When I walked into the kitchen, I was surprised with 18 candles on a chocolate mousse cake, wishing me a happy birthday! With a huge piece of delicious cake in me, I was ready for our journey to France.

The road was absolutely beautiful! Every shade of green could be found in the vineyards, the trees and the hills! Horses were running about, deer were prancing, and cows were munching away at the green; I felt like a country girl in an idyllic little town! Our first stop was at the Gates of Germany’s Wine road. The top of these gates held a lovely view of many charming little towns and colourful fields stretching for miles and miles. Once we passed these gates, the land of Frenchmen welcomed us and the vineyards slowly morphed into wheat fields, redolent of some Van Gogh paintings.

Our next stop was in Wissembourg, in front of a cute and colourfully decorated Patisserie, which is listed among the top ten bakeries in Europe! Here we enjoyed amazingly delectable éclairs.

With a little taste of France on our tongues, we carried on our way to Strasbourg where we walked along the wet streets. The town itself was filled with old apartments, small bridges, cute houses right by the edge of the river, and many quaint restaurants. In one such restaurant, I enjoyed a traditional Flambé for Lunch. Afterwards, we visited a beautiful church (Cathedral of our Lady) with impressive gothic architecture! Inside, the church was ornate and had lovely stained glass windows. The main piece of the church was a beautiful organ in the centre, and we had happened to visit the cathedral during a special service featuring a famous organist; we enjoyed some of this music and then prepared for our journey back to Germany.

On our way back, the sky began to clear up, sun rays stole through the grey clouds and then slowly, a wonderful sunset tinted the clouds with a hue of purplish colours.

Once we had passed the now non-existent border between France and Germany, I noticed very old houses sandwiched between much newer ones. My uncle explained to me that these old houses were remnants of the Second World War and that all the other surrounding houses, bridges and buildings had been bombed and destroyed. It was interesting to me that they had incorporated these old apartments into the new plan.

Back at home, I enjoyed a light dinner and watched “L’Auberge Espagnole,” which is a movie about a young Parisian who decides to spend a year studying in Barcelona. This movie was especially interesting to me because when in Barcelona, we had seen many of the sites and Spanish culture displayed in this movie!

Today, I spent the day exploring surrounding villages, paying a second visit to the ever-bustling Mannheim and walking alongside a vineyard (a magical experience because of the gorgeous sky and general serenity of the vineyard). In one of the villages, my aunt and I had lunch in Deidesheimer Hof, which is a famous restaurant frequented by politicians, diplomats and royalty from all over the world. I ordered a traditional German dish, unique to this region, and a crème brûlée- they were delicious!At night, I went down to the festival (it was its last day today). This was much like a mini PNE but with much more drinking of wine and eating of Bratwurst!

Tchüss for now and I wish my friends a safe journey home from Paris,

Dena

Our first plan was to visit the Dali Museum in Montmarte. When we arrived at the metro stop, we realized that we didn’t know the exact location of the gallery, and there were no signs pointing us in the right direction. So, Meghan popped into a nearby store and received some general directions. We headed up Montmarte, at which point Mel pointed out that the rain was light – almost misty – and not nearly as bad as the downpour in London. She spoke too soon. By the time we had to climb the stairs to the upper portion of Montmarte, we were caught in another downpour. For a moment, we paused in a random apartment doorway, hoping that the rain would cease and that we wouldn’t be greeted by the people who lived inside.

The rain had hardly lightened up when we decided to continue. After some time in the rain, we finally found the Dali museum. We were happy to be inside, admiring Dali’s unique work, dripping from our soaked hair and rain jackets. All three of us thought the Dali gallery was excellent. It contained several sketches and sculptures, as well as costumes by designers who were inspired by Dali. All of the sculptures were very impressive, each containing an imaginative quality and thought-provoking symbolism.     

Once we were finished at the museum, we headed to Sacre Coeur. By this time, it had stopped raining (thankfully), and the sun was actually peeking out from behind the clouds. From the church, we could see an excellent view of the city. Inside the grand building, there were several large arches, stained glass windows, and mosaic covered ceilings. Many people were visiting the church; some were there to light a candle or say a prayer, while others just admired the stunning atmosphere.

Next, we hopped on and off the metro to have a quick look of the Moulin Rouge. It was as expected – a building with a large windmill on top and red lettering that said “Moulin Rouge.”

We got back on the metro and took it far away from the city center in search for a shopping mall. We did find the mall, but it was closed and under construction. Still in the mood for shopping, we got back on the metro and took it to Chatelet (a stop near the Louvre). Again, we found stores and a shopping mall, but they were all closed. Now we know that if you want to go shopping in Paris, Sunday is not a good day.

At this point Meghan and Mel decided to go back to the hotel, and to find something to eat. They spent a little while freshening up at the hotel after being in damp clothes all day, then headed out to find Chinese food. This took a little while, as many Chinois restaurants were closed for Sunday or closing early. However, seeing as there is an odd abundance of Chinese restaurants in Paris, they managed to find once to satisfy their hunger.

Meanwhile, Steffi decided to continue exploring the city. She had wanted to go and find the quarter of Paris that has been the setting of a book that she had recently read. She was delighted to find that is was exactly as described in the book, and eagerly strolled around in took in the charm of the city. One random French cd, three chocolates, a piece of lasagne later, she was back at the hotel and ready to start packing for the trip home.

Now, we are all resting and getting ready for our last MOTing experience of Europe 2007. We’re glad to hear that Candace made it home safely and is enjoying her vegetables, and that Dena made it to Germany and is enjoying her visit.

I got here two days ago after I said goodbye to my wonderfully amazing friends and fellow MOT packers at the Madrid airport. It was quite an adventure getting to my gate at this massive airport, which has an abundance of terminals; I had to take a bus and a special airport metro in order to find my gate. The plane ride was really comfortable, and I had a wonderful view of the Alps as we flew over them; this completely quenched my thirst for mountains! A Spanish girl was seated next to me on the plane, and we became fast friends, talking all the way to Frankfurt where we exchanged emails.

When I finally arrived at the airport, I was greeted by my aunt and uncle who took me to their town- Neustadt. The ride there was beautiful and filled with rolling hills, green fields and lots of grape vines! They live on “Wine Road,” so most of their town is filled with grape fields. This weekend, the town is holding a wine festival where everybody eats, drinks and is merry! I love it here because it’s lively as well as quiet and from the house, I have a view of an ancient castle where a rebellion took place as well as a view of wine fields, red roofs and amazing sunsets.

Yesterday, I visited the rest of Neustadt which consists of narrow streets filled with cute stores, magnificent churches, and many strangely designed fountains. I visited a church that was both Catholic and Protestant: half of it was decorated ornately with golden statues and used by Catholics while the other half was much simpler (decorated with a few paintings) and used by Protestants. It was a very strange combination and quite interesting for me. The fountains in the town were also extremely interesting; I saw the Fountain of Paradise (Adam and Eve), as well as another famous fountain which was decorated with strange mythical birds from an old Neustadt story.

Today, I visited Mannheim, which is known for its concerts, parties and of course, shopping. It is a huge town and filled with store after store of merchandise. We spent some time walking around here, had lunch and then headed off to Heidelberg.

Heidelberg is famous for its university and its ancient castle. The streets here were very nice to walk along and the castle was absolutely incredible.

Only partially rebuilt since its destruction in the 17^th century, this castle has a long history that dates back to the 1100s. The building itself is magnificent and tucked away on a green hill. The view from the top is enchanting and the Rhine can be seen in all its glory. I loved it up there and spent a while admiring the castle and its remarkable view. Tomorrow, I’m heading to France for the day; for now, it’s sleep time!

Tchüss

Dena

Meghan and Mel found a spot to sit around one of the many fountains located outside of the Louvre. We took in the grand architecture of the building, including the older sculptures that adorn the building, and the contemporary glass pyramid that serves as the main entrance.

An hour… or two after the other two had left, Steffi got up and ventured out into the big city. The few extra hours of rest worked wonders, and with a bounce in her step she decided to take in the architecture of the Louvre! After spending a few long minutes ogling the grandeur of the building, she crossed the Seine and started out for Notre Dame. Instead of taking the direct route, she twisted and turned around the back streets of Paris, and attempted to get a better feel for the city. A wonderfully crafted black jacket called to her from a store window. In a daze, she tried it on and fell instantly in love, however one look at the price tag had her sadly leaving it behind. Notre Dame proved to be exactly as she remembered it, and the large number had her moving quickly towards le Palais de Justice in order to get away from the mayhem. An architecturally stunning building, it was a fitting place to sit and simply admire the wonderful view. At this point all of the walking had taken its toll on her tired legs, and she leisurely made her way back to the hotel to meet up with the others.

After resting and surfing the internet, we headed out to a ‘libre service’ laundromat. We were very excited for clean clothes! Once we figured out the laundry system, with the help of a friendly Frenchman, we walked down to a nearby Italian restaurant for dinner. We all ordered the same meal – a plate of three cheese penne- and recalled our time in Italy. By the time we finished, our laundry was ready to be put into the dryer. This took some time, as the dryer only allowed us to dry our clothes for 6 minutes at a time. When our laundry was finally finished, we rushed back to the hotel before heading to the Arc de Triomphe. We arrived at the shopping section of the Champs Elysees, and walked up toward the Arc.

After climbing the 284 steps to the top of the Arc, we stood in wonder of the spectacular view of Paris. In the distance we could see the lights of buildings and cars twinkling, and, of course, the Eiffel Tower illuminated with an amber glow. While we were up there, we also got to see the Eiffel Tower light show, and got our picture taken by the most attractive guy. We stayed until closing, at which point we headed down, took more pictures, and went for crepes before heading back to the hotel for the night.

I made it safely home, after spending hours and hours in airports and on airplanes.  Since leaving my incredible travelling companions of 3 weeks (sniff sniff), I sat around in my terminal on the other side of security waiting for the Madrid duty free shops to open (only one of them did before my flight left at 7am).  That flight was rather uneventful, although there was no assigned seating so I was free to grab whichever seat I wanted (not much was available by then, however).  The plane arrived early in London Gatwick, which would normally be exciting but in this case it only meant I had even more time to waste.  I picked up my bag and lugged it around the airport with me as I bought a sandwich from Marks & Spencer (Lots of veggies on it!!) and asked about the vegetarian meal option for my flight.  (By the way Mel, the response was that I should have called 2 days in advance).  Then I hauled my baggage upstairs where I gave myself a mini manicure in the airport washroom (basically I cut and cleaned under my nails, trust me it was much needed) and then used the airport internet.  I had good timing for the internet because a guy was just leaving and he had extra time he wasn’t going to use, so I got to e-mail Meghan for free, just to let everyone know I had survived the Madrid flight.  After that I had a bit of a shock as I saw two soldier/security guys walk right past me carrying huge guns at the ready.  That’s one thing I really missed about Canada, a lot fewer weapons.  Later, I met some people looking for somewhere to sit and when they saw the flag on my backpack they asked if I was from English Canada or French Canada.  I’m not sure why, but I found that weird. 

About 2 hours before my flight was scheduled to leave, I went down to the check-in desk, only to find the line up winding all the way around the corner and past the Marks & Spencer.  After waiting 45 minutes and still being unable to even see the check in counter, I asked the guy in front of me where he was flying, thinking I had gotten there way too late.  As it turned out though, he was on the same flight and that line up was highly unusual.  He told me that most of the planes had been leaving late because there were no people on them, everyone was held up in line.  That made me feel a bit better, because I had also been worrying about the length of the security line up.  When I got closer to the front, they started calling people from my flight to the front of the line up, and then the security line had shortened some so I got through with just enough time.  I still hurried off to my gate and didn’t even stop when I saw Harry Potter for sale for 10 British pounds.  In retrospect, I definately should have stopped and bought it, it would have made great in-flight reading material.  However, I hurried on and only stopped to pick up some pasteries for the flight when I could see the line up at my gate.  When I went to give them my ticket, I discovered I didn’t have a seat number so I got passed around to different airline staff who each didn’t want to deal with me.  When I was finally given seat 1D, the lady kept my entire ticket so I walked up to the plane without one.  The stewardess there said I couldn’t get on without a boarding pass, so I was pulled to the side to watch everyone else go by as another crew member ran back to the desk to retrieve my ticket.  It all turned out ok, though, because my seat was in first class (or Premium Economy) without my having to pay for it and the more comfortable seat came with more leg room and a free bottle of water.

Once the flight started, the cabin crew informed all passengers that there was one person on the flight who was deathly allergic to peanuts and if we had peanuts on board could we please not open them.  That’was all well and good, except I had purchased a bag of mixed nuts to eat on the flight in case they didn’t have a spare veggie meal.  There were no peanuts in the mix, but as I pulled the bag out to check the label for ‘traces of peanuts’ another passenger reprimanded me.  I told her to calm down, I was only checking the label, which only said ‘traces of sesame’ and nothing about peanuts.  Just in case, I asked the stewardess, who asked me to step behind the curtain so that other passengers wouldn’t know she was allowing me to eat them.  The person with the allergy was sitting further back on the plane (I was in row one) and I promised I would only use the washroom at the very front so I had no need to go that far back.  She was very understanding because I told her I was vegetarian and hadn’t requested a meal in time.  She then told me she would let me know if they had any extras on board.  With that sorted out, I went back to my seat to try and sleep.

When meal time came, they didn’t have an extra meal for me so I only had the bread roll, salad, and dessert, plus my mixed nuts that I had to eat in secret.  After that I slept for a couple of hours and then watched the end of Walk the Line, one of the in flight movies.  There was not much of note after that; the plane stopped in Edmonton and over half of the passengers got off, and then I tried to sleep more before I landed in Vancouver.  Chris and my mom were at the airport to greet me, and I had chinese food with vegetables for dinner.  As soon as I arrived home, I had a wonderfully long shower and went to bed, where I stayed for 18 hours until my dad woke me up at 3pm the next day.  Now I’m getting back into the pattern of everyday life and waiting to hear more from my comrades overseas.

Ciao everyone!

Candace

We bought our three day metro tickets and then hopped on the train to Versailles. When we got to the station, we headed to the palace. It was amazing to see – the architecture was fantastic, and the building itself was massive. We bought for tickets for the main section of the Palace, which included the King and Queen’s chambers, the hall of mirrors, the royal chapel, and many other rooms within the palace. Upon entering, we were astounded by the amount of decorations that adorned the rooms. Most of them have painted ceilings and walls, and all of the furniture is lavish and extravagant. It was amazing to see the fashion in which the royal family lived. Also, with their entrance fee, Mel and Meghan got a free audio guide, which proved to be very interesting. The guide supplemented them with additional information about the artwork and architecture, as well as what important events had occurred within each room. When we were done admiring the palace, we realized that the gardens and Marie Antoinette’s estates were closed for a ballet that was happening in the evening. So, after looking at the outside of the building, we headed for the metro once again.

Our original plan for the day was to do the Arc de Triomphe in the evening, but it was still early in the day, so we postponed the arc until tomorrow in order to see the Eiffel tower. We arrived at the base of the tower, and to our pleasant surprise, there were not that many people lined up to climb up the tower. So we entered the short line, paid the small fee, and began the climb to the first level. Some four hundred stairs later, we were able to admire the fantastic view. Once we had ravished in the beauty of Paris, we climbed to the second level, which was only another three hundred or so stairs. The view from there was basically the same, but further away (big surprise). After looking around again, we climbed back down.

By this point, it was getting later in the evening. Our stomachs were growling, so we decided to find somewhere to eat. We were able to find a place with a view of the top of the tower that was not too expensive. We sat and enjoyed our meals while admiring the light show, and we were able to leave in time to see the entire tower sparkling. Once we were satisfied with what we had seen, we headed back to the hotel for a spa night with facial masques and rum. (Best spa night ever!)

After a long day, we were glad to get to bed, since we have an early morning tomorrow.

Candace was the first up, as her flight was in the early morning. After an emotional farewell, our group became much smaller…and then we were four. Once Candace was off, the rest of us slept a few more hours. When we got up, a few of us decided to partake in the colon-clogging pastries as there were no other options.

The next eventful moment was the departure of Dena. At first, she was unable to locate her flight on the departure screens, but after a wild goose chase, she sorted it out. Unfortunately, she was in a different terminal located a bus ride away.

While we knew the parting of ways was coming, it arrived all too soon. Meghan, Mel, and Steffi were the last to depart from Madrid, with the plan to continue the legacy of the MOT packers over in Paris.

~

The flight was uneventful. All three of us managed to sleep for the majority of the journey. After a desperate dash to the bathroom, we picked up our MOTs and headed for the metro. A few transfers later, we arrived at the Gare d’Austerlitz. Seeing as the hotel directions were misleading, we resorted to asking locals for help. Steffi approached a group of friendly looking Parisians who gladly helped. One actually called the hotel on his cell phone to get directions. It turned out we were on the wrong side of the Seine. Once we crossed, we managed to head in the general direction, but started to become uncertain of the exact location of the hotel. Enter friendly Parisian number 2, an English speaking Frenchwoman who practically led us to the right rue.

After many nights of hostelling, the 2 star hotel seemed luxurious (we have our own bathroom equipped with a hairdryer!). The only negative is the slightly mouldy smell emanating from beneath the sink and upon the shower curtains. Each of us showered and organized our belongings. Once we felt settled, we headed out for our first Parisian meal of fine wine, white baguette, and creamy cheese. Actually, we found a small Chinese restaurant, which proved to be refreshing after all of the nasty bocadillos. After, we went to a small store to pick up water and other supplies. On our way we came across a potential employment opportunity for Candace (she knows what we’re talking about).

Later, at the hotel, we discussed our plans for Paris, and reminisced about our missing MOT packers, Candace in Canada and Dena in Germany.

When we finally reached the palace square, we sat down on some steps, enjoying our time while chatting and dancing around the square much to the amusement of onlookers. After having danced around for a while, we decided to actually go into the palace.

We started our tour at the pharmacy which contained a huge array of herbs and other jars (the contents of which were a mystery to us). The palace was quite grandiose and amazing. Each room had a different decor and a different purpose such as the room where the king performed the ceremony of getting dressed. Chandeliers hung everywhere and painting, ornate mirrors and statues could be found in abundance.

After our enjoyable Palace tour, we wandered the streets, resting in plazas and eating lunch on a patio. We then walked onto more commercial streets where we visited some more stores, including the store Mango where we had a fun shopping experience and where most of us found exciting clothing items.

By the time we all had our purchases, we headed to the Teatro Del Arenal to watch the Ballet Flamenco de Madrid. The 1.5 hour show was vibrant, colourful and filled with great Spanish music. The dancers were amazing and the entire show was really well done. The ballet was a wonderful end to a great day.

Well, not quite the end because afterwards, we headed back to the hostel, picked up our bags and went to the airport where we slept, awaiting the next day: our sad parting of ways with Candace heading back home, Dena to Germany and Meghan, Mel and Steffi to Paris!

The rest were pleasantly surprised by the lack of a line-up at the Prado. We breezed through security, picked up our tickets, and began a three hour tour of the three level gallery. The first level was filled with early religious works and painting by Flemish artists. We were particularly impressed by the work of Bosch, an imaginative fantasy painter who was ahead of his time. On the second level, we were awed by the work of Goya, a Spanish Master. The Prado’s collection of Goya masterpieces ranged from dark, haunting images known as the Black Paintings to portraits of the Spanish royal family, and idealized scenes of country life. The museum is also the house of Velasquez’s Las Meninas. After seeing Picasso’s interpretations of this piece at Barcelona’s Picasso Museum, it was particularly intriguing to see the original work. Perhaps the best part of the museum was the 1 euro guidebooks found in random locations about the gallery. They proved useful in providing a greater understanding of the history and thought behind some of the most well known pieces.

After “looking” up a large appetite, we strolled across the street and found a small, modern cafe with delicious, overpriced food. However, we were glad to find a meal that consisted of fresh vegetables and something different from the nasty bocadillos that have infiltrated the food industry of Spain.

Later, when sleeping beauty had awoken, the five of us regrouped at the hostel. We spent an hour relaxing before heading out again. Our first stop: Puerto del Sol. The Puerto itself was not all that exciting, but we did come across a Topshop, which was fun to look in. After, we planned to visit El Rastro, a bustling market; however, we were thoroughly disappointed as the market seemed nonexistent. We later discovered that it is only open on Sundays…too bad! Although we didn’t get to any markets, we passed several antiques shop, clothing stores and tack shops, which brought Steffi much pleasure. From El Rastro, we headed to a nearby Mercado, which contained several stores out of our price range. We decided to head toward Plaza Mayor. On the way we found a Maoz, a vegetarian fast food eatery that sells excellent falafels. After feasting, we found the Plaza, which was disappointing, especially after all of the grand Italian palazzos.

Much of what we planned to accomplish that afternoon seemed to be a disappointment. However, we did come across a flamenco dance theatre and bought tickets for a show tomorrow night. It is our luck that on miercoles, it is 15 euro instead of 30.

After our long afternoon, we spent a few hours resting up for a big night of partying…Madrid style. However, it seemed doubtful that we would find a place, since most night clubs are only open Thursday through Sunday. However, within a short while we found a small night club/lounge that was in walking distance from our hostel. A good time was had by all, although a couple of us had ardent admirers…a little bit creepy.

Once the club closed, we headed back to the hostel for a solid, early-morning sleep.

Meghan, Dena, Melissa, and Candace headed off to Parc Guell to view the Gaudi architecture. Gaudi’s style makes the area look like a Disney theme park – there were amazing buildings and monuments. There was also a spectacular view of the city.

Meanwhile, Steffi visited the Gothic Church. She thought it was an amazing example of Gothic architecture, and the swans in the cloister were fascinating. She was disappointed that she could not find the chapel of St George to put her candle, so she had to settle for some random saint’s chapel.

We all met back at the hostel, picked up our bags, and took the metro to the train station. When we arrived we discovered that the Barcelona station is busier than expected. We parked our MOTs in a corner and waited for our number (they were serving 104, and we were 144). When we finally went to purchase our tickets, the only available spots were on the 7.30 train; by this time it was just after 1.30. So we waited. And waited. And waited. Some of us went to a falafel place down the street to get lunch, while others ate from the train station cafeteria. The only remotely interesting thing that happened is Candace and Meghan getting confronted by the train station police because they were trying to sleep. (Apparently that was a bad idea; apparently it is against the rules) So, we spent the time people watching and looking at people’s shoes. We also had water bottle fights and MOT wars. (We won’t explain that one, just try to imagine). For dinner, we ate at a buffet style restaurant in the station. When we were done dinner, we realized that there was only twenty minutes until our train left, so we went through security and boarded the train.

The trip was not very interesting, although the sunset was gorgeous. A few movies played, but they were all in Spanish, so none of us watched. Steffi and Candace slept (and we have picture proof), while Dena, Mel, and Meghan amused themselves by talking and drawing. Dena and Meghan also got their portrait done by this crazy professional artist named Mel. We are planning on getting them framed, as they will surely be worth several million dollars within a few years.

When we got to Madrid, it was 11:45 at night. We took the metro to our hostel, which we decided is not that sketch. The room is fairly nice, although the sheets are a little iffy. The terrace area is super cool, with a stained glass ceiling and mosaic tiles.

Once we settled into our room, we crawled into bed for the night.

Hungry, we decided to enjoy some Paella for dinner, and then we wandered in the streets, taking in the vibe of the city and strolling along the water, where we were surrounded by the bustle of the busy Barcelona night.

Having enjoyed a great day, we arrived back to our hostel and prepared for another day of travel.

After the metro journey, we arrived at the metro stop for our hostel. When we exited the station, we realized that our hostel is in the midst of La Rambla, a famous market in Spain that sells everything from fruit to paintings to jewellery. When we got to the door of our hostel, our first impression was that is was sketch, but it turns out that it is really nice! The walls are painted in bright colours with crazy murals, there is a shared kitchen, the rooms are really nice, and internet is free!

After settling into the hostel, we set out to explore La Rambla. We had high expectations, but, unfortunately, it did not meet them. We were expecting it to be bigger, cheaper, and with more selection. However, it was still an interesting experience shopping there. (Although you can’t really barter for better prices, much to Meghan’s dismay.)

While exploring La Rambla, we searched for clothes in the stores that surrounded the market to wear out this evening. It was successful: everyone got something!

After we were shopped out, we headed back to the hostel (mostly to pee, in case you had to know), and then went out for a dinner of Paella and Pizza. When we were done, we headed back to the hostel to prepare for a night out on the town. *Note: getting five girls prepared for the evening is not a short process.

After we were all primped and preened, we headed out for the evening, which proved to be a super good time. When we got back later that night (or early in the morning, however you want to look at it), and crashed for the night.

From Milan, we boarded our night train to Barcelona. Because the couchettes only hold four people each, we were split up with Dena, Steffi, and Mel in one car and Meghan and Candace in another. The separate sleeping cabins don’t mean we never see each other though; for dinner we all met in the dining car where we experienced a bit of a language change-over as we realized the menu was in Spanish instead of the Italian we were just getting used to. Oh well, the train was our transition period between the two cultures.

The couchettes on the train were quite nice – although in our fatigued state any bed would seem so. We are all really excited to get a solid night’s sleep.

went further down to the rocky area where we paddled and floated around for a good amount of time. After drying off in the sun (our towels were back at the hostel with the rest of our laundry load), we took the one minute train ride to the last town, Monterosso. There is a hike from Vernazza to Monterosso, but we skipped out because it was incredibly hot, all were tired and sore, and we were running out of time in the day. Monterosso turned out to be even more touristy than Vernazza, with large stretches of sandy beaches lined with matching sun umbrellas. Unable to locate the ferry dock, we abandoned our original plan to take the ferry back to our town and, instead, opted for the train again because it was cheap and easy to understand. To finish off our tour of the five towns, we continued on the train until Riomaggiore, the first town, and walked the Via dell’Amore . Compared to the other hikes, the Via was a nice, gentle, twenty minute stroll. It was the general consensus after our day of touring that we chose to stay in the best town. It’s prettiest, quietest, most quaint, and also seems like the most ‘authentic’ village.

Dinner took place at one of the many pasta-and-seafood restaurants lining the main street of Manarola, and although the service wasn’t exactly first class, the food was enjoyable. We resisted the urge to treat ourselves to more gelato and headed back to the hostel to collect our laundry from the clothesline. We enjoyed the sunset and the warm evening temperature from the roof of our hostel before going back inside to gather ourselves for our upcoming busy day of travel.

When we arrived in Pisa, we were in for a rude shock. For some reason, we were expecting all of Pisa to be an empty field with only the leaning tower, or at least for the tower to be close to the train station. However, this is not the case. But, with the aid of some kind Americans, we were able to figure out which train to take to find the tower. We heaved out MOTs onto the bus, and then, finally, we found the tower. And the name pretty much explains what it is – it is a leaning tower in Pisa (big suprise!). It was pretty cool to see, although we did not go up. (We figured that it was probably expensive, and really too time consuming.) But we did take all of the stereotypical pictures; holding up the tower, kicking it down and such. We also did a jumping picture (but of course!).

After we were satisfied with Pisa, we bussed back to the train station, and then went to get our tickets to La Spezia (the tickets were free because of our Eurail passes!). We got onto the train, and watched the scenery pass by. When we got to La Spezia, we transferred to a local train to Manarola, the city that we are staying in in Cinque Terre. The first thing that we thought when we got off the train was that the city is gorgeous. We thought Florence was pretty, but Cinque Terre is absolutely fabulous. We hiked up to our hostel, which, once again, is at the top of a hill. Our hostel is really nice – there are strict curfew times, but it does not really matter, as there is nothing really to do in this sleepy town. The room has six bunks, so the sixth one is occupied by a girl from Quebec.

After we checked in, we headed out to explore the city. It is extremely picturesque, with the colourful houses built into the mountains and the children playing in the streets. We had a late dinner at a restaurant that was kind enough to let us in as their last customers; as a result, we had an entire room to ourselves.

After dinner, we headed back to the hostel, and headed to bed for the night.