Jill & Sal's Excellent Adventure!!: August 2011

Buon giorno tutti!! Apologies for a very very late entry on our wonderful week in Italy. We are nearly through our time in India, and have already finished our trip through Egypt as well, but would like to share some of the experiences we had during our final stop in Europe since we finally have some time to write – and there is a lot to share

In summary, the trip in Italy was amazing. We had a fantastic time and really liked everywhere we saw and everything we did. For several reasons, our favorite place in Italy was Bolsena, where we stayed for four nights in an ancient cave-like basement apartment that belongs to Alessandro (Ale), one of Sal’s good friends and roommate from his time in Australia. The house was created inside the 1,000 year old wall of the castle – complete with a super old wine cellar, which was hand-dug by pick axes hundreds of years ago (2 stories deep!) – so cool and original!

We loved the laid-back atmosphere of the village, beautiful Bolsena lake and the vacation homes near it, Bolsena castle and its incredible museum with amazing artifacts from up to 3,000 years ago…!! (that’s B.C. ya’ll) and the little known Roman ruins that were recently opened to the public for FREE entry and are still being excavated. There were only two other people there at the ruins with us, and the guest book showed that only about 10 people per day visit the site, but it is pretty big and there are lots of really interesting ruins there! We doubt it will be free for long. The last time Sal visited Bolsena, the the whole area was closed off.

We also saw ruins at Ostia Antica (the ancient Roman seaport very near to Fiumicino airport) as well as the excavations at Herculaneum (Ercolano, in Italian). Both were very cool, and very impressive, but the fact that the Bolsena ruins are less than a quarter mile from where we were staying and free for entry was really, really cool!

For dinner one night, we found a good pizza place in Bolsena, down the hill from the apartment that serves pizzas for a reasonable price that are WAY bigger than a dinner plate. We had Capriciossa (ham, olive, artichoke, mushroom, onion) and Quattro Stagioni (4 seasons) pizzas there that were excellent and very very filling, for only about 7 euro – pretty cheap for a big tasty meal in Italy, which is molto expensivo.

Bolsena is also in a nice location, overlooking a large lake, and was a convenient home base as it is about halfway between Rome and the main sights in Tuscany.

We were so fortunate to be invited to meet up for lunch in Orvieto one day with Claudio, Ale’s dad, at Mezza Luna – his favorite restaurant where he eats lunch EVERY day and has done so for the past 35 years!!! We had to both order their house special, the unbelievably delicious spaghetti carbonara (al dente perfetto!), which Sal had once before and never forgot. Best pasta of Sal’s life, and he didn't want it to end! So stuffed from our meal, we watched in amazement as Claudio put down all his carbonara, and then also ordered a veal steak and french fries and bread... he ate.it.all. How do Italians eat SO much and stay in good shape? We don't understand how it’s possible. If we ate JUST the carbonara every day we would gain tons of weight! haha

Having our own car in Italy was AMAZING. Alessandro had recommended this option rather than taking trains and it definitely gave us a whole new level of freedom and an ability to explore less frequented destinations. This was especially true in Tuscany, where driving down country roads, winding past fields of sunflowers (girasoli, in Italian), stopping at little hilltop villages and trying local foods and wines was such a highlight of our trip!

Sal amongst his beloved girasoli! :)

The biggest downside of having a car in Italy is the cost – gas costs roughly $8/gallon (1.60 euro/liter) throughout Italy (and here we thought $4/gallon was a sign of the apocalypse!), and when you add in the HUGE highway tolls and car rental prices the cost of a car rental adds up quickly. Trains are relatively expensive as well though, and in the end the freedom and fun of a car for this week was worth the extra cost, since it was our only car rental of the entire trip.

The key to "Tony" --our little white rental FIAT <3

As a side note, Sal did a stellar job of driving the whole time in Italy, covering at least..."1/6" the country! ;) My eyes could not have handled all of that road time, especially on mountain cliff roads with pedestrians and mopeds jumping in front of the car at random, all the time.

Of the hilltop villages in Tuscany (and Umbria/Lazio), we LOVED some lesser known towns like Montefiascone, Bolsena as we've said and Orvieto. The towns all have a great feel, great sights, and great history. We loved chatting with locals who are passionate about their cities, and since the huge tourist crowds haven’t hit there, they are happy to have you there, sampling the local specialties and seeing the sites.

By comparison, the more famous walled cities known for their romantic feel (like San Gimignano and Siena, for example) were too crowded with tourists to really get the relaxed feel that we were looking for. They are still beautiful places to visit with lots of charm, history and beauty, but we did consistently prefer the ‘off the beaten path’ towns to these tourist juggernauts. And the best thing about this region is that there are HUNDREDS of these hidden gems!Just bring your translation book or brush up on your Italiano, as many don't speak English in these hill towns.

Unfortunately, like San Gim and Siena, the crowds have also reached one of Sal’s most anticipated places: the Cinque Terre, five colorful, ‘sleepy’ fishing villages in NW Italy on the Mediterranean coast, linked only by windy mountain roads and rocky hiking trails. They ain’t sleepy no more... We stopped by three of the five towns, but they were too crowded and parking too hard to find, so we didn’t spend a full day there as we had hoped. We still want to visit there again one day and hike between the towns, but we will wait to do this in an ‘off peak’ month away from the crowds.

One of the fishing villages in Cinque Terre, Italia

One of our favorite nights was at the Saturnia thermal baths. Per Ale’s suggestion we went here just after sunset – the baths are a cascade of warm water down a beautiful hill (warmest water near the top of the hill!). Lit only by starlight and moonlight, we shared the strong sulfur-smelling pools (a nice throwback memory to Iceland!) and mini-waterfalls with dozens of locals who had also come here to enjoy the therapeutic waters after a long day. So fun and relaxing!

Alessandro and his dad Claudio have two fantastic apartments in Bolsena – the basement apartment that we stayed in and another, larger two story house (part of the original thousand-year old castle wall itself!!) that is lovely. For anyone looking for a relaxed and authentic vacation in Italy we would HIGHLY recommend staying in Bolsena! We know that Claudio rents out both houses for a reasonable price, so if interested let us know and we’ll inquire with them about dates :)

The Bolsena castle village is overrun with cats!

Delicious birthday cake with nutella and whipped cream!

One other highlight was Jill's birthday! It was special from start to finish, with warm and delicious breakfast cappuccinos in Sorrento, a cruise along the Amalfi Coast by day and dinner back in Bolsena by night -- complete with an incredible birthday cake the restaurant whipped up for us on the spot when Sal told them with pointing gestures directed at the back of Jill's head "BUON COMPLEANNO" until they understood he was trying to celebrate a birthday at our table! hahaha it was a blast!

Toward the end of the week we took a day trip to Rome, and had a nice meet up with Phil, a friend of Sal’s who’s studying to become a Catholic priest in Opus Dei. We went to some great places in Rome as well -- the old city (i.e. the Roman Forum, Colosseum, Arch of Emperor Constantine), the famous Pantheon building which so many more modern buildings, including the White House, were architecturally inspired by, the Trevi Fountain where for tradition’s sake you face away from the fountain and toss a coin in over your shoulder and make a wish to return to Rome one day, and a VERY strange church that has five rooms in the basemen/crypt which are elaborately decorated with the bones and mummies of the former friars! There was a head “enterprising” friar in the 16th or 17th century who decided to make this 'art work' out of the former friars' bones which had previously filled the crypt in haphazard piles. In the last room he wrote something like "What you are now, we once were. What we are now, you will be"... very creepy but cool at the same time! This is why you travel, right?

Jill, Sal and Phil a Roma!

Jilvatore at the Colosseum

Overall we may have tried to do too much in Italy and in not enough time. We wanted to see Venice, Verona, Cinque Terre, Pisa, San Gimignano, Florence, Siena, Rome, Herculaneum/Ostia Antica, and the Amalfi Coast, as well as spend at least a couple days in the Bolsena/Orvieto area for relaxing and taking a break from the driving - all in eight days and seven nights!! Somehow we did it all, on schedule, but by the end we felt tired before Egypt instead of feeling well rested in preparation for 40 degree heat and early wakeup times. At the same time though, I'm not sure if there is a single place that we went to that was not worth it (other than Genova. We’d take that back. We spent a night there and the whole experience was a NIGHTMARE).

All that aside, we loved our time in Italy – the food, culture, history and sights – and can’t wait to go back one day and see even more. Ciao!

Birthday Jill at an overlook near Rufulo gardens, on the Amalfi Coast

The beautiful Amalfi Coast, Italy

Sal and his girasoli <3

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Jaipur India - Day 5 of India!

Note - pictures have now been added to our previous post "Nowhere.Near.Berlin." -- we hope to update everyone on our experiences in Italy next, then in Egypt and of course India. Please stay tuned

A long overdue hello from Rajasthan!!! We are safe and sound and just arrived in Jaipur. It's about 7 a.m. here, and we got about three hours of sleep between the two of us last night on the 2nd class sleeper train. We're convinced we had bad luck with where our beds were located and that next time will be better. =)

We are both so sorry updates have been scarce!! Internet and time to update are difficult to find together, but we will do our best to catch you all up soon! For now, we need a big nap!

Loving India so far!! This is day 5 - we've visited Mumbai and Udaipur so far. Great experiences, and we can't wait to share. Miss you all-- you are with us every step of the way, in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

Much love

Sal and I visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa during our 1 night there =)

Friday, August 5, 2011

Nowhere.Near.Berlin!

(Disclaimer: This entry was written yesterday, August 4th before we got to Venice! We are now leaving Venice and heading to Verona and Genoa via rental car – please enjoy!)

So, not even 1 month into our 3 month adventure, another chapter of the trip has come to a close. This morning we are leaving Ljubljana, Slovenia and heading to Venice, which officially ends the Eastern Europe part of our trip. A few months ago while doing our trip planning, Jill and I had sketched out a plan for the ‘Europe month’ of our trip, and decided on doing mostly major destinations in Western Europe: Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Belgium, Munich, Berlin, and Italy were at the top of our list. At some point in the planning process we changed direction and decided that if we’re going to do this trip right we need to go to new and exciting places. Yes, Eastern Europe would be the way to go. Unfortunately that meant cutting some great and familiar places (Amsterdam, Belgie, and Munchen especially), and missing out on seeing some good friends (my old friends/colleagues from Amsterdam, my Mom’s friend Sandra in Munich, a few of Jill’s good friends from college, etc.) but it had to be done!

While we had made this decision to do about 2 weeks in Eastern Europe, and were excited about it, we were in part still a little nervous. I can personally say that I had several preconceived notions about the region, most of which were completely debunked. While this is still so fresh in my mind, I want to share my thoughts on our time here – because I am excited about this region and because I don’t want my friends and family to stay away from the region due to their (our) outdated and incorrect views. Below are a few myths that were debunked for me on this trip:

Reagan is huge in the Pest ;) But really, he did a lot for their freedom!

Split's palace ruins from Emperor Diocletian

Myth #1: Eastern Europe is DANGEROUS – We were prepared to have to constantly watch our backs in Eastern Europe. Poverty-stricken? Angry? Anti-American? These were some of the judgments I was subconsciously making about Eastern Europeans before we even arrived. And while some of this still holds true to some extent in some places (i.e. watch out for scammers in Budapest, as we were warned even by the residents to do so!) for the most part it was completely false. We did not feel unsafe or uncomfortable in Eastern Europe – not anywhere. The people were respectful and thoughtful, the cities were well lit and lively, and most surprising of all almost everyone working in stores, cafes, etc. speaks English. This was so true that at several points Jill and I felt disappointed – “Is there nowhere left in Europe to have a real adventure!?” But after a few seconds of pondering that question in nostalgic disappointment we were thrust back into the time at hand – the beauty, comfort, safety, and modernity of the cities, juxtaposed with amazing 300-, 500-, 1000-year old architecture (2000 years old in Split, Croatia!!), the amazingly complex and rich histories of these cities, countries, and the entire region.

Myth #2: Eastern Europe is GRAY – We weren’t expecting much greenery in the cities or modern architecture, we were mostly in it for the experience of ‘feeling’ the places and getting the experience of the ‘Eastern’ feel. Wow, we were way off in our expectations! From beautiful Gothic buildings of Prague, to the castles and hills of Budapest, to the quaint and charming old city of Bratislava, to the incredibly striking ancient cities of coastal Croatia, we were constantly blown away by these places – charming, beautiful, vibrant, fun, safe cities. Our latest and last Eastern Europe city, Ljubljana [pronounce the j’s like i’s: lee-you-blee-yah-nah], capital city of Slovenia, was no exception. From the moment that our amazing host, Hish, took us to the streets we were awe-struck by the feel of the place. Charming old square. Romantic , turquoise river running through the city, lined with weeping willows. Gorgeous views of the Alps, and the castle overlooking the city. Vibrant nightlife, with dozens of non-pretentious bars lining the river. Free, live jazz filling the evening air. This is Eastern Europe in 2011.

The "Blue Church" of St. Elizabeth, in Bratislava

Myth #3: Eastern Europe is CHEAP – Ok. Now for the disappointment of Eastern Europe. One of the reasons that we chose this region was to help control our budget for Europe. Jill and I have been painstakingly tracking our expenses as we go, projecting costs throughout the 3 months, breaking costs into categories, and ensuring that we are not overspending. While the majority of our trip will be spent in less expensive countries – Egypt, India, SE Asia – we knew that Europe could make or break our budget if we weren’t careful. Hence us thinking that a few nights in Prague and Croatia would be significantly cheaper than, say, Amsterdam and Munich. Umm, not so much. A little cheaper, perhaps, but the gap has definitely narrowed. It turns out that ‘that exchange rate’ isn’t quite as good as some movies would have us believe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbcH_qYkeTc In Eurotrip’s defense, Bratislava was probably the least expensive city that we visited – but by inexpensive I mean that you can get a ‘big beer’ (pint) in a restaurant for under 2 bucks. Prague was also fairly cheap outside of the old town – but in the tourist areas? Forget it. You might as well be in London for the prices they charge.

Myth #4: Eastern Europe is cold and/or unwelcoming to foreigners – This myth was only partially debunked. We did run into our fair share of mild anti-foreigner sentiment, for example waiters who didn’t seem very pleased to be waiting on us (granted they don’t work for tips!). But in general this sentiment was not nearly as strong as expected, and we consistently felt welcomed and accepted. ALL of the places we visited were very tourist-friendly. One of the first things we noticed in Prague was that a lot of the signage and advertising is in English. Most of the restaurants we went to throughout the region had English menus, something you won’t even find in some Western European countries, for example. The sporadic bits of anti-foreigner/tourist sentiment were completely overshadowed by the many warm and friendly people that we met. We stayed in budget housing/apartments owned by locals in almost every city we stayed in, and were greeted with vibrant conversation and lavish hospitality at virtually every stop.

Sal enjoying crystal clear water in Dubrovnik, Croatia!!

Well those are the 4 myths about the region that I really wanted to share my thoughts on. Just a few other random thoughts before I close out this blog entry:

-Croatia and Slovenia are amazing! Great cities, fascinating history, and beautiful nature – everywhere you look there is crystal-clear turquoise water – rivers, lakes, the Adriatic Sea. Clearest water I’ve ever seen. Awesome mountains too! Wow.

-FORGET PARIS! If you have always dreamed of seeing the Eiffel tower in person and going to the Louvre (which is, admittedly, incredible) then by all means go to Paris. But if you are looking for a romantic and beautiful and clean and interesting city with that real grand ‘European feel’, go to Prague! It’s the city Paris advertises itself to be! (disclaimer: this is Sal’s opinion; Jill quite liked Paris, but likes Prague much more)

Jill couldn't escape the mimes on stilts in Prague's Old Town Square

-We didn’t run into any trouble anywhere in Europe, but we did hear some horror stories about tourists getting scammed big time in Budapest. We heard the same story from a few different people, of friends being lured into bars/clubs by ‘interesting’ locals (i.e. women hitting on men and leading them to a bar), ordering a few drinks, and being handed a $1000+ bar tab – and you need to pay the tab OR ELSE. Scary.

-While Budapest has a reputation of being a place of scammers, that’s definitely not the whole story. Budapest is an amazing city, and most of the people we met (such as our host, Edit [Eee-dit]) were delightful. We wished we had another day or 2 in Budapest to explore more of the city, and especially the cave ‘labyrinth’ under Buda Castle (the cave, by the way, has free wifi. Who woulda thunk it?)!

Budapest views from Buda

We’re writing this blog entry while sitting in a 9-person van, on our way to Italy for 8 days to finish the Europe part of our trip. First stop: VENICE and we’re using hotel points to stay at the Westin. Jill and I are both VERY excited for a night/day of luxury.

Ciao!