One week later...

One week later and one more post to finish off my year!

Today exactly one year ago (January 21st) I set off on a new adventure- moving to Italy for the year. Not really knowing what I was going to come across, I packed my bags, and earlier this week returned home with much more than I left with- my luggage totaled 44kg checked, and somehow I managed to sneak 4 bags onto the plane with me, such luck!

One year- all packed up!

As I catch up with the people I haven't seen in a year, and the same question of "how was it?" is asked over and over again, each time I have tried to come up with a word that isn't amazing- fun, exciting, unforgettable, difficult. It is a lot harder than I thought, but I keep hoping that as I actually begin to register that I am home and it is all over, a new explanation will come up!

So for those that I haven't seen yet this week- my year in Italy was fantastic. An experience both good and bad. Some things were hard, others easy. Life-long friendships were (hopefully) made, and memories created. It was a year that can never be repeated, and, as this year is officially over- onward to my next journey!

Always good to see a familiar face

As my trip starts to wind down, and people from the Southern Hemisphere (read Australia and South Africa ;D) begin their mammoth euro trips  I have begun to tag along on other people's trips, just for a few days to say hi and see some more Italian cities!

Before I went away to Finland I joined my cousin from South Africa, his wife and her family for a few days down in Florence and a quick trip to Pisa. Having not seen them in three years it was nice to have a catch up (even if we did disturb all the other passengers around our seats on the train), and see them again! Having been to Florence before, I quickly became the tour guide (a very bad one I must add), but lots of laughs were shared between all of us. Being the typical tourists that we were, when we made it to Pisa our cameras quickly were pulled out for a variety of pushing, kicking, holding up and jumping photos with the lovely leaning tower behind us. I thought it would be more crooked, but apparently they fixed it up a few years ago so its not quite straight but won't be falling any time soon. Boo hoo!

My final piggy-back trip was to meet up with some Australian friends in Venice. I went earlier in the year for Carnevale, but there were so many people around I didn't get a chance to properly see the city. I was so lucky to be able to head back and check out the amazing alleys, bargain with the gondola rider (Alessandro we love you!), watch the glass blowing on Murano, experience the over-affection of the Venetians and end my trip with a beautiful sunset watched from the Rialto Bridge. All in all, it was fantastic to catch up with some old friends and experience such a beautiful city with them!

Happy Hogmanay!

A big happy 2013! My new years was spent in Edinburgh at the Hogmanay Festival, where the celebrations run for a few days and there are about 80 000 other people all squeezing into a street party on New Years Eve.

After a disaster getting from Finland to Edinburgh, almost resulting in me having a meltdown in the airport- Jess and I eventually made it, and I got to visit one of my favourite cities in Europe before I leave. Last time I was there was in the middle of summer, although I think I was pretty much wearing the same amount of layers and warm clothes as this time. Oh, UK weather I will never understand you!

By-passing traditional backpacking tactics
and heading for some High Tea

While we only bought tickets for the street party and the concert in the gardens (both featuring bands and djs that none of us had ever heard of), the whole few days was spent just catching up with old friends and bumping into the millions of other Australians who had come over to celebrate.

I'm not too sure of the history behind Hogmanay, but they have some great celebrations- a torch light parade up to one of the big hills ending in fireworks, a new years swim in the ocean (which after the Arctic Ocean the week before I took a pass) and a city-wide scavenger hunt, which again we missed! Although the fireworks are certainly not up to Sydney standards, I think I will actually be able to remember and distinguish this years celebrations from all the others I've seen. Edinburgh put on a good competition for New Years celebrations at home.

Wishing you a very white Christmas

Seeing the Northern Lights is something that has always been on my 'to-do list.' Unfortunately, while I made it to Finland- more specifically Lapland in the Arctic Circle, the lights never made an appearance for us so I suppose that box hasn't been ticked this year!

After a shock to the system at just how cold we were, averaging about -25 for most days in our ski town, we were up and running every day! Swimming in the Arctic Ocean, riding husky and reindeer sleds, snow-mobile-ing to the top of the mountain, ice-karting and attempting cross-country skiing. While I had fun doing many of the activities, some were definitely never-again type things. I have never been so cold in my life before, I honestly felt like my fingers were about to drop off! Considering the amount of clothing that we were wearing, and add to that the jumpsuits we were given for some of the more 'sporty' activities, it was quite amazing.

Trekking to the top of Europe's longest toboggan run- 1.4km

Being Christmas time, and Santa Claus' home being in the North Pole, we couldn't pass on a visit to Santa's Village. Giant snowmen, Christmas trees and a bustling post office, every little kid- or someone who just loves Christmas' dream! I may have missed out on my annual pilgrimage to check out the lights around Sydney, but I got to see Santa's workshop (but wasn't paying to visit him!) instead! We even got a surprise visit from Santa on Christmas Eve at our lodge... presents were distributed for all!

Having always had a BBQ or a day at the beach for Christmas, it was kind of fun to get into the spirit of a real white Christmas!

A rainy break from classes!

Having a 9-day break from university meant only one thing- TRAVEL!

This time I decided to try knock a bit of Eastern Europe-ish off, with a trip to Budapest, Prague and ending in Berlin. Spending 3 days in each city was just enough time to cover the basics, while giving me a big shock to the system with how cold it actually was. I had forgotten about winter in Europe, having spent the majority of my travels in warmer climates and under the sunshine! 

The trip got off to a slow start upon arrival in Budapest- with a public holiday meaning that almost every museum and gallery was closed. Even though it was miserable weather outside (something that continued for my entire trip!) I spent the afternoon walking around and exploring the grounds of the castle, crossing the famous rope bridge and checking out the view of the town from the Buda side. Hoping that everything would be open the next day, I managed to cross off most of the outdoor sites I wanted to visit without spending too much time actually outdoors! One of the things that Budapest is famous for is their thermal spas. As night falls, they often have parties or events in the spas for a cheaper price- so it was off to the baths I headed for the evening. While the water isn't exceptionally warm, it was a fantastic change from the cold weather and it was certainly an interesting experience to be swimming when it was single digit temperatures outside.

Day two (and three) called for me to try my luck at some museums, and what luck did I have! After heading to the Jewish Museum and Synagogue complex, I managed to latch onto a fantastic tour guide who offered to show me around the town for the afternoon. Back stories to monuments, sneaky entry into the Parliament House with my own private guide and much more was shared, something that I certainly would not have been able to do by myself. With so much history throughout the years in Budapest, and a city so involved in both the Nazi and Communist eras, I was lucky to be able to gain so much extra insight!

After a long train trip, I eventually arrived in Prague the following night. One of the most beautiful cities I have ever met, just walking around town was enough to make me fall in love with Prague. The way that the Old Town has maintained its authenticity to the hustle and bustle of the New Town- I couldn't get enough! More often that not I found myself spending time standing in front of the Prague Old Town clock, trying to work out how it functions- only to realise that after listening to our guide explain it that it is actually quite simple. Take a look and see if you can work it out. The whole city reminded me a bit of a Disney town, with the silhouette of one of the churches looking like one of the Disney castles and the entire city has a bit of a magical air about it. You all know me and my Disney love.

Having heard so much about Czesky Krumlov, I hoped on a day tour with a Spanish and German group- me being the only English speaker on board. Seems to be a habit of mine! While much of the town and castle were closed, and the bears had already hidden for their winter hibernation, it is still a beautiful town- definitely deserving of their UNESCO rating or label or whatever it is called. While much of the town was damaged last year in floods, as were many of the towns that sit alongside the riverbank, the colours and design of the little town made it especially cute. All in all the Czech Republic is definitely one of the most gorgeous places I have been lucky to visit.

My final stop for my break-from-uni was to pop into Berlin for a few days. With so much to see and not much time in which to do it I was racing. Holocaust Memorials and museums, the East Side Gallery (and many visits to see various parts of the Berlin Wall), amazing museums on Museum Island, the crazy hotel that MJ hung his son out the window and so much more. As with most cities, I find myself a big monument and make that my starting point. In the case of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was my start, middle and end point for everything I wanted to find in a city that has so much history and present day action. My trip to Berlin was a whirlwind few days, a few days that I hope to be able to repeat in the future!

 

More next time!

Something old and something new

Travelling round with the parents certainly does have its perks. For one, I get to stay in hotels that have proper working showers and buffet breakfasts, but it also means I get to see places that I probably wouldn't have been able to head on my own- without having to pay. Thanks parents! Always great!!

First it was off to Vienna! While I have been there with friends previously, it was a completely different trip with the parents. For one- it was HOT! No snow! No Christmas trees or chunks of snow falling off the roofs onto passer-byes (I know, I shouldn't be entertained but come on, picture the image!). While Dad had a conference to attend, Mum and I made ourselves at home in the city. After a bit of a disastrous start to the re-jogging of my directional memory, I managed to get us around the city. Most times without a map! We did however have a few adventures while trying to find a specific street or a particular museum. All in all it was pretty fun just to relax. Being there over the weekend, of course we had to check out the shul- an amazingly beautiful building that survived World War Two by being the base of the Viennese Gestapo. After a quick Friday night service, we ended up meeting up with a friend of mine who was also travelling around Austria (hey Daniel Segal) for dinner.

Last time I was in Austria I was very disappointed that we did not make it to Salzburg so I could get my Sound of Music on. This time it was priority NUMERO UNO! Mum and I hopped on a day trip to visit the town so we could walk and sing as we explored, and after over 5 hours of driving we eventually made it. One place that I always find interesting to visit in a town is a cemetery, and the cemetery in Salzburg was no exception. They have these amazing grave markers that are really ornate, and the whole city has a beautiful background being surrounded by the hills and mountains. It is kind of hard for someone who has seen the movie to not dance around the fountain in the Mirabel Gardens or jump up and down the stairs singing ‘Do-Re-Mi’ as you walk past. Needless to say while I did not particularly enjoy the tour (although our guide entertained us by wearing different coloured shoes), visting Salzburg was a definite highlight. A tick on places I have wanted to visit!

 

My final day in Vienna could be counted as a ‘cultural class.’ We headed out to see the Hundertwasserhaus, and apartment building made up of crazy colours and expressionist style as well as checking out an opera and string concert in the Musik Varien, one of the many music halls in Vienna- completely decked out in gold paint and other designs. While there are a lot of design features throughout Europe, I thought Vienna to be a bit too decadent, and especially seeing this music hall made me feel it was a little bit over the top. I still think the city looks amazing covered in snow though- a definite winter preference for me!

After spending the week back in Milan trying classes, it was off to meet the parents again in Rome. Being as this was my second time to the city, and my parents have also been there before it was a lazy weekend with not much we needed to rush to see. We tossed a few coins over our shoulders into the Trevi Fountain (it clearly works, since I did so earlier this year), explored the street market stalls and ate our gelati by the Pantheon (most amazing gelato store ever is right near there). Ever since I arrived in Italy I have been trying to see The Pope. Finally got it right this time, as The Pope was giving a large outdoor Mass in The Vatican square, we joined the thousands of others there for a close-ish look and to fulfil my curiosity. A quick weekend in Rome was soon complete as I unfortunately had to head back to classes.

As viewed from the giant screen!

My final trip with Mum and Dad came in the form of visiting Sicily. While we didn’t quite make it to the heartland of Mafia Country, we at least made it to the island. Having a car and our lovely GPS to direct us to various towns, we spent much of the weekend driving from one town to the next trying to find a restaurant that was actually open! It seems that a lot of southern Italy shuts down when the tourist season ends, and many of the people who work around these areas head elsewhere over winter. We made it just towards the end of the period, but there still was not much available for us.

Dad and I were expecting to find old ruins all over the place, but instead they were limited to archaeological sites far off the main route- but when we did find them some of them were amazingly preserved. There is like a mini Parthenon on a hill in Segesta- practically fully constructed, and an old castle in Erice that overlooks the town below and a gorgeous view of the Sicilian coast. Personally wasn't such a fan of Sicily, but I suppose you win some- you lose some. Either way I can say I have been!

Nup, we're not in Greece

When saying farewell to Mum and Dad, I sent them home with a bit of extra luggage- almost 30kg to be exact. Why not laden them down with extra bags instead of having to try lug it all home myself! After all, we didn't get very much shopping done while they were here, I am going to have to re-stock everything before I leave…