the bus.

Leaving Greece

Greece was so much fun.  Lots of sun, lots of warm air, and lots of sightseeing and shopping!  We loved Greece so much, and apparently that feeling was mutual because Greece would not let us leave.

When we first attempted to leave, we left an hour early and went to the train station to catch our bus that was leaving from there.  We arrived at the train station and they told us there were no trains or buses leaving the station for 24 hours due to a protest.  FACK.  After that, we booked it to a bus station in the hopes of catching a bus to our desired location of Thessaloniki.  We did manage to catch the last bus, at a cost of 39 euro a piece.  ouch.

Let me tell you ‘bout this bus ride.  This bus ride was the smelliest and most uncomfortable bus ride Kortnie and I have ever been on.  There was a large group of drunken men behind us.  They tried speaking German, but it was a combination of German and Greek that was slurred.  The lady sitting in front of us decided it would be alright to feel up our feet and then just look at us like we did something wrong.  As much as I love a random feel up, I am going to leave it to the men for that one, and they better not be touching my feet.  To make matters worse, the bus kept changing in temperature.  It would be freezing cold and then we would feel like we were sweating.  Every time the heater came on, it smelt like an old man had just finished a workout.

We arrived in Thessaloniki and we were going to wait out the strike.  We were told the strike was only for 24 hours.  So we got a hostel for the night, and took a good nap and slept that night.  The next morning we woke up super early, packed up our things, and started walking to the train station.  The train station was still under strike.  At this point, we gave up, and there was a bus leaving for Sofia, Bulgaria.  We bought our ticket for that bus, 23 euro to be exact, and we were on our way.

The bus to Sofia wasn't horrible, but the stop at the border was.  To save myself from raging again, and to not talk about what actually happened, I am just going to say that we are never going back to Greece...at least for a very long time.

Once we finally arrived in Sofia, we had to wait until the next day to take the train to Bucharest.  We ended up staying in a hostel.  The hostel was pretty decent and ended up giving us a moment of calmness and clarity.  It was much needed.  However, the shower didn't work...and we needed a shower realllll bad too.

The actual train to Bucharest was one of the scariest experiences of my life.  The train was constantly swaying and making these ridiculous noises.  Kortnie and I were in the same car, the train was an overnight train so we had our own beds and such, and the car we were in was ridiculously warm.  The car was even too warm for Kortnie, and that is saying something.  Needless to say, I managed to sleep through most of the sketchy train ride; however, the five times officials knocked on our door, I managed to wake up.

All in all, getting out of Greece was an experience Kortnie and I will never forget.  It was horrible while it was happening.  Looking back, even now, leaving Greece is probably one of the funniest and most aggravating situations we have been in.

Greece!

Time in Greece

Kortnie and I spent a while in Greece.  We were visiting for a full five days!  We did a lot of shopping, a little sightseeing, and a lot of eating! :)  I really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of Greece and I also really enjoyed all the history in the sights.  Its a very strange feeling to be walking by artifacts that you have seen only in books in your past years of history class.  I wish I could describe this feeling.  The feeling itself is a mix of emotions.  Something along the lines of humbling, exciting, and nervous.  

We loved the food in Greece.  All the veggies were super fresh and delicious!  My favorite part of Greek food was the Gyros and the baked feta.  So delicious!  Also, the wine is very cheap.  In some restaurants we got half a litter of wine for 4-5 euro.  We also tried some desserts too!  Kortnie was in love with the gelato and I was in love with the baklava.  There were a few instances where we got free drinks and food!  At one restaurant we got a free “shot” of Ouzo.  Ouzo is the alcohol that goes into making wine.  Our “shot” was half a glass.  I would describe Ouzo as being similar to Vodka but with a black licorice taste.  Ouzo is a very strong beverage and should be consumed with food!  We also managed to get a free plate of Greek yogurt with greek honey and cinnamon! Greek honey is delicious, I would recommend others to try it!  My final recommendation would be to try the Greek coffee.  Now, the Greek coffee is served in a little shot glass like mug.  Its very thick, strong, and black.  It was pretty good; however, Kortnie learned that you only have one glass of Greek coffee a day.  Having more than one, causes twitchiness, hallucinations, rapid heartbeat, and a general fear of others and surroundings.  One cup/shot of Greek coffee is enough to jump start your day.

Some of my favorite things we saw were: the ancient agora, prison of Socrates, Dionysus Theater, Acropolis, acropolis museum, and the temple of olympian Zeus!

Ancient Agora:

The ancient agora used to be the city center of Athens back in the day.  Entry to the ancient agora is free to students from all around the globe!  I would highly recommend taking either a guided tour or walking by yourself through the ancient agora.  There is a path that has you wander between the ruins of some of the most influential buildings in ancient Greece.  By each ruin is a description of either what the building or statue was used for or what it represented.  In a lot of cases, these descriptions were assumptions because no one really knew what they were for.  Its very humbling and beautiful to walk through an ancient ruined city center.  In the middle of the ancient agora is the remains of the alter dedicated to the 12 Olympic gods.  Would I visit the ancient agora again? yes, no doubt.

Prison of Socrates:

By now we should all know who Socrates is.  If you don't know who he is, do a quick google search or something.  Anyways, I am not huge into philosophy so when I saw this, I was much more interested in the architecture of the prison rather than the actual history behind it.  I do have a few friends who would love to see the prison of Socrates though!  If your into philosophy and love history too, this is the perfect spot for you!  Even if you don't like philosophy or history, I would still recommend that you check it out.  The view at the top of the hill is amazing!  Would I visit it again?  Probably not, depends on who I am traveling with.

Dionysus Theater:

The Dionysus Theater is directly to the side of the acropolis.  As you are heading up to the acropolis, you will run into this theater.  Also, as you leave the acropolis, you will run into the ruins of the rest of the theater.  I really enjoyed the Dionysus theater, then again, I love Greek history.  If your not big into Greek history, you will more than likely want to snap a few pictures and then leave.  This is one of those spots where you can sit and stare at the theater for a good hour or more.  I was just picturing everything that used to happen in the theater and how incredible it is that I am able to see it still.  I would definitely recommend that you take the time from seeing the acropolis to be amazed by the theater.  Would I visit it again? Most def.

Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum:

I am lumping these to together because they cover the same ground and are directly across the street from each other.  There is a slight hike up to the acropolis.  We visited Greece in the off season, so there was also construction being done on the acropolis.  The view from the top is outstanding.  You can look down and see all of Athens, and I am told that on a clear day you can even see the ocean.  Kortnie and I went and it was super windy and rainy.  We still managed to take in the beauty of the acropolis and the temple dedicated to Athena.  Everyone will recommend going to the acropolis, but I think you should visit the acropolis after you spend a few hours wandering the acropolis museum.  In the museum, you can see everything that was found in the acropolis area.  The things that were found, and the remarkable state they were preserved in is outstanding.  Also, the museum is slightly divided so that everything of one category is all lumped together.  There are also large signs that give a little bit of history to each artifact.  I recommend you take the time to actually read the signs too.  I really enjoyed the museum.  Would I go to these places again?  Yes, especially since there is a new museum being made as we are speaking!

Temple of Olympian Zeus:
This temple is amazing.  You can see the temple from the top of the acropolis.  I would highly recommend taking the very sort walk to go see it!  You can also walk along the track!  I went and saw this solo.  When I went to visit the gates were closed, so naturally i shoved my camera through the fence, snapped a few pics, and then put my head through the fence and just stared for a while.  It truly is a beautiful sight.  Would I visit again? yes, but next time, I would like to actually walk around through the area rather than sticking my head through a fence.

Kortnie and I also did quite a bit of shopping!  We really shouldn't have, considering we have the rest of the trip ahead of us!  Anyways, I ended up buying a shirt, some earrings, a hair weave, and some postcards!  Kortnie walked away with some postcards, a bag, and a hat!  Oh, and Sephora was also having a half off sale so we bought a bunch of makeup! :D  Anyways, the shopping in Greece was pretty tame for us.  We spent most of our time shopping through the flea market district in Greece!  It was nice just being able to walk from table to table looking at random things people were trying to sell.  

Greece was an amazing experience.  We did get to experience more culture rather than sights.  However, there were a few things I would of loved to see before we had left.  Maybe if I am ever able to go back to Greece, I will be able to see these things!

Rome!

Rome is for lovers.

Rome was a great experience.  The city as a whole has litter everywhere and has a strange smell of body odor and pee.  Kortnie and I were lucky enough to be staying in a hostel right in the center of Rome.  We did a ton of walking around, and climbed a shit ton of stairs.  Our glutes will be lookin mighty fine. 

We saw the typical tourist attractions and ate the typical Italian food and we even drank a bottle of Italian wine!  For the small amount of time we were in Rome, we saw everything we wanted to see.  If we were to stay a few more days we would probably check out some museums and possibly go back to some of the monuments at night to get some night photos.

Another noteworthy comment before I explain some of the major things we did, if you end up traveling by train to and from Rome expect your ears to pop every ten minutes!  I highly suggest traveling by train through Italy.  There is so much to see in Italy, and most other countries, that no one really thinks about seeing what the countryside looks like!  If you take the train, you can see the beautiful countryside and all the mountains and little villages and cities!

With Katy Perry on blast, I will be able to tell you all about some of my favorite things in Rome!!

Vatican City-

Vatican city was less than a 10 minute walk from our hostel.  The lines were pretty short when we went too.  I love the amount of detail that the entire city had as a whole.  There was not a place that was void of ornate details.  My favorite part of visiting Vatican City would be climbing to the top of the Basilica.  Before you go up to the top, they tell you that it is 360 steps and you can pay 5 euro to just take the steps to the top, or you could pay 7 euro to take the elevator and then some steps.  Kortnie and I are much more frugal than we are lazy.  We counted all the steps it took to get to the top, and the total was 720 steps.  They lied.  The steps were narrow and mostly fixed on a spiral staircase.  However, once you get to the top of the Basilica, you can see the entire city of Rome.  All the stairs were most definitely worth it.  Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.

Popolo Plaza-

I was kind of disappointed when we went to see this plaza.  Its suppose to be one of the most beautiful ones in Rome.  However, almost the entire plaza was under construction while we were in Rome.  What we did see of the plaza was beautiful.  Would I do it again? Possibly, so I can see it in its entirety.

Spanish Steps-

Yet another disappointment.  I am starting to think that the only way to actually see some of these landmarks is to go during the height of their tourism season.  Anyways, we kept seeing these beautiful pictures of the Spanish Steps, and Kortnie was super excited to see them.  When we got there, they were empty.  Every picture we had ever seen of the spanish steps included thousands of flowers also.  The steps were still beautiful; however, I would of liked to see them with the flowers on them too.  Would I do it again? Probably, if I ever find myself in Rome again, I will stop by.

Trevi Fountain-

We went to the trevi fountain on our first day in Rome.  It was just as beautiful as it is in pictures.  The water in the fountain almost looked fake, it was such a bright blue color.  We were at the fountain for a good hour just taking pictures and talking about how in awe we were of the fountain.  My favorite part of the fountain is when a tourist actually climbed into the fountain to get his bracelet that fell in, once he got in the fountain, the police were after him!  Poor guy, he just wanted his bracelet back.

Pantheon-

I am not sure what I expected when we were going to visit the Pantheon.  As soon as we walked in, we were able to see all the beautiful artwork that had gone into the Pantheon.  It was beautiful inside, and the Pantheon looks gigantic from the outside.  While at the Pantheon, I managed to run into a couple of friends I knew from back home in Sioux Falls, SD who had just moved to Norway!  Imagine to coincidence of running into someone you know in a city the size of Rome!  Crazy.  Anyways, would I go back?  I don't think so, seeing it once was enough for me.

Colosseum-

The Colosseum is just as grand and breath taking in person as it is in pictures.  Just standing in front of the Colosseum looking at it, I was in awe at the craftsman ship that was used to build it wayyyy back in the day.  It truly is a sight to see.  On our last day in Rome, Kortnie and I went inside and looked at the art and artifacts that where inside the Colosseum that gave insight on Roman history.  My favorite part of being inside the colosseum was just looking into the center of it from the top where the seats used to be!  It was a humbling and delightful experience.  However, be warned that when climbing these stairs its like doing lunges up steep, thick steps.  Would I go back? Heck yes.

Roman Forum/Palatino-

The Roman Forum and Palatino are a must to see after some of the trademark Rome tourist spots.  I loved the Roman Forum and Palatino.  The Roman Forum is an area filled with the ruins from ancient Rome and has parts of buildings and structures standing still.  As I was walking by these ruins, I was able to see them up close and imagine how it used to be in Rome!  The Palatino was right next to the Roman Forum and it was a bunch of very old structures built into hills.  These structures where arches that I think may have been openings to homes.  Don't quote me on that.  If you love history or if you love Roman mythology you HAVE to visit the Roman Forum and Palatino.  It’s a must.  Would I go again? duh.

Food-

Oh my god.  The food.  The pizza Kortnie and I had was so fresh and refreshing.  Normally when we eat pizza we feel gross after, but after eating pizza in Rome, we felt more active and ready to go and do something new!  We both agree that when in Rome, eat pizza at least once, and make sure there is mozzarella on it!  We also had some pasta!  We both had this pasta that was filled with spinach (yum) and various cheeses with parmesan on the top.  It was so delicious and it was the perfect amount.  The spinach and cheese was super fresh and the pasta itself was so tender.  It was perfect.  We had gelato almost every day.  Gelato is so addicting.  I tried: tiramassu, chocolate, vanilla bean, melon, mango, and hazelnut gelato.  My favorites were the mango and hazelnut flavors.  Kortnie had: apple, vanilla, kiwi, pistachio, cream, and coconut.  I tried the coconut and it was amazing.  The pistachio tasted just like eating pistachio nuts! It was amazing.  We both also had a bottle of real Italian wine.  We liked it!  The wine is much stronger here than the wine I have had before.  It was delicious!

That pretty much sums up my major moments in Rome!  We both had a shit ton of fun, and it was worth going to!  Would we go again? Probably!

The longest day in the history of traveling:

Today marks day one of the travels.  I am currently writing this on a train from Verona to Rome.  This train is only slightly sketchy...I don't know which makes me more nervous: the deteriorating exterior, the obnoxious sounds, or the fact that the train is uncontrollably shaking.  This train makes me super nervous, and I am exhausted and my ears keep popping every other minute.  Beyond these small details, I am having a pretty good day so far. :)

The day started off shaky.  Kortnie and I had a six hour layover in Hannover.  We spent the entirety of the six hours awake reading magazines, enjoying one hour of complimentary wifi, and generally wandering the hauptbahnhof.  When it was finally time to get on the train and leave for Munich, we were ecstatic.  All we wanted to do was sleep.  We boarded our train, which was an ICE train, and we felt like we were in heaven.  The chairs were comfy and we fell asleep pretty quickly.  The one thing I don't like about sleeping in public is that I make noises in my sleep.  I don't know why I do it, but every once in a while, I will be peacefully sleeping and suddenly I will be startled awake by myself making my sleeping noise.  For those of you that don’t know what my sleeping noise is, its like a medium pitched ‘huh.’  I find it sounds like I am saying it in a questioning manner.  Well anyways, I made this sound on the train and I looked around, slightly embarrassed, and no one had heard it.  This is pretty much the most eventful and exciting point of my day.

Once Kortnie and I arrived in Munich, we were late thanks to the train, we ran to our next train and just barely made it on in time.  In this train we were assigned certain seats within a little car box.  We were with four grown German adults and a baby that was less than a year.  Babies push my limits.  Yes, babies are adorable; however, when a child is screaming please don’t decide to breast feed your baby in front of me without asking.  And please, dont talk about the pains of breastfeeding in German because you dont think we dont understand.  Babies, they can ruin a train ride, real quick.  Seven hours later we arrived in Verona, Italy.  The ride to Verona was so beautiful.  The train took us through the Alps, and through the countryside of Italy.  Once the train hit Italy's’ countryside, Kortnie and I passed the fuck out.  Out cold for a good 45 minutes.  I even fell asleep with my sunglasses on.  Italy is quite sunny, if you did not know!

After the seven hour ride to Verona, Kortnie and I went and walked around and had some Italian pizza and then boarded our last train for the day!  This train is only a mere three and a half hours!  

Total train riding time: 17.5 hours

Total hours of sleep: <4 hours

Best quote of the day: “dude, that river looks like a special edition kool-aid.”

What am I most looking forward to: a bed, a shower, and less people.