Italia: Firenze y Roma

THIS HUGE PARAGRAPH IS WORTH A READ: The journey continued from Cinque Terre to Florence. However, as transportation has proven faulty in Europe, the journey was anything but smooth. First, Kyle and I were forced to wait in the Genoa train terminal for two hours for our midnight train (shout out to Journey) to Firenze. To pass the time we pulled the "homeless" look at played many a round of cards on the dirty floors of the terminal. On the train our seats were in separate cars but, no worries, we met a nice Italian couple who not only secured us two spots in their car but also became Mother Theresa and Ghandi as terms of generosity that night. After attempting to teach us some basic Italian, they allowed us to use their phones to find hostels in Florence, kicked other people out of the car so we could stay, carried our bags for us, and awoke us at our transfer stop, Pisa. Naturally, we exchanged Whatsapp information to keep in touch, both knowing there was no chance we would ever see each other again. But, smart move on my part because a day later I received this easily comprehendible message from Antonio: "Good morning as the tour proceeds them in Florence? I hope all is well when matches for roma? I am traveling to Turin sorry a lot riuscirti not to review a kiss anyway you look at Torino ;-))" Who knows? When we got to Pisa we were surprised by a 2 hour unanticipated layover. After walking past the plethora of homeless scary Italian men sleeping in the terminal Kyle and I decided it would not be wise to stay there. Instead, we wandered around Pisa and found a five stay hostel with a deskman who was nice enough to let us sleep on the couches in the lobby and watch zombie movies.. The journey gets more interesting, I promise. When we arrived in Florence at around 5:45 in the morning we found ourselves completely homeless, wandering around (again, this is vacation weekend in Florence) unable to find any hostel to stay in. We walked for around 1.5 hours with our luggage, through the sunrise only to find ourselves sitting at a cafe eating bocadillos ready to take a strange Italian man up on his offer to stay in his guest bed. An emergency call was then made to Kyle's mother in the United States who booked him a 200$ a night hotel (legit the only availability in all the city). Let's just say it was probably the most frustrating 12 hours of my European experience but, looking back on it, the cards, Italian friends, zombie movies, and creepy guest room offer comprise one of my favorite stories of second semester. 


After seeing the David (which is friggin enormous, btw), the Duomo, and eating amazing pasta, Kyle and I napped until 10:30PM (we had not slept in over a day). After awaking, we met up with my friend Nikki (who I have known since I was 2) for Notte Bianca which is a huge celebration around the streets. There was live jazz, hip hop, cultural, etc. music everywhere and Italians in costumes roaming until the wee hours of the night. The next day it was pouring outside so Kyle and I ate huge Donor Kebabs and played cards in a cafe until the weather let up. We then met up with Maxine, Caroline Garel Jones, and Nikki for some food and drinks. That night, Kyle and I went to the Ponte Veccio and ate a final dinner in Florence. I had four cheese risotto topped with pears which may have been the best pasta I ate in Italy. 

Illegal Photo of David... Woops.

Ponte Veccio

Bomb Risotto

 

Duomo during Notte Bianca

The following morning Kyle and I made our way to Rome where we were met by amazing weather and the majority of our BC in Madrid crew. Fanta, Kyle, and I went our to lunch and ate amazinggggg lasagna (the food in Italy is not real life.. it's not a stereotype... its reality). Afterwards we went to the Colosseum and met up with Maxine, Bathleen, Slay-Tay, Quiño, and Kevin. The Colosseum was absolutely incredible. We learned that 1 million men and 3 million animals had died inside and that during the ancient games, lions and other large animals were kept under the sand and when trapped doors were opened they would appear through the sand as a complete shock to the gladiators. After the Colosseum Fanta, Kyle and I cooked pasta in the apartment before meeting up with everyone for some karaoke. 

Colosseum

The next day the three of us went to the Spanish steps and then met up with the others for some Vatican City action. Due to our inappropriate outfits, Maxine and I had to use scarfs as skirts to enter St. Peter's Basilica which apparently is one of the seven wonders of the world. Later we hit up the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain before eating one last Roman meal. That night we would be meeting up with Bus2Alps for our weekend trip to the Amalfi Coast!

Sexy Vatican Outfits

The Beanz and I @ Trevi Fountain

Italia: Venice and Cinque Terre

I could not have thought of a better way to spend my second spring break in Europe... ITALIA!!! I grew up in an area dominated by names that all sound like spaghetti brands and where the Pizza is literally the best in the country. In fact, I was certain that everyone in the world was at least half Italian before college (embarrassing, I know). So, although I wake up every morning confused that I am not Hispanic, I was glad to visit the homeland, the patria, the motherland. First stop.. Venice! Venice was the most amazing place I have ever flown into, hands down. There are tiny little islands everywhere with boats traveling between them and the sun was out (which is more than I can say for my first spring break around eastern Europe). As the true Italian-American that I am I talk extremely loud, live with all of my extended family in the same 2 block radius, and can say nothing but a few curse words in Italian. It shouldn't matter though, right? I have heard Spanish and Italian are similar so if I speak fluent Spanish to the little Venetian gelato makers they should completely understand me.. false.

Kyle and I were lucky enough to stay at our friend Mel's place for the night which was located on San Servolo island, a short boat ride away from Piazza San Marco, the main Venetian square. San Servolo Island used to be an insane asylum which is now completely covered by a small university and campus (small is an understatement... you can walk from one side to the other in less than five minutes). It was the perfect place to crash for the night (minus the fact that boats to the island only leave once every hour, but we will get into that later).

Our place on San Servolo!

We went into this trip not knowing what we wanted to do exactly, which for us worked out because I believe one truly gets to know and appreciate a city only by getting lost in it. We walked through the square and ate pizza before taking a boat over to the island of Murano. The boats in Venice are like the European metro or Boston T systems. You cannot get anywhere without them and they have little schedules, routes, and transfers, just like our trains. That was definitely one of the coolest parts of Venice, seeing the city by boat! That night we ate tortellini, watched live music in the square, and enjoyed the first of many gelato. Some illegal Indian street venders were selling glow up flying toys in the square which (1) made the sky look beautifully majestic and (2) provided Kyle and I entertainment as we watched the cops trying to track down and chase these mysterious light flingers (clearly, a lot of crime for Venetian cops to handle).

That night, Kyle and I got completely lost and missed two consecutive boats back to San Servolo (which means, yes, we were lost for over two hours). However, it worked out for the better because we got to enjoy more time in the square. The next morning we ate lunch on the island and began our journey to Genoa, Italy where we would be departing for Cinque Terre.

Venice by night!

When we arrived in Genoa we had no hostel plans, which usually makes no difference, however, we were unaware it was national holiday that weekend in Italy so we ran into some slight problems later in Venice. After being rejected from maybe 15 hostels (and tripping and falling through the door of one) we found a hostel with a single bed. After 20 minutes of begging the owners to allow two of us to stay in the room we were in the clear... we did it... we successfully booked the smallest bed known to mankind... for any Eagles out there reading... imagine cutting a BC bed in half and trying to fit two people on it. TORTURE. To ease the pain of seeing our tight living quarters we did what any two American students would do in the beautiful country of  Italy... we ordered Chinese food. 

Side Note: We discovered perhaps the most ingenious invention of all time.... Bread sticks with Nutella snack with iced tea all in one packaged deal (below is a completely necessary picture).

The next morning we departed in the misty rain for Cinque Terre (five towns) which is a group of five towns located on Italian cliff islands. On a good day Cinque Terre can be completed solely by hiking but we were met with rain, clouds, and a flock of old geezers who hiked at 1/4 my normal pace. Once I was tired of complaining about the crappy weather I realized how beautiful these towns were. They truly are the quintessential Italian beach towns that you would imagine. We ate pizza in the second town and upon completing our meal the waiter ate our check... strange. We took a boat to the last town and enjoyed some coffee. The day would have been better if the weather gods had given us sunshine but it was not pouring so I can't complain too much.. the rain was waiting for us in Florence. 

Note: On the right you will see me rocking the jean shorts with tights look common in Spain... at first I thought it was super tacky.. while I may think this the second I get back to the US of A, I am taking advantage of my foreign right to wear tacky shit and pull it off.

                             

Budapest and Fuerteventura

Yes, I understand it has been a month since I was in Budapest but I have been super busy with important things like traveling, sleeping, and pretending like I do school work. It's an extremely tough existence but, hey, someone's gotta do it. So Budapest... the five os us (Kyle, Maxine, Quiño, Kevin, and myself) were only in Budapest for a short period of time so, unfortunately I did not get a huge impression of the city. We were joined for a period of time by Mr. Chuckie Wide Stance (Charlie) himself which always is a treat. The first thing we did upon arriving was go to this local recommended marketplace which has a ton of local cuisine. I ordered a potato with chili and cheese... it was the best. The rest of the day consisted of us walking around Budapest and trying to get a feel for the city. My only complaint about mass-traveling (hitting 5 countries in 10 days like we did) is that your experiences start to blend and you lack the immersion aspect of visiting. Because a lot of these Eastern European countries share similar histories of war and Holocaust they all somewhat blended together. We visited a Terror Museum which was less than entertaining... even more so when I dropped my Nikon DSLR on the ground and it broke. Being that I am a poor... well, that's an understatement, student... I cannot afford to get that bad boy fixed for a VERY long time.

In Budapest we stayed in the Budapest Bubble hostel which was one of my favorites of this year. The Budapest Bubble has a philosophy of family and home so it felt more like I was staying with a bunch of friends than in shitty lodging. Each night we went out with the owner of the hostel (a 26 year old chill Hungarian chick) and the other hostel stayers. The first night we did Karaoke in a bar where Quiño angrily sang to "All Star" by Smash Mouth and Maxine and I killed it during "Barbie Girl". Let's just say there were a plethora of interesting characters at that bar including a woman in an all jean tight suit and a Pink-esque hair cut trying to cougar so hard.

The next day everyone wanted to do the walking tour but I was all toured out so Quiño and I decided to wander around by ourselves. We hiked up some hill to some old castle or church thing... again, all of these places start to blend together... it's a shame I will admit. Afterwards we ate some more traditional Hungarian food (this Spring Break trip was filled with outside markets and the weather was beautiful). We even had the opportunity of eating Rooster testicles but we respectfully declined.

Perhaps the highlight of my trip to Budapest was the spa visit Maxine and I enjoyed. If you are ever in Budapest I 100% recommend going to the spa... the baths are obviously super famous but after the baths in Morocco and Granada I was in the mood for something different. We opted for the hour long massage followed by manis and pedis. When we first walked in we were given a robe, free fruits and drinks and chocolate, and shown to the steam and sauna rooms. Maxine and I figured, hey, this is Europe... I'm sure they do this whole thing nude... There we were, 100% completely butt naked in the sauna when one of the workers came in, sporting a surprised look on her face, as Maxine is attempting to cover her nipples with her crossed forearms. It was a sight to see. The manis and pedis were good... minus the part when Maxine was bitched out by the lady for trying to use her nail clippers when she wasn't in the room (awk). The HIGHLIGHT, however, was the fact that the men who massaged us were 6 foot 5 Hungarian beauties. These men, legit, were not real life. Not only was the massage incredible but... well, I will stop there. For further details please inquire with Maxine Auzerais who will be more than happy to explain the pure ecstasy that was that hour.

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Fuerteventura was my next stop on the European Travel route. Fuerteventura is an island in the Canary Islands which is off the western coast of Africa but is owned by Spain. The island is not like the caribbean islands that I have traveled to... it is covered with black volcanic rocks and sports a more Sahara like climate, due to its latitude. I traveled with Quiño in a very last minute sort of vacation planning kinda way but in true Moncloa fashion... we made it. When we arrived it was drizzling and dark outside which was frustrating and worry some but after check in, lunch, and a short nap the sun came out and didn't leave again for the rest of the trip! After tanning by the pool for a few hours and legit roasting our skin, we ventured to the market to buy some provisions for the week and a huge tub of aloe which was completely used up by the time we left.

Hotel in Fuerte

We walked the beach of Correlejo, the town we stayed in and saw amazing sandcastles (pictures below). We found ourselves at Waikiki lounge, restaurant, and bar eating fondue in a very Melting Pot style restaurant. It was not the cheapest option but we were given free champagne, a free cocktail, and a free shot with dinner. Afterwards we realized the nightlife was not too hopping so we went to a bar, took five tequila shots and called it a night.

The rest of the trip was filled with food, sun and sleep. It was definitely a much needed relaxing vacation (yes, I sound ridiculous saying that). In short, backpacking around Europe is actually really energy consuming and not relaxing in the slightest. When you have no idea where you are or how to speak the language and are sharing a room with creepers in a city you know nothing about.. it's not a vacation. I wish I could say we did a lot when we went to the Canaries but we did exactly what we both wanted... ate, tanned, and slept.