Nah, I won't let anything get me down. It's like freaking out about a bad hair day when it's the end of the world. There's no point.
I'm just gonna smile, be optimistic and wait for wonderful things to come.
Day 15: Barcelona
Yeah, so... the night we left for Rome, we were stranded at the airport because the plane ticket was booked on the wrong day so we effectively missed our flight. Unable to get a refund or book another flight in time, we resolved to take on Ira's idea - "cruise" it from this port city called Civitavecchia all the way to Barcelona. Sounds insane? OH hells yes, it was.
We had little time to get to Civitavecchia from the airport to make it in time for the cruise since the taxi we were supposed to take decided to leave without us. A taxi driver saved the day for us and squeezed five of us into his taxi and drove at a speed of 180 km/hr in his ferrari (SMOOTHEST RIDE EVER) to get us to the port... but even then, it wouldn't be sure we could get the tickets for five of us to get on at the last moment. What happened?
We got on. By our prayers and Lord's grace, the ticket booth was still open and we got tickets for five of us! When we got on the cruise, we even upgraded our tickets so we could get a four-person room to sleep in. The morning of, the water was rocking the boat HARD and I got sea sick.
We were SO SO SO blessed to be on this boat, even though we would be missing out on a day in Barcelona. The deck was CRAZY WINDY, I could feel the skin on my face being blown off. While everyone decided to sleep for the day, I decided to relax on the deck and look out and truly admire the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea.
Land ho! By 6PM, we were arriving at Barcelona. Although the others didn't enjoy the cruise that much, I liked it because I've never been on a real cruise before (even if it's low end) and it was just a beautiful relaxing time. It also fulfilled Ira's need to have an "adventure" even though Europe backpacking is not adventure enough for her I guess
We arrived in beautiful Barcelona and I could tell that I would love this place (although that feeling soon dwindled when I realized there's not much to do or see here)
Our new and very last hostel. These cushions were backbreakingly soft and the bunk beds were shaky as heck... it was very difficult for me to not rustle the entire bunk bed sleeping on top. Also, they didn't give you comforters so I slept under my towel (ghetto!) Lastly, I am almost positive I got all my bug bites from Barcelona and most likely from sleeping in this hostel
Just because the washroom is green, doesn't mean I like it. It was terribly unclean and I felt dirty AS I was showering which is never a good sign. You could tell the bathtub has never once been scrubbed
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b) 
c) 
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b) c) d) 
e) 
e) We went out for dinner for TAPAS which is like a Spanish Dim Sum, in the fact that you order a variety of small dishes. Ira was looking forward most to the tapas, but I think we all fell in love. This is the best tapas meal I had while we were in Barcelona
a) Brochettes - bread sticks filled with cheese
b) Patatas Bravas - fried potato wedges topped with a spicy mayonnaise sauce. This is probably the most popular tapas plate and although it doesn't look like much, you can trust that this is the MOST delicious and tasty of them all. So good, I kept ordering it everywhere I went
c) Forgot what it was called, but it's a cheese sandwich with truffles basically
d) Potato omelette
e) Creme brulee dessert - didn't have a chance to get it in France so might as well have my share now!
Barcelona at night, walking to La Rambla which is a street for tourists and locals where a market is, and also some special events happen. It's also famous for pickpocketing, which is what almost happened to Jackie
One of Gaudi's (a famous architect from Barcelona) works. You can see strange looking buildings like this around. He was a moderniste architect
One of Gaudi's (a famous architect from Barcelona) works. You can see strange looking buildings like this around. He was a moderniste architect
Day 16: Barcelona II
La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's most famous works. This freaky piece of architecture is supposed to be a church but was never completed because Gaudi died. It is currently being completed with a target date of 2026, 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death
Gaudi was into nature and wanted to incorporate this into his work. The interior of the church has these pillars that represent trees and tree branches that suspend into the roof
Every little carving is symbolic and relates to both religion and nature. His work is so intricate and so different from anyone else out there. He was a moderniste and light years ahead of his time
Every little carving is symbolic and relates to both religion and nature. His work is so intricate and so different from anyone else out there. He was a moderniste and light years ahead of his time
Parc Guell, which is also by Gaudi and is located in northern Barcelona. It's a garden that has these strange looking buildings
After climbing the stairs, you reach the top which is a sandy area and tons of palm trees. Weird to find sand here though... who do you think you are, Paris?!?!
We relaxed on this bench which is supposed to be this long serpent (not very comfortable to lean back onto) but we stayed here for a while
This is me and the dragon fountain (which was vandalized in 2007 so this is the restored version)
Let's do the hula dance! The harbor area looked like Hawaii
After eating at a seafood restaurant that wasn't too good, we took a walk and found a beach area which is called Barceloneta Beach
Only me and Ira wanted to go play in the water, but the water was crazy cold. This guy was going to take a picture for us, but the tide came rushing in when we didn't realize it
The tide receded and we managed to take a photo! =) Playing in the water was super fun, too bad we wouldn't have enough time to hang out at the beach and go swimming. I'm just glad we got to go to the beach in the first place
We strolled along the beach and I saw this weird fish thing so I decided to capture it. There's weird moderniste archiecture everywhere you go in Barcelona... I don't know what they're trying to prove but having a huge fish thing is not as cool as you think!
As the sun went down, we reached the end of the beach and took a rest at the lovely harbor front area before heading back
Day 17: Barcelona III
Day 17: Barcelona III
THE LAST DAY OF OUR TRIP and the LAST TIME I ever have to blog about Europe!
In the morning, we walked a lot everywhere, went to La Rambla again, and ended up going up the mountain near the Olympic stadium to see this fantastic view. Just when I was giving up on Barcelona, it goes on to stun me with this nice view away from the very modern city
A nice photo of all of us, at a place that overlooks all of Barcelona (you can even see La Sagrada Familia from this picture)
We proceeded to visit Castell de Montjuic and it was awesome because it was free.
Below is where we got off from our cruise on the first day we arrived in Barcelona. The top corner, there is a beach which is where we were the other day
I love the two different colours of water. The inner port water is more teal greenish while the outer water is blue. It's such a beautiful sight to see. We hung out on top of the castle for a while
After eating lunch, we roamed the city for a while to get an "all-you-can-see" tour guide of the gothic district of Barcelona in the limited time we had left. I think we made good time thanks to our tour guide Jackie who led us to see all that we could see
Sorry I don't know that much about Barcelona history, but I know that this fountain is famous for something. I also know that it is located in a sketchy and if it wasn't day time, I would be tres scared for my life
Again, don't know much about it but it's a well known bridge. I think the tourguide said something about being praising this for its incorporation of gothic themes into the architecture
After seeing all that we could see (which was a lot in a little time), we proceeded back to our hostel to pick up our stuff and head to the airport to go back to Dublin. Say goodbye Barcelona
Summary
What I Learned about Barcelona: TAPAS is awesome. As I explained earlier, it's like Spanish dim sum and patatas bravas is the best type of tapas there is. SO SO yummy. Also, we learned about the famous architect Gaudi and you could see his works all around Barcelona
Rating: 7/10 I wasn't too stoked about going to this place because I knew nothing about it. I realize now it's a lovely place and there's some stuff to see, but I'd say it's a great place to just relax and have a good time. But overall, we didn't get much time to see it and in that little time we had, most of the time we were wandering around the ghetto areas of La Rambla at night so maybe I'd give it a better rating next time I go. It's not as quaint as I expected from Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it's actually a very modern city but I still enjoyed it otherwise.
We flew from Barcelona airport to Dublin, and had about 6-7 hours to spare before our plane to Canada. There was absolutely no where in the airport to sit or sleep, so we all decided to go to a nearby hotel and have a good rest and shower. I would say it was worth it, plus we got to see more of Dublin instead of its crappy airport ;)
We made it back to our plane on time, and there were even tons of seats empty so I ended up getting my own space. It was funny, I was able to sleep like a baby on every airplane or train in Europe but when it came time to going home, I could not sleep a wink on that plane (yes I got major jet lagged). I guess I was just excited to get home...
Leaving the beautifully green Dublin...
...arriving in the deathly urban city of Toronto. But it's my home =)
Day 11: Rome, Italy
VENICE->ROME. We took what must've been the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE train ride of our lives. It was a room like the one in Eurotrip with that scusi guy but we had to sleep for seven hours all pressed up against each other (with one random). The woman with us turned out to be the sweetest, nicest, most helpful person ever. Who said Italians weren't nice?
I just want to mention one thing, Rome was HOT. Like 32-34 degree weather scorching HOT.
We got to our Hotel Stella in the early morning, but couldn't check in until noon so we decided to head to Vatican (yes we were stinky and gross and wearing the same clothes from the day before).
A view of the Coliseum from the tour bus
St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. We lined up but we couldn't get in that day because we realized they had a dress code in effect
We walked to Castel Sant'Angelo which used to be a tomb to Hadrian but then became the pope's hideout. It's basically a defense castle
Somehow, me and Ira got left behind from the others but we ended up making our way to this great view of the city from the top. From up here, we saw the others sitting down and then Jackie came up to join us. It was H-O-T
Archangel Michael marking the end of the plague
I really liked the morning. After, we headed back to the hotel to check-in and shower which took a long time and took up the rest of the day. At night, we headed back out
I had a good time hanging out at the Coliseum at night. There was awesome music playing and we were just jumping around and taking stupid pictures
Me in front of Hadrian's arch. At night, we walked around the area and found a nice restaurant to have dinner and then took a cab back to the hotel
Day 12: Rome II
One of my favourite days.
I PAID 10 EUROS FOR THIS!!! (The guy made me put my hand on his leg and asked me if my boobs were real)
I PAID TEN EUROS FOR THIS!!! Ripoff these guys... RIPOFF
We got in and split up with Lilian and Swati cos they wanted to sit so we went around the entire coliseum.
Isn't it GORGEOUS? Haha maybe not for you, but it was quite the experience for me. Just to think that this was the site of gladiator games... ooh the bloodshed excites me
I RULE THE COLISEUM BITCHES. Er... what's left of it hehehe
After, we headed to Vatican for Part II. This is a view of St. Peter's square again (doesn't it remind you of Angels & Demons?)
YAY, we got into St. Peter's Basilica! It was the most gorgeous place of worship I have ever seen in my life and definitely famous for its architecture because of Michaelangelo
The Altar that overlooks St. Peter's Tomb. In Angels & Demons, this is where the Carmelengo set himself on fire
Pieta by Michaelangelo, a famous sculpture and one that was actually completed and signed by him. It depicts Mary holding Jesus, but note the proportions of size and Mary's youthfulness
Pieta by Michaelangelo, a famous sculpture and one that was actually completed and signed by him. It depicts Mary holding Jesus, but note the proportions of size and Mary's youthfulness
the Swiss Guards. They won't let people stand next to them to take pictures, but you could stand near them... kinda awkwardly to the side. All I can say is, poor dudes...
We had lunch and then headed to Trevi Fountain
We wandered around for a bit in the area and had McDees for dinner. Lilian got this happy meal toy that we were playing with outside, then this old Italian woman just came up to us and was so excited about it so we gave it to her and it made her really happy. In exchange, she gave her this picture of Mary (I think it was like a charm) and the stupid people gave it to me and wouldn't let me throw it in the garbage. I ended up giving it to the woman who was driving our bus and she was really happy to receive it!!!
Day 13: The Vatican & Rome III
Day 13: The Vatican & Rome III
Vatican Part III cos the Vatican Museum was closed the day before. The museum housed a lot of ancient artifacts, including this whole Egyptian exhibit (damn those Roman thiefs)
Apollo Belvedere
WHERE'S MY HEAD?!
The freaky statue with EYES
The ceiling of the Gallery of Maps. It was so funny because we had to go through SOO MANY rooms just to get to the Sistine Chapel and we weren't even allowed to take photos!!!
There was this big globe thing spinning in the middle of the courtyard - don't really understand it!
The spiral staircase exit that I see in ever tour book and I wonder why cos it's just stairs that spiral
Spanish Steps. We climbed these stairs to go to the French Church: Trinita dei MontiThis is where me and Swati almost got a heat stroke and had to rejuvenate for a while at a nearby McDees
After making a full recovery, we walked around and passed by the Piazza del Popolo
We took a wrong turn and ended up at my "favourite thing," which is basically a building I saw all the way from Castel Sant'Angelo and wanted to see so badly cos it looked cool. Well, it does look cool. This is the monument to Vittorio Emanuelle II
THE PANTHEON!!!! Finally. We ended off our night here and took the public transit back to our hotel
Day 14: Rome IV
This is us walking to the Palatines (and going the wrong way)
Finally, the palatine hills! It may look like old rocks to you, but this is where Rome was founded
I love..........rocks (I can't believe they charge for this place)
What is left of the stadium. All the pillars are just stumps now but imagine how crazy this place looked back then
What is left of the stadium. All the pillars are just stumps now but imagine how crazy this place looked back then
No one was impressed by the rocks but I kinda liked it because of all the history behind it
Leaving the palatines and entering the Roman forum... these pillars are gigantic and I was kinda deathly scared that one would just fall and impale me
A view of the Roman Forum, centre of all economic and political activity back in the ancient days
We had lunch and I realized I never took a picture of any of the many pizzas I ate in Italy so here we go... As you can tell, they just throw their random toppings everywhere and it's super thin crust. It tastes all right but I still like Canadian pizza. This was our last meal before leaving Rome on route to Barcelona...
And then...
Huh? Cruise Roma? Why is there a picture of this? Story to be continued later... DUM DUM DUM!!!
Huh? Cruise Roma? Why is there a picture of this? Story to be continued later... DUM DUM DUM!!!
Summary
What I learned about Rome: IT'S DEATHLY HOT. I almost fainted twice, I was dying. A Canadian is definitely not used to this kind of weather. You would be a fool to wear long pants on an August day - I learned to come back to this place in the winter. Also, the Coliseum is not as bad as you would expect. Lastly, that Romans are thieves as you can tell by the million gazillion Egyptian obelisks that you can find all across the city and all the stolen Egyptian artifacts that are on display at the Vatican Museum. They have so many obelisks that they just use them as lamp posts - what a disgrace to Ancient Egypt!Rating: 10/10 minus 1 for the HOT HOT weather. I absolutely LOVE Rome - it's so historic and the architecture is beautiful but you can tell that everyone in the town are just tourists. Gelato is delicious and cheap, people are not as bad as their reputation precedes them, and there's just so much cool stuff to see - you definitely can't miss out on this place.
