Wednesday, August 6, 2008

A Cat Named Amoré

I am writing this post from an internet cafe in Milan. We had a miscommunication on hostels, so we ended up having to book a night here in Milan. Crazy, huh? Since it is a very unexpected night and you have to get tickets 3 months in advance to see 'The Last Supper', we decided to spend today relaxing and recharging our batteries. Since we're about mid trip, we definitely can use it! We arrived around 11, ate Tex Mex for lunch (Yum!!), took a nap, and ate dinner at McDonald's. I am soooo sick of Italian food that I have certainly appreciated the break. Tomorrow afternoon, we are off to Prague!

Anyway, I still need to update you on our 3 days in Venice. Our room ended up being this little apartment in a small Italian village right outside of Venice. So quaint! There was a little pizzeria next door with the best pizza we've had yet! The owner was an incredible lady with a cat named Amoré (hence the title). The apartment was about 20 minutes away from Venice on a commuter train. Venice is GORGEOUS. You know that image in your head of cute little buildings with exposed brick and fading paint? They are actually there! The canals were also really cool. There are no cars or metro in Venice, so to get around you take water buses, which are so cool. We also went to Murano and Burano, the two islands off the coast of Venice that are known for their glass blowing and lace making respectively. Very neat.

As for overall thoughts, I've discovered that sunglasses and water bottles are absolutely vital for a trip like this. It has been boiling hot in all of Italy. Hopefully, it will get much cooler as we move farther north.

I've also made an important self-discovery. After this trip, I feel like you could drop me off in any major city in the world and I could figure out my way around. I've had to navigate countless metros, buses, water buses, walking routes, etc. I hope this skill sticks with me when I finally get to drive again!

The closer I get to study abroad, the more excited I get about it. I can't wait to be in a single location for more than 3 or 4 days.

So Prague is next. Then comes Berlin, where Veronica will be meeting us up. Then comes Amsterdam. After that, we have about 5 days that have yet to be planned. I think we may end up in southern Germany or Switzerland or something. We'll see!

Happy birthday, dad!

3 comments:

Gary said...

Does the cat speak English? As you know, there is a protocol for the addressing of cats, and I would hate for you to run afoul of the local cat just because of a language barrier.

It has been quite hot in the Kansas City area, too, as you might expect. Uncle Dennis and I did the Cider Mill ride again this year - we planned on 70 miles and ended up doing 50 - I honestly thought I was going to get heat stroke on the last hill.

I am not at all surprised that you and Erin are such natural travelers. It's a combination of experiences, education, and independent mindsets - and this trip will only enhance all of those qualities. Good show! Pip pip!

Zurich, maybe? Say hi to Ben? Ja?

Zatim! (Czech for "see you later").

Anonymous said...

You are sick of Italian food??? You are no longer my favorite twin.

Kate said...

i'm not sure i could ever get sick of italian food.

ever.

also its pretty entertaining reading your and erins blogs concurrently.

i hope you're having fun!

even though it sounds obviously like you are : )