I mentioned in a previous post that I’ve had a bad cold for all of my trip so far – and I still do. Either from coughing so hard or bungy (or both), I’m pretty sure I’ve cracked a rib or two. It hurts to breath. It REALLY hurts to cough (unfortunately I’m doing that a lot). And a sneeze means a long chain of shouted expletives will immediately follow. I like to think I have a fairly high threshold for pain, but the constant cough on the ribs is torture. I think I’ve spent more on cold medicine and pain reliever on this trip than I’ve spent on food!!

Chris and I wrapped up exploring the South Island with a trip to Mt. Cook. It was incredible. It was a short walk out to the base of the mountain where a small glacial beach was – ice bergs and all! We were lucky enough that it was sunny – and were tempted to go for a swim!

Around the corner from Mt. Cook was the Tasman Glacier. The Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s longest glacier, and has been shrinking pretty significantly over recent years. You can see along the edges where the glacier used to come up to.

Yesterday, Chris headed back to the states and I flew to the North Island to do a little more exploring. This morning I found a really nice little hike up to Wairere Falls on my way to Hobbiton! The falls were stunning, and the hike up was just as nice – it was like walking through a rainforest. Even nicer was the fact that it was completely peaceful – I didn’t see anyone else on the trail. 

After the hike I made my way to The Hobbiton Movie Set to geek out a little. I just watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time a few months ago – and I have to say the set was really cool. It was your typical New Zealand weather throughout the tour – sometimes sunny and warm, other times dreary and raining! 

At the end of the tour they gave you a beer at the Green Dragon – and warming up by the fireplace with a beer was just what was needed! The dark ale that I had was one that you can only get there – you can’t buy it elsewhere!

After Hobbiton I drove to my AirBnB in Rotorua. I’m getting really comfortable driving on the opposite side of the road! I have to say…the views from my airBnB are one of a kind. Tomorrow I’ll explore Rotorua and then head to Taupo for a few days!

Saturday was the Super Bowl for Australian rules football (Footy). It seems to be a mix between American football, soccer and rugby. It’s the most watched sport in Australia and it was held here in Melbourne! The city was crazy! Fans were dressed in their team colors days leading up to the event and it was broadcast from many public squares and probably every bar! It was like tailgating at Gillette with the number of people dressed up the day before the game, and even more so on Saturday! Businesses decorated, cars painted – it was really cool to see all the fanfare. The Aussies really get into it. The Western Bulldogs (Melbourne) beat the Sydney Swans by a goal in the last few minutes. It was really cool to be in the city after with everyone celebrating!

Just before the game I decided to go up to the Eureka Skydeck – the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere. It was really cool. I could see the stadium filling up, and people congregated in Federation square to watch. You could also see all of the harbor which I hadn’t seen yet!

Jennifer, a girl from London staying in my hostel, looked up this low-key, non-pretentious rooftop bar. We made our way in that direction, but couldn’t find the entrance. We walked down filthy alleyways, literally spilling out with trash and empty bottles (that was the street that the bar was supposedly on) then went around to the back side and after looking at their website thought maybe we go in the Tuxedo Cat (as their site said it was above it). We opened the door (broken glass) and saw an empty bar. There were small signs pointing up for the rooftop bar, so hesitating, we followed. The stairs were carpeted, it was dark, musty. It felt wrong… But what the hell, right? It felt like we were trespassing…it felt like their may be ghosts around, it felt like there may have been a murder there at some point haha. We go up, see another bar with empty bottles on it and more signs for the rooftop bar, but still no one in sight. We follow the signs to a door to some stairs outside. Just as we were about to go up and shut the door.. I think that maybe we should see if the door is locked to see if we would be able to get back in. Sure enough it was. Luckily for us we caught the door before it slammed shut. Jennifer went up and confirmed out suspicions, there was a bar, but no one in sight. It was super strange. We could have just helped ourselves to beer! We ended up finding another chill bar to sit outside at instead.

I was home for three days before I booked my next trip – a one-way ticket to Australia! I will buy a return from New Zealand.. But I’m still working out details for the time being. My big hang up is how long to stay. I bought a year of travel insurance before I started doing any travel…the only stipulation is that each ‘trip’ can’t be more than 45 days to be eligible for benefits should something happen. Is 45 days enough for Australia and New Zealand? I don’t know…

I’ve been home for almost two weeks now, so I’ve had some time to reflect on my experiences in Europe. It was a truly incredible trip. I think the highlight (outside of seeing friends and family I haven’t seen in a very long time) was Paris. I’ve heard people say that they didn’t like Paris, or weren’t impressed with it. To those people.. You must have done Paris the wrong way. Maybe it was the people I met up with, maybe it was the time of year (not many tourists).. I don’t know.. But it was amazing.

One thing I’ve tried to do in writing these updates is keep them positive. I try not to dwell on negativity or complain about people, so though I may have wanted to bitch about things I saw or experienced, I refrained from them in earlier posts. Most of them have been my shock with how people act in certain situations. So here are some of those gripes and moments where I wanted to say to people ‘Seriously?!’ Or ‘Quit bitching…you’re on vacation!’

Sorry ahead of time for all the ‘bitching’ that you’re about to read.

1. “You don’t have an elevator to the second floor??”

My room in Venice was near the entryway of my AirBnB, where multiple people were staying. It was set up so you didn’t have to check in with anyone when you arrived. The walls were thin, so I overheard a conversation one morning with a woman arriving and not being able to find her room. 

For those that may not know.. Venice is a walking city – no cars, lots of steps, lots of bridges. The woman was on the phone with the owner and said she couldn’t locate the room. Right inside the entryway, where she was standing was a staircase. The unit was just two floors – the size of a large house. From what I heard, she hadn’t gone up them, and simply walked around the ground floor looking at the room names. 

The owner must have told her that her room was upstairs…and she replied “Is there an elevator?” When they hung up I heard the woman outside grumbling..”That’s ridiculous.. No elevator.. How am I supposed to get my luggage up.. This is ridiculous.”

My thoughts: “SERIOUSLY!! You’re in Venice. Quit being a spoiled brat and walk your luggage up one set of stairs. You had to cross how many bridges and go up and down how many steps to get this far?!? Relax in the sitting area if your tired if you need too.. no need to complain.” This is why Americans are stereotyped as lazy.

2. Italian train etiquette

I don’t want to generalize and make a blanket statement about Italians on trains, but the two that were in my immediate vicinity were surprising unaware of how their actions were received by others around them. 

First, when we crossed Switzerland into Italy, a young Italian woman sat down in the seat next to me and across from another person. I had half the normal space at my feet because there was a little protrusion coming in below the seats, so I only had about a foot of space for my feet. When this girl sat down, not only did she immediately throw her arms and elbows across both armrests pushing me aside, but she had the worst case of manspreading I have ever seen – from both males and females. Not only just spreading out to the sides, but she spread across and took space from the foot area of the person across from her too. She wasn’t tall either…Imagine a human-sized snail sitting down and immediately morphing into a human-sized starfish!  

My thoughts: “I don’t care who you are.. I don’t know you.. Keep out of my personal space!” 

Second was a man that got on as we were nearing Venice. He sat immediately across from me. He continued to sniff gross amounts of phlegm back into his throat and cough without covering his mouth. While doing that, he was carrying on a very loud conversation on his phone.

My thoughts: “Ew. Gross. No. I can’t get sick.. Please don’t breathe on me. And please..no need to yell.. Talking in a normal voice is all that’s needed on a phone call. They can hear you.”

Final thoughts on the train: no matter where you are, please be considerate of your surroundings. 

3. Please take the nag out of your voice.

I had a layover in Lyon on my way to Paris and as I was waiting in line to board there was an elderly couple right behind me. We were in line for awhile so the following went on for some time in multiple variations.

The woman (We’ll call her Sue.. She looked like a Sue) was talking with the people she was traveling with, including her husband (we’ll call him Paul.. Because he looked like a Paul). They were both older (probably in their 80s). Paul had some confusion and even greater mobility issues.. But hey.. More power to you for still traveling! Sue on the other hand, seemed completely annoyed with Paul’s troubles. I can’t count how many times I heard her say “Move Paul. No.. What are you doing? Go the other way.. No! The other way! Oh please Paul. Paaauuuul.” None of this was said in a pleasant way… She sounded like such a nag.. Very annoyed and almost mean. He wasn’t that confused, and you could hear the frustration in his voice with her as well. However, he seemed for the most part unbothered with it. 

My thoughts: “It’s ok Paul. I would be confused as hell too with her nagging me like that. Keep on keeping on…” 

“Sue… Chill out. Smile. Quit nagging. You sound like a total bitch. You’re on vacation and all you can do is push your husband around. I can’t imagine that being enjoyable!”

Now, I know I sound ‘judgey’ and I don’t know the situations around any of these.. Someone may have been having a really bad day, or had some experience that I can’t even imagine. That’s why I have to thank my lucky stars that I’m happy, and lucky to be able to go on these adventures and it re-enforces the fact that no matter what, I will enjoy my life to the fullest. I don’t ever want to be the nagging bitch who has no clue how my actions affect my surroundings.

End rant.

Sitting in the Lyon, France airport waiting on my connection to Paris and I have to say that Nice was pretty incredible. I was in the old town area (Vieux Ville) and it was perfect. The streets were a lot like Venice – narrow and primarily walking streets, lined with small cafés, restaurants and boutiques.

 

I was a 5 minute walk to the beach, 5 minutes to the top of Castle Hill for panoramic views and 5 minutes to the port. And there were endless places to eat and drink right outside my door.

My AirBnB hosts were awesome – and by the time I left, I almost felt like a local. They showed me the local watering holes, restaurants and more. 

I did a little of everything there: some beach, some hills (I wouldn’t quite call them hikes) and a lot of walking. I made it to Eze Village one of the days – by way of a very scenic bus ride. From there I saw even more stunning panoramic views from ruins at the top of a historic village on a mountain/hill.

It was surprising to me that the city is fairly quiet prior to noon – I felt like I had the city to myself most mornings. Another surprise was the low cost of things. The Euro and dollar are fairly close right now, and the cost of cheese and wine was very low in comparison. The first night I was out I asked my host if the price on a bottle of wine was for real – 5.80€ (about $6.50 USD). He said yep – and that was expensive! So needless to say, I drank a lot of wine and ate a lot of cheese.

It was very hot in Nice… I don’t think I have sweat so consistently for 4 days straight. There isn’t much that is air conditioned – as most places are open air, so it was a struggle for me (being used to the Maine weather). Each day was around 83 degrees but with the humidity had a ‘feels like’ temperature of mid-90s. Now I understand why all the French travel in August!! The beach was not sandy either – the entire 4 miles or so was small pebbles – if you ever go – bring chairs/cushions!

Let’s hope Paris is a little cooler!

 My first morning in Venice and I half awake head towards my bathroom. I very quickly become fully alert when I see a scorpion in my shower!! On the smaller side.. But still a little jarring! I can’t bring myself to smash it, so I turn the water on as hot as it’ll go and send it on its way down the drain… Only after I get some photos though! Apparently they aren’t poisonous in Italy.. But it’s still creepy as hell! 
Venice is a city for getting lost. I took so many wrong turns, back alleyways and different bridges that I still don’t think I know the best route anywhere. I was out of the super touristy area, but still walking distance. I think when all was said and done I had walked around 8 miles each day I was in Venice! My last full day in Venice I took a boat ride to three islands: Burano, Murano and Torcello. We went to a glass factory on Murano…And oops! I went into the men’s bathroom by accident. That was a little embarrassing to come out and see a line of men waiting! I guess I got used to the Swedish ones where every door is fair game.

I took the bus into the Marco Polo airport yesterday and there was a car holding up traffic. Our bus driver decides to back up and smashes into a car behind us! Does he stop? Nope. He continues to drive off – then very quickly exits the bus at the stop and runs off! 

The Marco Polo airport was a little confusing when I got there. I checked in on the lower level with EasyJet. I was up near the beginning of the line – I’m glad I was!! Then I had to go outside, up an escalator and back in. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense. We were given our gate about 10 minutes before boarding, then shuttled to the plane which was in the middle of the Tarmac somewhere. I could not believe how tight the seats were. No recline either. Warning.. If you are tall… Or even taller than me at 5’5″… Don’t fly EasyJet unless you like being super cramped. Also, non EasyJet plus passenger are only allowed one carry on – and purses count as that one. There was a lot of scrambling to stuff purses into already packed carry ons.. Thankfully I had planned accordingly!

I arrive in Nice, get to my AirBnB and end up spending the evening out with my host and his friend. More to come.. But so far Nice is putting Venice to shame!

If you haven’t ridden a train through the Alps… Do it. The pictures I took don’t do it justice.. So I’m going to try to explain the best I can. If you want to skip right to my description/photos.. Scroll down towards the end of this post.
Because first, a quick recap of the last few days! The Hawaiian party was a lot of fun.. Even though it was on and off down pouring. What really got me though was that no one (except for one person) had their phones out. People were simply enjoying each other’s company without feeling the need to document the fun. It was extremely refreshing!! 

My final full day in Germany was spent in Munich. I was getting pretty good at the public transportation system! I spent the morning at Schloss Nymphenburg – a beautiful manor and grounds. The gardens and paths complemented the buildings wonderfully.

The afternoon was spent around Marienplatz – a cathedral in town Munich. Again.. Stunning but overwhelmed with tourists. I walked up 299 steps to Peters Alter and had an amazing view of the entire city.

The evening was spent at a Biergarten (I’m becoming quite fond of those..) with Annika. We rode the bicycles in.. And before Germany I don’t think I had been on a bike in around 12 years! It was, as they say, just like riding a bike.

Now to the Alps. All I can say is wow. As we were entering from the German and Swiss side, it was a slow progression of flat green fields with larger and larger tree-covered protrusions seemingly just popping up sporadically. As we passed Innsbruck (stunning town), the Alps took true form. Our train snaked through tiny crevasses and followed a river that was an arctic ice blue in color. Little villages were nestled around every corner, with a picturesque church steeple making an appearance or two in each. Houses were perched high on a green hill on one side while vast rock held the opposite side. We would spent minutes at a time going through tunnels, only to come out on the other side of a monstrous mountain.Even if the train ride was 15 hours instead of 7, it would still be worth the trip.

I’m now in Venice just settling in to my AirBnB. It’s a wonderful 81 degrees at 8 at night. So far it seems like a great location – we’ll see what the next few days bring!

It was 545 in the morning as I walked past a cafe that was pumping rave music in the airport in Copenhagen a few days ago. I almost stopped but decided that I wasn’t quite to the level of energy to appreciate a rave.. Even though it looked like a lot of fun.
Another interesting thing that I forgot about when flying between European countries is the fact that you don’t show your passport at all – not when showing your boarding pass, not at security and not at customs – it was the strangest thing coming from someplace where you constantly have to show your ID when traveling!

Now to rewind some. It’s always amazing to visit Sweden, and this quick trip didn’t disappoint. I think I’m at an age now that I better appreciate everything there, and had a fantastic time. I visited my host sister in Stockholm for a quick one-night visit – and we had a great time. We went out to a club (well multiple clubs) but one really cool one in particular (though I forget the name). It had outdoor sections, indoor sections, different music and probably 10 different bars.

I got back to Lund and had dinner with my host families. They are truly amazing people and it was a fantastic evening. The next day, before heading back to Copenhagen, we stopped at Katrinetorp – a beautiful cafe and garden in Malmö.

Now that I’m in Germany, I’ve been able to spend a couple days with Steffi and Thomas. Steffi lived with my family in the US when I lived in Sweden for a year. This is the second time I’ve been to visit – but the last time was 10 years ago! 

We spent the first day at the zoo in Munich (Steffi and Thomas have two young boys). It was a really large zoo with some very neat exhibits – and some things that wouldn’t necessarily fly in the US so was interesting to see (dead rabbits hanging from lines over the polar bear exhibit for the bear to eat).

On the way back to to Cham we had to stop at a biergarten – the real reason I visit Germany! Hah. Yesterday morning we went on a quick hike up Kaitersberg – about 1000 meters high – so it was a quick hike – but with the little ones it was just about perfect. We had a great view, and of course followed the hike with a trip to another biergarten.

Today (and actually yesterday as well) was very reminiscent of being in Maine. Today we took canoes down the Regen River. Apparently all kayaks and canoes are called canoes here. And a canoe as we know it is a called a Canadian! 

The shores were a lot like Maine (lots of trees) but it was also lined with other sights (water mills, extremely old buildings and train lines). And in true form, we ended the day at a biergarten.