Last night we sat at a bar and I used all of my remaining Euros on beer. Now that's efficiency. I had to take three Tylenol pm in order to sleep because two of the people in the room decided to be obnoxiously loud until all hours of the night. Then some other guy was talking to himself. Strange.
This morning we had to get up super early to pack, shower, eat breakfast, and get to the train station by 9. It was a pretty quick train ride compared to what we are used to on this trip. We were in London within a few hours. We were too early to check into the hostel, so we stored our luggage and headed for Westminster Abbey.
The direct tube stop to Westminster Abbey was conviently closed, so we had to walk a few miles. We finally got there and they wanted £12 to get in. Seeing as I only had £15 which I needed for dinner, I didn't go in. Making the trip over there was so worth the hastle. Sorry, but I am so over sightseeing.
After that ordeal we checked into the hostel. This hostel is the biggest POS of them all (same one we stayed in the first time in London). Every other hostel we have stayed in has been so much nicer. Oh well. Only one night. After checking in I took a nap. For dinner we went to a pub (where we are now). I had fish and chips again. Now were are just hanging out, drinking pints, dicussing the trip, etc.
Tomorrow we have to check out of the hostel by 10am, then it is off to the airport. I'm super excited to come home!!
btw, a HUGE shoutout goes to Laurie for offering to pick us up from the airport. That is so awesome of you. I know how out of your way that is, so it is much appreciated. You are the best!
I plan to write a final blog entry when I get home to recap everything, so check back for that. I'm so glad I took the day after we get back off from work. Best idea ever.
See you soon,
Kevin
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Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
The Eiffel Tower And Louvre
We got a close look at the Eiffel Tower, but didn't go to the top because the line was super long. I could see the top from the ground anyway ;-) After that we walked to the Louvre which was faaar. We ate lunch, and saw cool stuff on the way though. We actually brought lunch with us from a place by the hostel that sells huge sandwiches for like €3.
The Louvre is simply insane. Way too big and way too much to look at. Besides the obvious stuff like the Mona Lisa and Venus di Milo, we saw a bunch of ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Greek artifacts and art. We also saw a lot of 16th - 18th century French and Italian paintings by artists I have never heard of. Awesome place, but somewhat overwhelming.
After that Mark went to look for souvenirs, but I was too tired so went back to the hostel for a nap. The restaurant right next to the hostel gives a 10% discount to guests so we ate there. It was crap. Oh well, I'm down to €20 and that is getting used at the bar tonight.
Not much else to report. Back to London tomorrow morning. It is only a few hour train ride so we will have time to do some stuff. We plan on going to Westminster Abbey since it was closed to tourists when we tried in the beginning of the trip.
Au revoir,
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
The Louvre is simply insane. Way too big and way too much to look at. Besides the obvious stuff like the Mona Lisa and Venus di Milo, we saw a bunch of ancient Egyptian, Roman, and Greek artifacts and art. We also saw a lot of 16th - 18th century French and Italian paintings by artists I have never heard of. Awesome place, but somewhat overwhelming.
After that Mark went to look for souvenirs, but I was too tired so went back to the hostel for a nap. The restaurant right next to the hostel gives a 10% discount to guests so we ate there. It was crap. Oh well, I'm down to €20 and that is getting used at the bar tonight.
Not much else to report. Back to London tomorrow morning. It is only a few hour train ride so we will have time to do some stuff. We plan on going to Westminster Abbey since it was closed to tourists when we tried in the beginning of the trip.
Au revoir,
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
Paris Day Two
Woke up and got free breakfast at the hostel. It was decent. Then took a shower and headed down to St. Michael's fountain where our free walking tour group was meeting. We had a few hours to kill so we walked around, looked at souvenirs and ate lunch. It is now official. We have eaten at McDonalds in every county we have visited. Oops. After lunch we met up with the tour group.
I think every tour guide I have had on this trip has been from America. This guy was from Texas. Strange. He was good though. We walked all the major sights including Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, etc. Guided tour are great because you learn about the history of things. I recommend them unless you're a history pro. Guided tours are a must for someone like me who is directionally challenged, and knows very little about history. The four hours flew by. After that we headed back to the hostel to eat and change. We met up with my friend Gaelle from Loyola and some of her friends at a bar in the Bastille area. It was a cool place, and pints were only €3.80. Unheard of, especially since cokes with dinner the night before were €4.80 each. No free refills in Europe. Which I guess is a good thing because it's hard enough to find a WC (water closet, bathroom).
After drinks Gaelle and her friends were getting sushi. We figured what the hell, we can have a second dinner. We went to one of those places where the sushi comes around on a conveyor belt, and you pay by the plate. It was cool. After that they were all going to see the Dark Night, which we have both seen so we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hostel. Wasn't interested in seeing the joker dubbed in French.
It was late, so we were going to sleep but people kept coming into the room, turning on lights, and making noise so we went to the hostel bar. Chilled out there for a while with some beer, and then went back to the room. Everyone was finally quiet and in bed so we went to sleep.
This morning we got our free breakfast, showered, and are now heading to the Eiffel Tower for a closer look. After that we are going inside the Louvre which is massive. The tour guide yesterday said that if you spend one minute at each exhibit it will take two months or something like that to see it all. We will have to pick and choose what we look at. Good thing I only know of the Mona Lisa. Not sure yet what we are doing after the Louvre.
Sorry if my blogs have been losing excitement but I am TIRED. I feel like I have been gone for a lot longer than two weeks. That's probably due to the fact that I have seen and done more in the last two weeks than the last two years at home. We head back to London early tomorrow morning and fly home Sunday. I am determined to get through the rest of the time in Paris with the €35 in cash I have, and London with the £15 I have left over from when we were there at the beginning of the trip. I think if I go to an ATM one more time my debit card will disintegrate.
Au revoir,
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
I think every tour guide I have had on this trip has been from America. This guy was from Texas. Strange. He was good though. We walked all the major sights including Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, etc. Guided tour are great because you learn about the history of things. I recommend them unless you're a history pro. Guided tours are a must for someone like me who is directionally challenged, and knows very little about history. The four hours flew by. After that we headed back to the hostel to eat and change. We met up with my friend Gaelle from Loyola and some of her friends at a bar in the Bastille area. It was a cool place, and pints were only €3.80. Unheard of, especially since cokes with dinner the night before were €4.80 each. No free refills in Europe. Which I guess is a good thing because it's hard enough to find a WC (water closet, bathroom).
After drinks Gaelle and her friends were getting sushi. We figured what the hell, we can have a second dinner. We went to one of those places where the sushi comes around on a conveyor belt, and you pay by the plate. It was cool. After that they were all going to see the Dark Night, which we have both seen so we said our goodbyes and headed back to the hostel. Wasn't interested in seeing the joker dubbed in French.
It was late, so we were going to sleep but people kept coming into the room, turning on lights, and making noise so we went to the hostel bar. Chilled out there for a while with some beer, and then went back to the room. Everyone was finally quiet and in bed so we went to sleep.
This morning we got our free breakfast, showered, and are now heading to the Eiffel Tower for a closer look. After that we are going inside the Louvre which is massive. The tour guide yesterday said that if you spend one minute at each exhibit it will take two months or something like that to see it all. We will have to pick and choose what we look at. Good thing I only know of the Mona Lisa. Not sure yet what we are doing after the Louvre.
Sorry if my blogs have been losing excitement but I am TIRED. I feel like I have been gone for a lot longer than two weeks. That's probably due to the fact that I have seen and done more in the last two weeks than the last two years at home. We head back to London early tomorrow morning and fly home Sunday. I am determined to get through the rest of the time in Paris with the €35 in cash I have, and London with the £15 I have left over from when we were there at the beginning of the trip. I think if I go to an ATM one more time my debit card will disintegrate.
Au revoir,
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bonjour!
Enchante?
The train ride to Paris sucked. It was super hot in the car, and there were no sheets on the tweed beds. Hot and itchy does not make for an enjoyable 14 hour ride. Getting off the train in Paris was a pleasure because it was a nice and cool 61 degrees. We couldn't find the hostle right away. We walked down the wrong side of the street at first but found it eventually.
The hostel itself, St. Christopher's Inn, is very nice. The building is less than a year old so everything is brand new. It is the nicest hostel we have stayed in, but a close second was Wombat's in Munich. We arrived around noon but couldn't check I'm until 2, so we got lunch. Nothing fancy, just some kabob from a local hole in the wall. We ate slow and planned out what we would do the next three days in Paris.
After checking into the hostel, we took showers, and unpacked. Yes, the luggage lockers here are big enough to actually remove things from a backpack an keep them locked up. A definite luxury. After getting all that situated we left for a walking tour of the Montmartre district.
It is a really cool part of Paris. We saw where Vincent Van Gogh lived, and where Picasso used to trade paintings for food because he was so poor. The Moulin Rouge is also located here, as well as many spots where the movie "Amelie" was filmed. I've never seen it, but maybe some of you have. We also saw the artists district where we actually went back to eat. We found a place that had a three course meal for €12. Too bad Coke Light was €4.80 for a small. Sneaky French. A traditional French meal consists of an entrée (appetizer), plat (main course), and desert. What we got was little more than salad, a piece of meat with French fries, and flan. Everything was pretty good though.
We ended up sitting at a table next to two girls who were on the tour with us. They are from California, one of whom is a DJ in San Fransisco. She is a local celebrity there apparently. After dinner we all walked around for a bit and got chocolat crepes. Yum! We made our way back to the Metro (Paris CTA) and went our seperate ways. But not before they got a picture of Mark in his plad shorts. They loved those.
It was pretty late at this point so we got back to the hostel and went to bed. It is the morning now, and we are getting breakfast in a few. Then we are going on a free tour of Paris to see all the main sights. Later tonight we are meeting up with Gaelle (friend from Loyola who lives in Paris) for drinks. Tomorrow will be another big day as we are going to the Eiffel Tower and Louvre.
I'll keep you posted.
Au revoir,
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
The train ride to Paris sucked. It was super hot in the car, and there were no sheets on the tweed beds. Hot and itchy does not make for an enjoyable 14 hour ride. Getting off the train in Paris was a pleasure because it was a nice and cool 61 degrees. We couldn't find the hostle right away. We walked down the wrong side of the street at first but found it eventually.
The hostel itself, St. Christopher's Inn, is very nice. The building is less than a year old so everything is brand new. It is the nicest hostel we have stayed in, but a close second was Wombat's in Munich. We arrived around noon but couldn't check I'm until 2, so we got lunch. Nothing fancy, just some kabob from a local hole in the wall. We ate slow and planned out what we would do the next three days in Paris.
After checking into the hostel, we took showers, and unpacked. Yes, the luggage lockers here are big enough to actually remove things from a backpack an keep them locked up. A definite luxury. After getting all that situated we left for a walking tour of the Montmartre district.
It is a really cool part of Paris. We saw where Vincent Van Gogh lived, and where Picasso used to trade paintings for food because he was so poor. The Moulin Rouge is also located here, as well as many spots where the movie "Amelie" was filmed. I've never seen it, but maybe some of you have. We also saw the artists district where we actually went back to eat. We found a place that had a three course meal for €12. Too bad Coke Light was €4.80 for a small. Sneaky French. A traditional French meal consists of an entrée (appetizer), plat (main course), and desert. What we got was little more than salad, a piece of meat with French fries, and flan. Everything was pretty good though.
We ended up sitting at a table next to two girls who were on the tour with us. They are from California, one of whom is a DJ in San Fransisco. She is a local celebrity there apparently. After dinner we all walked around for a bit and got chocolat crepes. Yum! We made our way back to the Metro (Paris CTA) and went our seperate ways. But not before they got a picture of Mark in his plad shorts. They loved those.
It was pretty late at this point so we got back to the hostel and went to bed. It is the morning now, and we are getting breakfast in a few. Then we are going on a free tour of Paris to see all the main sights. Later tonight we are meeting up with Gaelle (friend from Loyola who lives in Paris) for drinks. Tomorrow will be another big day as we are going to the Eiffel Tower and Louvre.
I'll keep you posted.
Au revoir,
Kevin
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Arrivederci, Roma!
Today we checked out of the hostel, stored our luggage, got our free breakfast (minus the cappuccino this time, ick), and went to the Pantheon. It was awesome. The tall roof has a big hole it it. Rain falls through to the marble floor and drains through twenty some odd holes. I got a picture with my fingers in one of the holes. Woot. FYI, the Pantheon is free.
After that we went and got a better look at the tomb of the unknown soldier. It is called something else, but I can't remember what. It is a huger monument with a staircase, all made of marble. It also has a free museum (notice a trend yet?). For lunch we had McDonalds. Yes, that means if we have McDonalds in Paris, we have had it in every country we visited. Exciting.
We then got souvenirs and chilled out by some ruins. For dinner I got one last taste of Italy with some ravioli. Chased that with a final gelato cone. It was good of course. After dinner we grabbed our luggage from the hostel and went to catch the train to Paris. We are on our way now. This is the worst train so far. Old, dingy, and hot. We weren't lucky enough to score the bottom bunks in the sardine can this time, or even the second best top bunks. We get the middle bunks! Yay! Should be a great 14 hour ride.
I'm extra excited for Paris because we are meeting up with a friend who studied abroad at Loyola. Yes, they go that way too. I'm looking forward to an insiders guide on things to do.
That's all for now. Going to finish Kite Runner then find the dining car before bed.
Talk to you from Paris!
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
After that we went and got a better look at the tomb of the unknown soldier. It is called something else, but I can't remember what. It is a huger monument with a staircase, all made of marble. It also has a free museum (notice a trend yet?). For lunch we had McDonalds. Yes, that means if we have McDonalds in Paris, we have had it in every country we visited. Exciting.
We then got souvenirs and chilled out by some ruins. For dinner I got one last taste of Italy with some ravioli. Chased that with a final gelato cone. It was good of course. After dinner we grabbed our luggage from the hostel and went to catch the train to Paris. We are on our way now. This is the worst train so far. Old, dingy, and hot. We weren't lucky enough to score the bottom bunks in the sardine can this time, or even the second best top bunks. We get the middle bunks! Yay! Should be a great 14 hour ride.
I'm extra excited for Paris because we are meeting up with a friend who studied abroad at Loyola. Yes, they go that way too. I'm looking forward to an insiders guide on things to do.
That's all for now. Going to finish Kite Runner then find the dining car before bed.
Talk to you from Paris!
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
Monday, August 11, 2008
Vatican City
First, I would like to start by saying backpacking through Europe is NOT a vacation. A vacation is sitting around on a beach drinking fruity drinks all day. This trip is more hard work than my job at home. Granted, many things are as I basically sit on my ass all day, but this trip is legitimate manual labor. My back and feet hurt, I am sunburned, tired, and dirty. If you were to subtract all of the travel, searching, planning, walking, and broken English out of this trip, I'm convinced all of the sights in Europe can be seen in 24 hours or less. It would still cost an arm an a leg though. Despite all that, it has been a GREAT experience so far and I have no regrets (except whatever I ate in Germany that did you know what to me. Probably was the sauerkraut Maggie).
Anyway, today we got up and had to wait forever to shower. Eight people all waiting for one shower doesn't work. We finally made it out of the hostel and picked up breakfast. Our hostel gave us vouchers for a free croissant and cappuccino at a little cafe up the street. The croissant was good, but I hate coffee so the cappuccino sucked. I drank it to be polite. After breakfast we got on the bus and headed for Vatican City.
What a place. We walked through St. Peter's church and it was incredible. We waited over an hour in line (not as bad as I expected) to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. As you walk through the museum there are signs that keep saying "this way to the Sistine Chapel." Yeah, it takes over an hour to finally get there. Of course on the way you see a ton of other exhibits. When you finally arrive at the famous Sistine Chapel, it sadly is just another painted ceiling among the miles (seemingly) of painted ceilings you just walked through.
Ok, I'm being harsh. It was amazing to see the famous image of Adam reaching his finger towards God's finger, but that's the only part I recognized. Ok, I admit it I don't know shi* about art. The bottom line us that it was an amazing site to see, and a can't miss in Rome. BTW, there is a dress code so all you dudes and \m's (sorry, inside joke) need to leave the tank tops and short shorts at the hostel. They will turn you away.
After the Vatican we went back to the Colosseum to actually go inside this time. It was cool. I personally think you get an awesome view from the outside, and am not sure if the line and €11 is worth an inside look. But that is probably just me now that I'm nearing the end of my trip and am almost bankrupt.
After that we went back to the hostel to do laundry and relax before dinner. Should be good on laundry for the rest of the trip. For dinner we went to a small place right by the hostel. The lady who ran it was so nice. The food was cheap and really good. For €10 we each got bread, veggies, a huge plate of pasta, a drink, and desert. We left a big tip and the lady goes "no no, it'sa too mucha." I insisted, and she asked if we liked wine. I was like sure why not thinking she would give us each a glass. No. She comes out with a bottle and gives it to us. "My gift to you," she said. What a sweetheart.
We came back to the hostel and finished the entire bottle of welcome wine the hostel guy gave us, and half of the free bottle from dinner. We just hung out here while drinking the wine. The hostel has free wifi so I had a good long chat with Laurie. Now Mark is passed out and snoring while I finish my blog.
Tomorrow we have to check out the hostel, then visit the Pantheon and drink a "street Peroni" (per Laurie's suggestion). We leave for Paris at 6:00pm tomorrow via a 14 hour train ride. Last long train ride of the trip!
Ciao,
Kevin
Posted with LifeCast
Anyway, today we got up and had to wait forever to shower. Eight people all waiting for one shower doesn't work. We finally made it out of the hostel and picked up breakfast. Our hostel gave us vouchers for a free croissant and cappuccino at a little cafe up the street. The croissant was good, but I hate coffee so the cappuccino sucked. I drank it to be polite. After breakfast we got on the bus and headed for Vatican City.
What a place. We walked through St. Peter's church and it was incredible. We waited over an hour in line (not as bad as I expected) to see the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. As you walk through the museum there are signs that keep saying "this way to the Sistine Chapel." Yeah, it takes over an hour to finally get there. Of course on the way you see a ton of other exhibits. When you finally arrive at the famous Sistine Chapel, it sadly is just another painted ceiling among the miles (seemingly) of painted ceilings you just walked through.
Ok, I'm being harsh. It was amazing to see the famous image of Adam reaching his finger towards God's finger, but that's the only part I recognized. Ok, I admit it I don't know shi* about art. The bottom line us that it was an amazing site to see, and a can't miss in Rome. BTW, there is a dress code so all you dudes and \m's (sorry, inside joke) need to leave the tank tops and short shorts at the hostel. They will turn you away.
After the Vatican we went back to the Colosseum to actually go inside this time. It was cool. I personally think you get an awesome view from the outside, and am not sure if the line and €11 is worth an inside look. But that is probably just me now that I'm nearing the end of my trip and am almost bankrupt.
After that we went back to the hostel to do laundry and relax before dinner. Should be good on laundry for the rest of the trip. For dinner we went to a small place right by the hostel. The lady who ran it was so nice. The food was cheap and really good. For €10 we each got bread, veggies, a huge plate of pasta, a drink, and desert. We left a big tip and the lady goes "no no, it'sa too mucha." I insisted, and she asked if we liked wine. I was like sure why not thinking she would give us each a glass. No. She comes out with a bottle and gives it to us. "My gift to you," she said. What a sweetheart.
We came back to the hostel and finished the entire bottle of welcome wine the hostel guy gave us, and half of the free bottle from dinner. We just hung out here while drinking the wine. The hostel has free wifi so I had a good long chat with Laurie. Now Mark is passed out and snoring while I finish my blog.
Tomorrow we have to check out the hostel, then visit the Pantheon and drink a "street Peroni" (per Laurie's suggestion). We leave for Paris at 6:00pm tomorrow via a 14 hour train ride. Last long train ride of the trip!
Ciao,
Kevin
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Sunday, August 10, 2008
Rome
The train ride in from Munich was long, but relaxing. I almost finished The Kite Runner before going to sleep (Ivy, I might owe you a new copy after this trip. It is holding up for now but definitely taking a beating). We got into the Rome station a little after 9:00am. Finding the hostel would have been straight forward if its sign was more than basically a post it note on the window. No joke.
The guy running the place is awesome though. He gave us a map and basically helped us plan our three day stay. He also gave us a stack of coupons for local bars and restaurants along with a welcome bottle of wine. We arrived too early to check in so we took a walk to find breakfast. They really don't eat breakfast food in Rome, so I had pizza with a side of chicken nuggets and an orange Fanta. Random but good. After that we took a walk to the Spanish steps which were a great sight. There is an awesome view of the entire city from the top. This city is so old. It's completely different than anything we have seen so far. Obviously Rome is older than many European cities, but it helps that it wasn't all blown the shi* during WWII and then re-built(cough*Munich*cough). By then it was time to check into the hostel. Not a moment too soon because I was DIRTY. I am always dirtiest they day I arrive in a new city because I just spent the last day and half in the same clothes. Needless to say, I am not getting used to it.
I am definitely pleased with the room. It is very clean. We have four beds in our room, but have to share one bathroom and shower with another four bed room. Hopefully that won't be an issue. I have taken two showers today without a problem. I'm still dirty.
After showering and whatnot, we headed out to get on an open-roof bus tour. Got gelatto on the way. SO good. We found a similar deal to London which was one price for 24 hours. We're able to get on and off the bus at any stop, which are pretty much all the major sights. We took the bus around the entire route to get a good overview of the city. We got off near the Colosseum and walked to it. On the way we saw a bunch of ruins which are really cool, among other sights that I couldn't name in a million years. We walked around the Colosseum but didn't go in yet.
Oh, it is HOT here. 90s. No humidity though, but I am still constantly sweating. Sweat lines can clearly be seen from my backback straps when I take it off. It's pretty sexy. We haven't really attepted to figure out the local bus system, so we have been walking everywhere (besides the little time we were on the bus tour). I think today we have walked more than the combined time in any other city.
After the Colosseum we walked back to the hostel because Mark's camera battery died. Took a short nap while that charged. Woke up and showered again. While trying to figure out where to get dinner we corked the bottle of welcome wine and drank straight from it. It was pretty good for a free bottle of wine. Yeah, because I know about wine. We found a cool place to eat around the hostel. Got antipasto, and a three course dinner with salad, lasagna, and baked chicken. Also had two coke lights and a half liter of red wine. Everything was really good. After tasting the wine I realized the stuff we had at the hostel was crap. haha.
We stopped back at some more ruins and the Colosseum for a night view. Eveything in Rome looks awesome at night. After that we walked down to this riverfront deal with a ton of restaurants and bars lining both sides. It was cool be we didn't stay that long. It was getting late and it has been a long first day in Rome. Now we are back at the hostel blogging before bed. Tomorrow is a big day including Vatican City, and actually going inside the Colosseum.
Ok, time for bed. I will post again after we check out the Vatican and Colosseum tomorrow. We might check out the Pantheon as well if there is time, other wise we will do that day three.
Ciao,
Kevin
p.s. A shoutout to Maggie and KG for all the blog comments. Thank you!
The guy running the place is awesome though. He gave us a map and basically helped us plan our three day stay. He also gave us a stack of coupons for local bars and restaurants along with a welcome bottle of wine. We arrived too early to check in so we took a walk to find breakfast. They really don't eat breakfast food in Rome, so I had pizza with a side of chicken nuggets and an orange Fanta. Random but good. After that we took a walk to the Spanish steps which were a great sight. There is an awesome view of the entire city from the top. This city is so old. It's completely different than anything we have seen so far. Obviously Rome is older than many European cities, but it helps that it wasn't all blown the shi* during WWII and then re-built(cough*Munich*cough). By then it was time to check into the hostel. Not a moment too soon because I was DIRTY. I am always dirtiest they day I arrive in a new city because I just spent the last day and half in the same clothes. Needless to say, I am not getting used to it.
I am definitely pleased with the room. It is very clean. We have four beds in our room, but have to share one bathroom and shower with another four bed room. Hopefully that won't be an issue. I have taken two showers today without a problem. I'm still dirty.
After showering and whatnot, we headed out to get on an open-roof bus tour. Got gelatto on the way. SO good. We found a similar deal to London which was one price for 24 hours. We're able to get on and off the bus at any stop, which are pretty much all the major sights. We took the bus around the entire route to get a good overview of the city. We got off near the Colosseum and walked to it. On the way we saw a bunch of ruins which are really cool, among other sights that I couldn't name in a million years. We walked around the Colosseum but didn't go in yet.
Oh, it is HOT here. 90s. No humidity though, but I am still constantly sweating. Sweat lines can clearly be seen from my backback straps when I take it off. It's pretty sexy. We haven't really attepted to figure out the local bus system, so we have been walking everywhere (besides the little time we were on the bus tour). I think today we have walked more than the combined time in any other city.
After the Colosseum we walked back to the hostel because Mark's camera battery died. Took a short nap while that charged. Woke up and showered again. While trying to figure out where to get dinner we corked the bottle of welcome wine and drank straight from it. It was pretty good for a free bottle of wine. Yeah, because I know about wine. We found a cool place to eat around the hostel. Got antipasto, and a three course dinner with salad, lasagna, and baked chicken. Also had two coke lights and a half liter of red wine. Everything was really good. After tasting the wine I realized the stuff we had at the hostel was crap. haha.
We stopped back at some more ruins and the Colosseum for a night view. Eveything in Rome looks awesome at night. After that we walked down to this riverfront deal with a ton of restaurants and bars lining both sides. It was cool be we didn't stay that long. It was getting late and it has been a long first day in Rome. Now we are back at the hostel blogging before bed. Tomorrow is a big day including Vatican City, and actually going inside the Colosseum.
Ok, time for bed. I will post again after we check out the Vatican and Colosseum tomorrow. We might check out the Pantheon as well if there is time, other wise we will do that day three.
Ciao,
Kevin
p.s. A shoutout to Maggie and KG for all the blog comments. Thank you!
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