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Swiss Life

Zurich Zurich I arrived in Zurich, Switzerland last weekend, to my first “hotel” of the trip. It was nice and quit and mostly populated by older women, but there was a good free breakfast with about 5 different types of jams and cheeses. Anyway, my first night I randomly saw a flyer for a free open air concert which was happening all day/night. At about 8 that would have this band whose music is reminiscent of hip-hop and reggae. So I figured out how to get there (thanks google directions) and was on my way. That’s after of course I had to figure out the train system so I could grab me some dinner and get the women on my floor who had spuing her angel some ice. Quite the adventure. No ice, but I don’t have two degrees for nothing, so I got her some frozen peas. The concert … read more

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Venice…Beauty by Boat and Bridges

I had the pleasure of spending the end of this week in Venice, Italy a beautiful city of Gothic buildings, boats and bridges. Venice is an island, so its totally surrounded by water. The only way to get around is walking over canals on tiny bridges (some are quite large) or taking some kind of boat. They have the famous gondola which is a quintessential venetian experience – men in stripped shirts rowing you down the canals- which costs an arm and a leg. You can also take a vaporetto (public transportation ferry, which is lie $8 each way might I add) which goes from island to island (this is obviously the option I took). I spent hours walking around like a mouse in a maze, because that is indeed what Venice is. The streets are narrow and the buildings are about 4 stories high, so the only thing you … read more

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Me in Tuscany

The Good Today was by far my best day in Italy, I took a wine tour of the Chianti region in Tuscany. Rolling hills, good wine, cheese and of course more pasta. I have to say, it was sooooo good to get out of the city into the countryside, be on a tour and have my itinerary set and all I had to do was follow the leader. First, we went to wine tasting school. Rule number one, the wine glass is not a ball or a umbrella, so you should not hold it as such. Hold it with two fingers close to the base of the glass in your left, switch to your right holding with one finger around the stem, left hand on the table, hold the glass at your navel, swish your glass around to aerate the wine, face into the glass, sniff – long and strong, … read more

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When in Rome

When In Rome…………..You must eat a lot of Pasta, Pizza and Panini’s. You must also eat gelato like its nobodies business. And of course you must see all of the great sites, including the Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon etc. And naturally, being in Rome, this is exactly what I did. After 10 hours of traveling which included 4 transfers, I arrive in Rome, Italy. Though, this wasn’t without some minor mishaps. I did miss one train. Have you ever been running to catch some form of transportation and you think you just might catch it, but just when you arrive the doors close. That’s the worst feeling. For some reason my train scheduled for 3:15 left the station at 3pm. I got off my proceeding train at 2:57 and by the time I found the departing track, it was too late. But there was one leaving at 4, so it wasn’t … read more

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Mellow Marseille & Nautic Nice

Mellow Marseille I was quite tired from my time in Spain, so I have taken 5 days to relax in France before I am off to Italy (Rome, Florence & Venice). My time here has been well spent. After arriving at the wrong branch of my hostel in Marseille and having to metro over and walk way to far with 40 lbs on my back, I was able to relax. Vieux Port (Old Port) is one of the oldest ports in France. It was nice to be so close to the water (my hostel was 3 blocks away) and the beach (maybe a 15 minute walk). I only had one full day here because I arrived at 7 the day before, so I just went to the beach for part of the day and then went up to the church there (Notre Dame) and took in the view. You can … read more