different people and cultures can all come together and be welcomed and proud to represent themselves to the foreign world with the maple leaf! Man I love Canada, I love to travel, but I LOVE CANADA!

(Your Welcome)

I may love Canada, but the Italians love to sell trinkets! From Sorrento we went to Pompeii to see the ruins. It was really cool, because the city is soooo well preserved and is sooooo old. My fave part of the city was the brothel because there were intact frescoes of the "menu", so customers could just point at what they wanted and it would be provided...and doggy style was around in 79 AD...and yes of course I took pics. Pompeii was full of tourists and therefore full of people trying to sell you some type of jewelery, or statue or postcard or wooden penis with wings. North America get's a lot of slack for being such a consumerist society with ads everywhere and media coming at you from all angles trying to get you to watch a certain program, or buy a certain product. But over here you're hounded too, but by people constantly and annoyingly trying to get you to buy what they got. It's exhausting really, I mean I can't wait till I can look at a product in a store and not be hounded to buy it as soon as my gaze falls on the outer seam.

(sunset in Florence)
Anywho, I really did enjoy Italy and am excited to hit up Venice on the way back from Greece. In Italy I didn't really feel as connected to my culture as I did in Portugal, but it was probably due to the touristicness (sp?) of the places I went. I will have to make it to Calabria on my next trip, and of course to Sicily as we had to forego a visit to the Sicilians we had met in Amsterdam due to time constraints.

That's all for now my loves, miss you all and I'll see you in less then a month!

Love an Kisses,

TaCaGo

My EuroTrip Song

Hey Friends,

Tanya's EuroTrip 2010 Song

Stereo Love
Edward Maya Feat. Vika Jigulina

Great tune, it's the best when the accordion kicks in!

Give her a Gander...or don't because you'll prob hear the remix over and over and over and over again in a few weeks!

Love!

By the way, I loved SPAIN!!! (6)

Instead of telling you about Spain, I thought I'd show you!

We went to:

Sevilla-Saw some Flamenco and this crazy bull fight accident on the news!

Also, had a cultural experience with locals at a rollerblade competition and nabbed some amazing Graffiti shots.

(she was rather mannish)

(ya it was hot, and not just cause the three of us were there...It went up to 39 that day)

Madrid-Stashed our stuff at Madrid Train Station, and partied all night until the 8am train to Valencia.

(Just made it in time to get a locker before they closed, or else this night would have been very different)

(Drinking like the locals....but not what they drink, just where and how...we opted for Don Simon, a nice option for the homeless)

(So sweaty)

Valencia-Met back up with our good buddy Saar in Valencia! Lovely city, wicked beach, rented bikes, went to the future, awesome hostel and met and partied with some sweet ass New jersey Boys….Homemade Sangria anyone?

(Yes this exists in real life)

Barcelona-A city I could live in, very historic, hip, fun, and Casio lives there….sigh Casio. Parc Guell was my top 3 fave things I’ve seen so far, and the style in Barcelona just can’t be beat…got some new Pantaloons and Catalonian shoes….yes, another pair of shoes….

(Boqueria market)

(Friends Forever!!!)

(Saar's last night....tear)

(Our drink of choice in Spain...can run from .55 to 1.50 euro...this one was taken from the free cupboard at the hostel!!!!)

(Me and Picasso)

(Me and Sagrada Familia...literally not even close to being finished...nice tho! Gaudi is wicked)

(Tapas bar)

(HIgh jump, new outfit, and LAS strikes again!)

(I have a funny story about this cactus...remind me to tell you about it)

(Magice fountian light show...a great way to end our time in Barcelona)

Spain was beautiful, and friendly and pretty easy to get along in. Sadly, it is also where we said farewell to our great Irish friend Saar. We will definitely meet again though…Croatia?

I am no in Roma, and will have many Italian storiesw for you all. For now it is off to bed.

Love and Kisses,

TaCaGo