Italy and Greece Adventure: Wednesday 6/29/11

8:00 am (Greece Time)
Bus


We're going to drive to the airport as soon as everyone loads onto the bus. Our plane has about two hours of delay due to the electrical strike. We have a 3 hour layover in Atlanta, tough, so hopefully that will just become 1 hour instead and we will still be home on time.
I am so excited to get home- there were police at breakfast this morning with guns and gas masks. We couldn't go out after 4 yesterday because the shops were so close to the parliament building. It was really scary.

Daily Food List

D14 breakfast- croissant (x2), yogurt, sausage, egg

D14 lunch- pasta, bread, butter, orange juice

D14 dinner- Pizza, ice cream, orange juice

Italy and Greece Adventure: Tuesday 6/28/11

4:50 pm (Greece Time)
Hotel Room, Athens


This morning we went to the Acropolis Museum and found out how anal the Greek security is in that museum. "No pictures, no standing still, no feet on the chairs, no breathing!"
Then we had free shopping time/ lunch time. We ate at the same place we are eating dinner at xD.

Daily Food List

D13 breakfast- yogurt, croissant (x2), orange juice, peach juice, sausages

D13 lunch- Greek pizza, tzatziki

snack: coffee, from a really helpful restaurant that showed us how to get to our metting place with the rest of the group.

Then we went down Hermes Street for shopping. Michael F, Michelle, and I got lost and ended up about 2 blocks from the protestors. The police sent out tear gas (which we could see from where we stood) and there were people running around with gas masks and molotov cocktails. We finally found our way to the right square by going around the protestors and asking a coffee shop- which we thanked by buying coffee (and they gave us free water, too!)

After getting lost, getting through protestors, etc. we were glad to make it back to our group (on time and everything)- although we were coughing a little from the city smog, tear gas leftovers, and running to make it on time. Not going near parliament building is a good option right now. After check-in we were going to have more shopping but in lieu of the protest we decided going back to the hotel as a group would be safest. Right now Michelle and Michael F are on the roof of the building chilling- while Rebecca, Amy, and I are lounging in the hotel room. 

Italy and Greece Adventure: Monday 6/27/11

7:50 am (Greece Time)
Hotel Lobby


waiting to leave for Athens and wherever else we're going today. We didn't go to Olympia yesterday because our ship was in so late, so we just went to Tolo and went on a beach walk/ postcard shopping tour.

Daily Food List

D12 breakfast- Greek yogurt, honey, bread (x2), cranberry juice, fruit

We have about an hour and a half drive today in which I will sleep. A bunch of people got up at 4:45- including our room- in order to see the sunrise. Michelle and I opted to go back to sleep afterwards, which ended up being a good decision because Rebecca and Livi went to the beach to see it and said it was underwhelming.

8:42 pm (Greece Time)

Hotel Room

We made it to Athens. It's super sketchy here right now- our hotel room is literally 2 blocks away from the protests that blocked out path earlier (the rerouted traffic) and the electrical strike caused a blackout in the restaurant we ate lunch at.

Daily Food List

D12 lunch- p something or other (like lasagna), apple pie

snack: powerade

D12 dinner- potatoes, bread, pudding (x2), gelato, rice, 1/2 an herb ball, cake, orange

First thing this morning we met with one of our guides and went to the Epidaurus theater and then this castle/ fortification with the lion's gate and Agamemnon and Clydemnestra's tombs (in Mycenae)

Then we saw the oldest bridge in Europe. Next we stopped for lunch, dropped off our first guide and picked up our second for the Parthenon.

Then we got stuck in traffic from the strike and finally got to the hotel. The reason we went to the Parthenon today rather than when we go to the museum tomorrow is because it is possible that it will be closed tomorrow due to striking in this area.

Italy and Greece Adventure: Sunday 6/26/11

10:12 am (Greece Time)
Ship Cabin


Rebecca's alarm went off every 5 minutes since 7 am apparently. Thank god for ipods! I didn't hear a thing- but I had a dreamless sleep on the boat (although the dramomine made me tired and I crashed pretty quickly into bed)
We get off the boat at around 12:30, but we have to meet in the lobby around 11. Then we drive for 2 hours to Olympia (the ship was late, so we never went to Olympia) and after that stop we drive 5 more hours to our next destination. 2.5 days to see everything in Greece, it's crazy. The other group of Americans on this boat are from Houston, Texas. They all got food poisoning while in Sicily, but they're better now and back on track for their tour. They're touring Greece, like us. They're going to have less time to see things, though, because they stayed in several different hospitals for 3 days. That would have been scary to me.

Daily Food List

D10 Dinner- fried ham, salad, juice, bread, fries (not too terrible for boat food)

D11 breakfast- bread, croissant, juice, coffee, 2 hard boiled egg outsides. (kinda weird breakfast on the ship, but it was okay)

I should finish packing all of my stuff from the boat now, so I will write sometime later on.

10:30 pm (Greece Time)

Hotel Room, Tolo

Daily Food List (cont.)

D11 lunch- fries, break, fanta (also from the ship, not too bad)

D11 dinner- Rice, noodles, lettuce, cantelope, cake, pork

I'm taking a shower after Olivia and Michelle, and I'm bored. Tonight I'm with Michelle, Olivia, and Rebecca. Rebecca is really starting to get on Michelle's nerves. She's downstairs right now, though, so I don't have to worry about her reading this.

Tomorrow we're getting up to watch the sunrise- so that should be fun.

Italy and Greece Adventure: Saturday 6/25/11

4:20 pm (Greece Time)
Ship Port


We drove all day today and now we're sitting here waiting for the ship.

Daily Food List

D10 breakfast- bread, pastry, coffee, lemonade

D10 lunch- panini, peach frosty cup

D10 dinner- gross ship food? (we haven't had dinner yet xD)

Apparently the food on the boat is disgusting, so we made sure to pack a lot of snacks beforehand. The gas station at lunch was huge with a restaurant and everything. Aisles upon aisles of candy- we are all set for the ship.

Tonight we're rooming as a quad- Michelle, Rebecca, Amy, and I, again. I hope Michelle doesn't get too annoyed with Rebecca. She has been getting a little too comfortable (talking to us about personal things, borrowing electrical cords without permission: just too comfortable)

Michelle, Amy, and I were happy to get away from her for a little for the two days in Sorento, but hopefully we don't have any problems tonight.

Time to end boredom and draw- will write more later.

10:09 pm (Greece Time)

Ship Cabin

Super drowsy from dramomine, but the ship finally began moving. There are people sleeping on the steps to the helipad. Now there is a life jacket instruction session going on, in many languages. It's like a mixture between an airplane and a train (both of which I have been on before)- but on water. I've never been on such a huge boat. It's named "superfast ferries" which makes me want to sing I'm on a boat... except the ferry isn't really all that fast.

Now there are a bunch of people in our room- the guys came over for food xD so I'm going to stop writing for tonight.

Italy and Greece Adventure: Friday 6/24/11

11:10 pm (Italy Time)
Hotel, Sorento

We're back in Sorento after our Pompeii and Naples visit today. This morning we visited the ancient city and it's corresponding museum in Naples- holding tightly onto our money so it wouldn't be stolen. Then we had lunch, which was wonderful.

Daily Food List

D9 breakfast- pineapple juice, somersausage and cheese, bread, pie

Snack: 2 and 3/4 mini-pies (shared with friends) which I bought in Rome

D9 lunch- Margarita pizza alice, fanta (european fanta is so much better and so different than american fanta)

D9 dinner- Rice and veggies, tomatoes, fish, potatoes, white chocolate chip gelato, 

Snack: Smurf/ puffi (tastes like frosting- advertising the smurf movie) and inglaterra gelato

After lunch we went to the previously mentioned museum and took a really long walk through Naples to a coffee shop and then to the bus even further away.

After that we came back to the hotel (3 hour drive-ish) and napped along the way. Pucca was on when we came back! (Pucca! Ninja! Noodles! -the only english words in the theme song)

Then we had dinner and went to the gelato place and the bankomat again. The gelato place is called primavera, by the way.

Then we went on another walk. Tomorrow we have like a 9 hour drive to the overnight ferry to Greece.

I feel bad since I haven't e-mailed my parents since Florence and this hotel has wifi, but I'm not rooming with Rebecca, so no internet going devices. Plus we were so busy in Rome- I just haven't had time. I hope they are doing okay. The hotel room last night was freezing- it made me miss my temperature controlled room at home.

There were stray dogs all over the pompeiian ruins, so I of course badly wanted to take one with. We weren't even allowed to touch them, though :( I miss Luke and Norah. Time or bed, though, I will write more on the bus tomorrow. Long drive, yuck.

Italy and Greece Adventure: Thursday 6/23/11

10:39 pm (Italy Time)
Hotel Room


We are now in Sorrento! After climbing Vesuvius today we drove here and tomorrow we go to the city of pompeii.
At Vesuvius I climbed to the top with Sara and Rebecca. Sara has asthma and we had to stop a lot, but we made it back. She also got a sliver in her hand and Rebecca was almost left behind at the mountain shop. It was a crazy time and a good story to tell, though, so it was worth it. This afternoon after getting to Sorento, which is beautiful by the way, Michelle and I watched Pokemon, Fairly Odd Parents, and Pucca in Italian- although the two japanese cartoons were still with japanese songs. Some of the commercials were hilarious.
Things I learned from commercial watching:
Puffi is the Italian word for smurf, a Tiki Taco is a jumping bean with a face on it, and a guy can turn into a giant teddy bear to advertise ice cream.
After TV watching we went to dinner.

Daily Food List

D8 breakfast- juice, coffee, vanilla coronet (I love coronets, can you tell?), fruit, bread

D8 lunch- pizza, soda, fries (only 10 euro xP)

D8 dinner- orange, salad, pork, potatoes, carrots, cheese and basil pasta (2.5 euro for water)

snack: nutella gelato

Then we went to an amazing gelato place called 'p' something or other- I know it starts with a p because Zac and I couldn't remember the name of it and I bet him . 5 euro that it started with a p and I was right.

I'm having a hard time spelling tonight so I should probably sleep. Goodnight!

Italy and Greece Adventure: Wednesday 6/22/11

10:22 pm (Italy Time)
Hotel Room


Today we went to the colosseum / Flavian Amphitheater and the Roman Forum. It was really hot. I was si hot I had three cups of gelato today xD

Daily Food List

D7 breakfast- tea, juice, vanilla coronet, fruit

D7 lunch- violet and mango gelato, toast, 1/4 of a miniature pie

Mid afternoon snack: 2 gelato cassata (which is like a milk pudding kind of thing), nutella, cherry, vanilla and some other mystery flavor we couldn't figure out.

D7 dinner- pasta, salad, chicken and ham, bread, pies, breadcrumb potatoes, potato squares

Dinner was huge and I am so full- not as full as the first day, though, because of all of the sweaty gross walking we did today.

Lots and lots of water was had by our group.

There are fireworks and Lord of the Rings concert music going on outside. Rebecca, Michelle, Michael F, and I suck out of our respective windows to hang out on the balcony and now Rebecca and Michael F are still out there watching fireworks. I'm inside getting de-nastified from the walk today and planning on sleeping soon. Goodnight!

Italy and Greece Adventure: Tuesday 6/21/11

7:01 am (Italy Time)
Hotel Room, Rome


Soon we will go to breakfast, but until then I will write.
I forgot to mention, while in Assisi yesterday Michael F, Michelle, and I stopped in a grocery store and bought a peach. It was fantastic and juicy. It was 2 Euro per pound and three peaches was less than that even. The price was great and the peaches were much better than the watermelon we had for dinner last night.
The dinner we had wasn't as filling as some of the others, although the chicken was tasty. The atmosphere was a lot better at this restaurant, though. There were olive trees to sit under and a musician/ opera singer to listen to, plus it oversaw the river (I think it was the Tiber)

10:35 pm (Italy Time)
Hotel Room


Today we went to the Vatican and also on a walking tour- I got Bethy her hard rock cafe buttons, but I accidentally left them at the restaurant we ate at for dinner.

Daily Food List

D6 Breakfast- Coffee, juice, vanilla coronet, croissant

D6 Lunch- apple croissant, fruit smoothie

D6 Dinner- Bread, pasta, chicken, salad, veggies, fruit

Breakfast was amazing and we will have free time tomorrow, though, so hopefully I can buy Bethany something else.

"Today Rebecca went out on the balcony and yelled at some Italian guys then snuck to Zac and Michael F. 's room" (she told me to write this, so it's in quotes. She did actually do that, I just wasn't going to write about it) It's been 2 days since Rebecca was last seen talking in her sleep.

Yeah, so we went out onto the balcony, which is totally closed off. We went out through the window. Earlier we went to a museum with art made of bones (I got a postcard because pictures weren't allowed, but I lost it along with the pins)

Tomorrow we go to the colosseum! I hope we have some more free time for shopping, though. Rather, we had lots today, but we used it all for sitting and resting after the death march. I should sleep soon, so good night!

Italy and Greece Adventure: Monday 6/20/11

8:14 am (Italy Time)
Bus from Florence to Assisi and Rome


We got up at 6:30 and had breakfast at 7:15

Daily Food List

I had 2 glasses of pomegranate juice, bread and honey and fruit. I also grabbed some toast and cookies for lunch, along with my combos and my nutella to go

I am in love with some of the cars here, not the audi's- the 3-wheelers! They are fantastic! It's becoming difficult to write on the bus, so I will write later

11:38 am (Italy Time)

Waiting for bus to cool in Assisi

Michelle, Amy, Rebecca, and a few others are playing frisbee. I'm only writing because I'm bored. I have my hair like fem!england's today to keep cool. I also took a picture of sunflowers so Bethy will be happy.

10:51 pm (Italy Time)

Hotel Room

Michelle and I just finished washing clothes and are going to sleep soon. At Assisi I bought Aunt Sue a thimble and either mom or dad or the grandparents some truffle oil. Then we went up to the actual church at Assisi, or churches I should say. Got lost on our way back- but made it with 15 minutes to spare, which was fantastic, and went on a speed tour through the church on the lower part of the town. Then we drove to Rome. On our drive I bought a new coke water bottle to replace my broken one from when I dropped it in Florence- it's a diet coke one so that Dad can have it when I'm done.
We drove to Rome, saw the trevi fountain, then had dinner.

Daily Food List

D5 Lunch- peach from a grocery store in Assisi (it was amazing)

D5 Dinner- pasta, salad and chicken, watermelon

Tomorrow we will go to the vatican and some other sites, so we will have fun!

Italy and Greece Adventure: Sunday 6/19/11

8:23 am (Italy Time)
Hotel Room


We're going to the museums today. First we will get to see David, but there are plenty of other statues and art pieces to see as well!

10:43 pm (Italy Time)
Hotel Room


Lots of walking today, we went to the Dome museum (Note on the side: "Dome" is pronounced "duo-mo") with David on our own, but I was more impressed with the paintings (being me and my non-sculpture interests) although the statue was very very very large. Michelle and I both enjoyed the museum's ancient instrument area.
Then we went on a tour with a guide that had an orange flag- I forget her name. (Our guide through the Cinque Terra had a sunflower parasol- it's a way to identify them)
After all of that walking, up hundreds of stairs, through the Uphizzi (spelling?) palace museum's first floor, rushed through the second floor, epic basement bathrooms, etc. etc.
We had free time in which we sat down in the cafe and let our feet slowly plot to kill us in our sleep. And we leave for Rome tomorrow morning. Goodbye, feet. Hello death march.
We also went on a leather shop tour and I thought of buying something for Dad, but everything is way expensive. Especially in big cities like Florence. (Did I mention we have to walk everywhere in Florence? Buses aren't able to get through most streets) Michelle, Rebecca, Emily, Zac, and I went to the Catholic church actually named the Dome (rather than the museum) for Sunday Mass. It was really interesting- especially hearing it in Italian. The organ was crazy amazing.
Before that, though, we had free time and so we were going to see Michaelangelo's tomb, but it was already closed- so we went exploring and found a fun '99 eurocent' store instead xD
After church we went to dinner at another pizzeria where we had noodles, pork, and lots of veggies.

Daily Food List

Day 3 Dinner- pizzeria; pasta, bread, lemon and coffee cake, beef roast

Day 4 breakfast- juice, cappuccino, cheese danish

Day 4 lunch- waffles with powdered sugar

Day 4 dinner- pizzeria; pasta, pork, brushetta, veggies, stracatella gelato

After dinner we went for gelato and then went to the internet cafe (because wifi in our rooms is 10 euro and that's crazy expensive) where I paid for half an hour- 2.50, so still expensive. Then we walked even more (because we hadn't gotten enough walking in for one day) and wandered around the city a bit exploring.

Florence is a pretty small city, but with a big city vibe. Lots of people in a small area with streets that even european cars have a hard time getting through and people cross the street regardless of cars or streetlights.

Italy and Greece Adventure: Saturday 6/18/11

8:38 am (Italy Time)
Bus from Mediterranean Sea to Florence
Last night's dinner was HUGE and wonderful- I wasn't really hungry for breakfast, but I packed a lunch with what I didn't eat at breakfast.
Right now we're listening to another one bites the dust on the radio- Brie would be happy. (Then we listened to Queen xD)

10:25 am (Italy Time)
Cinque Terra stop 1
I got a postcard while I was here! I <3 postcards. I can't wait until the rain we will go on soon. I didn't have a chance to go to the hello kitty store yesterday, but that's okay because I got gelato instead. Apparently here at the cinque terra (stop 1) they have nutella flavored gelato. That's just fantastic. Sometime I will have to find another store with it and buy some.

1:14 pm (Italy Time)
Cinque Terra stop 2
Just had espresso, the cups are tiny but they carry so much caffiene. I bought something called 'nutella to go' also. I've found something they need in the U.S. It's like pocky, but instead of chocolate, it's nutella and it has tea with it, too. All in one containter. It's great.

Daily Food List

• Day 2 Dinner- Lasagna, pasta, pork and potatoes, fruit, salad, black raspberry gelato
• Day 3 breakfast- bread, orange juice
• Day 3 lunch- croissant, peach jelly, strawberry and lemon gelato, espresso

11:14pm (Italy Time)

Hotel in Florence

Took the train back to our bus, drove to Florence, toured the city and went to dinner at a pizzaria, came back to the hotel, went on another mini-tour and gelato stop with Michelle, Amy, Rebecca, Zac E, and Michael F. Back at the hotel now, Rebecca braided my hair because she was bored. Olivia is our other roommate tonight (my roommates were Olivia and Rebecca this time, in other words.) Olivia wants me to draw a picture of her, so I should start a base for that. I'm rushing because I'm kind-of sleepy. Goodnight.

Shopping List (updated throughout the trip, this is the final)

Mom- Mask (check)

Dad- Coke water bottle, because I broke his that I brought with (check)

Sue- thimble (check)

Bethy- Pins, beads left those at a restaurant, necklace (check)

Cassie G- Tricolore pasta (check)

Grandma Moffit- Scarf (check)

Grandpa Moffit- Truffle Oil (check)

Grandma Bice- Italia Bag (check)

Grandpa Bice- get something in Greece

Me- Postcards!!! Cat Purse! Necklace? (check)

Rae- Get something in Greece!

Italy and Greece Adventure: Friday 6/17/11

5:31 pm (Italy Time)
Hotel Room
After eating I tried to sleep and failed. Then about 2 hours before landing I threw up the gross airplane food. After landing and getting my suitcase we went to a bankomat and I couldn't get money out because it was all in savings instead of checking. After driving to the hotel and calling my mom twice using Amy's phone I was able to get money, so it's okay.
Driving was long- everyone had jetlag and slept. It was good that our plans changed and we didn't go to the cinque terra right away.
Tonight I'm rooming with Amy, Michelle, and Rebecca. Michelle is already asleep and we haven't even had dinner yet. Dinner is at 7, wake up is at 6:30, breakfast at 7, leave for our next city at 8.
Apparently we will be having the same motorcoach driver for all of Italy, which is pretty awesome. I can't pronounce or spell our driver's name, but it starts with an M (Marizzio? perhaps?) He and Latitzia (however you spell that) are hilarious.
We made a cafe/gas station stop on the way here, but no one really wanted to get up and we felt so awkward talking to people in Italian, which we don't speak or understand.
I can hear cars outside our hotel room, Italian drivers are as horrible as I've heard and we all suck at crossing busy roads. There are so many cars and mopeds and bikers- it's very different from America. In Italy they park their small smart cars pretty much anywhere (except in the middle of the street) including the medians in the road. We're parked for the night here, kind of close to the beach of the Mediterranean, but it's cloudy so I couldn't bring myself to go swim. We did walk, though, so that's fun. I really want to go into this hello kitty shop next door, but it'll have to wait until after dinner when we go for gelato.

Italy and Greece Adventure: Thursday 6/16/11

1:50pm (Minnesota Time)
Airplane from Minneapolis to Atlanta
We left from school this morning at 7 am to go to the Minneapolis airport. THe bus ride seemed to fly by- I sat next to Rebecca, and we didn't stop talking except to listen to Sassy's announcements. Usually I feel a little awkward sitting near people I don't know well (like sitting next to Mary and Michael A right now) but I guess Rebecca and I have actually known each other since preschool, though I don't really remember that far back.
After arriving at the airport around 8:30 and going through security we had to wait until boarding at 11:45. Michelle, Amy, Michael F, Rebecca and I wandered around the airport and also played egyptian rat for a while.
When we land in Milan it will be morning and we wil be off to see the Cinque Terra, so we need to sleep on the 8 hour flight from Atlanta to Italy. I can't wait until we land- the airplane tends to hurt my eardrums. At least I have gum to help a little. Now the flight attendant is here for food and drink so I shall be off.
(cont.) The layover in Atlanta will be the worst, I think- an hour before a long flight. Great. Bethany will be glad to know that we're watching Glee in the flight to Atlanta- and that there was a King Arthur type movie.

7:41pm (Atlanta Time)
Flight from Atlanta to Milan
We only had about half an hour to roam the airport in Georgia, but after getting on the plane one of the seats had problems so we took off at about 6:30 rather than 5:30 when we got on the plane. I have two clocks on my watch so it's actually 1:45 am in Milan. All of the timezone issues are crazy! 7 hours ahead of Minnesota, 6 ahead of georgia- going as soon as we land 'to get accustomed to the time zone and eliminate jet lag', according to Sassy (I think she just wants to pack as much trip time into 2 weeks as she can)
We return at like Midnight on the 30th, as crazy as that sounds. I got a postcard and combos while in Atlanta- I feel so American. We actually get food on our flight to Milan, which is something I've never done before... but I hear it's terrible. Also, I still have my henna from the senior party last weekend. It looks like this:

The left is an actual picture of the henna, the right is the one I drew in this journal

I kind of wish I had brought my cross stitching along- Mrs. Boline sitting next to me on the plane is doing crochet and it just makes me remember all of the stitching I need to do once I get back- and that brings everything else I need to do. Like thank-you's for graduation gifts and finishing Cassie G's video game (which I still haven't done 5 months later xD).
Speaking of which, I wonder what I should get for her while in Italy. She is our Hetalia Italy, after all.

Shopping List

Bethy- hard rock cafe pin, buttons, beads
Mom-?
Dad-?
CG-?
Brie-?
Sue-?
Raelynn-?

Kayleigh wants me to get her a picture of Sassy at the Trevy Fountain, but I'm not sure if I will get her something else or not.
I'm going to be gone for Father's day, so I should probably try and get something extra special for him.
We're being served food now so I will write more when I can.