Goede Morgen Amsterdam!

The Venice of the north… there is more to Amsterdam than just coffee shops.

Day 15

The city night line from Munich arrived at Amsterdam about 30 minutes late. From Amsterdam Centraal, we took the tram to Shelter Jordan Christian Youth Hostel. It’s a Christian hostel but you don’t need to be one to stay there.

We wanted to tour Amsterdam in a bicycle so we rented from the hostel for an entire day. What we didn’t expect though was how tall the bicycles were. The Dutch are tall and fit people. The bicycles were too big for us. We did a test run for a few blocks but we found it hard to start and stop since we couldn’t reach the floor, even with heels. The hostel manager saw how we struggled with the bikes and since there were no smaller bicycles available, he was kind enough to give us a refund. So, we decided to just explore Amsterdam on foot.

I amsterdam at Musemplein 

We found our way to Museumplein. This is the park with the I amsterdam sign. As touristy as it may sound, taking a photo on top of one of its letters was on my must-do list. But hey, I am a tourist. So, in my heels, I climbed the letter “a” and did my pose.

Canal Cruise

Munttoren

A pleasant way to explore Amsterdam was through a canal cruise (9 EUR). There are more or less as much canals in Amsterdam as there are streets. The canal tour had a pre-recorded commentary in four languages, English being one of them. While Venice has one Grand Canal, Amsterdam has four main canals: Prinsengracht, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Singel.

Our eyes feasted on the 17^th century houses and the fascinating boat houses along the canals. There was actually a time when housing was difficult in Amsterdam that the city allowed people to live on boats, docked in the canals. Can you imagine having your address here?

Ship replica of Scheepvaartmuseum

We passed by Magere Brug, popularly known as the Skinny Bridge. It’s a traditional double-leaf draw bridge. Originally built in 1670, what used to be a narrow bridge was widened to allow more traffic. The bridge opens up every couple of minutes to allow boats to pass through. We passed by several attractions including the Munttoren (Mint Tower), Sint Nicolaaskerk (Church of Saint Nicholas) and Het Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Museum). Much to our dismay, Angela’s memory card went full while mine was back at the hostel, recharging.

Sint Nicolaaskerk

De Gooyer Windmill

We headed back to the hostel to grab my camera and continued to De Gooyer Windmill. Angela’s must-see in Amsterdam was a windmill and our Amsterdam City Spy Map highlighted this particular windmill. We spent a lot of time trying to find a way to get to this windmill. Apparently, some of the bus/tram lines were not operational that day. When we arrived at the windmill, it is now actually a brewery. No wonder, when I asked how to get there, the bus driver told me not to drink too much!

Finally, the last place in our itinerary was the Red Light District at De Wallen. Using the GPS, we found our way by foot to the red lights from Amsterdam Centraal. I was tempted to buy a bar of chocolate with some herbal hallucinogens but knowing I might get into trouble when I leave Amsterdam the next day, I had to say no. We passed by a shops selling… toys (haha!) and a street of window prostitution. Curiosity sated.

Months before, Angela and I planned on drinking, smoking and partying in Amsterdam. After all, this was our last night together. Angela had to go back home while I was going to continue to… I haven’t decided yet at that point where I was going. But that night, we went home relatively early (before midnight) and didn’t drink a drop of alcohol. Nevertheless, we were high on our experiences.

Schlösser, Brezeln und Bier: München und Füssen

Willkommen in München, Deutschland! Yep, we’re in Munich, the capital of Bavaria. Munich was our gateway to a particular castle near Füssen that we’ve been dying to see.

Day 13

We arrived in Munich early in the afternoon, just in time to check in at Wombat’s City Hostel. The hostel is just a few steps away from München Hauptbahnhof and we stayed there for that particular reason. We spent the afternoon at Englischer Garten (The English Garden), a 1000 acre park. It was quite enormous that we actually got lost in this park for a few hours. There were a lot of geese and ducks (and their droppings) around the park. It was sunny so there were a lot of young people hanging out and lying on the grass (they didn’t seem to mind the shit). We wanted to see the river surfing area but we never found it. We later realized that it was on the southern part of the park while we were on the northern part.

Lost in Englischer Garten

Day 14

Neuschwanstein. This was what we were waiting for. The fairy tale castle. This enchanting castle was built by the mad King Ludwig II. It was the inspiration of the castle in the Disney logo.

We got on the first train to Buchloe at 6:51 AM. Yes, we did wake up. We were determined to make it on time, before the queue became long. From Buchloe, we took the train to a town called Füssen. I fell asleep most of the time but during the times I was awake, the view from the train was scenic… the green German farmlands and cute houses that look like gingerbread.  I also noticed that a lot of the houses in the countryside had solar panels in their roofs.  

View from the train

From Füssen, we took the bus to Hohenschwangau (a village in the municipality of Schwangau) where we bought tickets for a tour of Schloss Neuschwanstein (€11 for students).  Both Füssen and Hohenschwangau seem touristy but who can resist a folkloristic Bavarian village?  Everything was so picturesque, they didn’t look real! The castle was built on top of the hill in Hohenschwangau so you’ll need to either take a 45 minute walk uphill or a 20 minute ride to reach the castle. Instead of heading straight to the castle, we entered almost all (if not all) the tourist shops in Hohenschwangau that we weren’t able to catch the bus to the castle on time. So, we took a carriage for 6€. The carriage brought us up to a certain point of the hill (I think the route was too steep for the buses and horses) so there was still a 5 minute uphill walk that we ran. When we finally arrived at the castle, I was out of breath and perspiring. 

Schloss Neuschwanstein... The fairy tale castle

 The castle was magnificent. Unfortunately, the tall and pointy parts of the castle were under repair, so we didn’t have the best photo of the castle. Nevertheless, it was my first castle and I loved it. The castle wasn’t finished because of the death of King Ludwig II and because the city simply did not have enough funds to finish such a grand castle. But every part of the castle that was finished was intricately made. Because the mad king loved swans, the door knobs were shaped as swans and you can find several ornaments of swans around the castle.

Schloss Hohenschwangau

Nearby, is Schloss Hohenschwangau, the castle where King Ludwig II grew up. It wasn’t as enchanting as Neuschwanstein, but this one was finished. On the way back downhill, I found a chocolate pretzel. I was so happy to find one because I was craving for it since we arrived in Munich.

Schokolade Brezel

Home to the well known festival, Oktoberfest, a trip to Munich is not complete without a beer. It all started with the festival celebrating the wedding of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese. Every year since then, the Oktoberfest was celebrated. The festival starts on the 2^nd to the last Saturday of September until the first Sunday of October. We were at Munich on an April but it did not stop us from trying the famous Bavarian beer.

Bier und Brezel!

A friend of mine suggested that we try the beer at Hofbräuhaus. They have been brewing beer since 1589. The place is swarmed by both tourists and locals. Even if you’re not a beer drinker, the place is amusing. The employees are in lederhosen and dirndls and you can buy beer in 1 liter mugs. Since my stomach cannot hold that much amount of anything, I ordered only half a liter of Radler (beer mixed with lemonade).

More pretzels at  Hofbräuhaus

We left Munich around 11PM via the City Night Line. The bunk space of the 6-berth couchette was so small that you can’t even sit up while you’re on the bed. It was quite funny trying to drink from our position. It was already late when the train left that by the time we settled in at the cabin, everyone, including us, just slept right away. And as we drifted to sleep, I bid Bavaria auf weidersehen!

Next stop... Amsterdam!

Guten Tag aus Wien!

Day 11

After 11 hours at the City Night Line train from Venice, we woke up in Vienna (Wien) at 8:22 in the morning. When I was planning our trip, I had expected that at this point of our trip, we would be starting to feel the exhaustion. So, our plan was simply to just relax and recuperate in Vienna. And I was right.. I wasn’t feeling very well that day. I was sun-burnt from Italy and the warmth in Vienna was not helping.

Exploring Schloβ Schönbrunn

We spent the entire morning at the comfortable HostelRuthensteiner. Although I’ve been perfectly happy staying at a hostel, I wouldn’t usually recommend hostels to people who aren’t in their 20s (and those who have never stayed in a dorm). But Hostel Ruthensteiner looks family friendly and very clean. Don’t get me wrong, you still have to do your own bed. But for those who are looking for a cheap and clean accommodation, Hostel Ruthensteiner is a safe bet. Plus, it’s only 7 minutes away by foot from Wien Westbahnhof.

For lunch, we decided to finally try Asian food. Out of curiosity, we wanted to know if Asian food there tasted, er, Asian. I ordered some Thai vegetarian rice topping from a fast food kiosk and it was well cooked but the flavor was far from Asian. Later in my trip, I was told that Asian food in Europe is generally cooked to the Europeans’ taste buds (less spice, less soy sauce).

View of the Gloriette from below

We decided to spend the afternoon at Schloβ Schönbrunn (Schoenbrunn Palace). This was the Habsburgs imperial summer residence for over 6 decades. Today, it is a World Cultural Heritage site and is a major tourist attraction of Vienna. Instead of going inside the rooms of the palace, we decided to explore the Irrgarten and labyrinth (maze and labyrinth). Then, we climbed up a hill to the Gloriette, which offers a good view of the palace and of the city.

At the maze of  Schloβ Schönbrunn 

Day 12

A couple of months before I left for Europe, I came across the movies Sisi and Crown Prince, which depicts the life story of the Empress Elisabeth, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph and their son, Prince Rudolph. So, on our second day in Vienna, we decided to visit the The Hofburg, the winter residence of the Habsburgs during their reign. My 9.5€ ticket included a visit to the Hofburg Kaiserappartements (Imperial Apartments), the Sisi Museum and the Silberkammer (silver chamber). It also includes a free audio guide which made the tour intriguing. The Habsburgs were not extravagant. Franz Jospeh’s bed was nothing out of the ordinary… It was plain and small. I learned an interesting fact that during court dinners, those at the table are only allowed to speak with their neighbors. The Sisi Museum told a story of the complex Empress Elisabeth. It was shown how the real Sisi was different from how they portrayed her in movies.

The Hofburg

Roof of Stephansdom

After three hours at The Hofburg, Angel and I grabbed some pastry and walked around Vienna. We passed by the Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) where we found several people in Mozart costume selling tickets. We had searched for tickets the night before but the seats we wanted were already sold out. We also passed by Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) at Stephansplatz. A part of it was being constructed but you can still see and admire its colorful roof. And on the Stephansplatz metro station, there was an old buried chapel that was being recovered.

Opera Toilet near Staatsoper

Some of the public toilets in Vienna have a certain… theme. Near The Hofburg, the toilet stalls are old fashioned with tall wooden doors that gave it an imperial feeling. On the other hand, at the Vienna State Opera, a Mozart piece was being played.

For dinner, we wanted something Vienese. A lot of the stores were closed (we later remembered that it was labor day) but we finally found a restaurant where we had a wiener. What can I say, when in Wien, try their wiener  .  Much later that night, we had a drink at the hostel bar while doing our laundry. We made friends with a Swedish girl and a Korean American guy, who were also staying at the hostel. It was past midnight when we finally went to bed. Guchte Nacht!

Next Stop... Bavaria!

Ciao da Venezia!

A city where there are no cars… Just vaporettos and gondolas along 180 canals… Narrow streets and quaint buildings… A truly walkable destination… In Venice, you can't help but say bellisimo!

Vaporettos in Venice

Day 10

We left Rome at 6:45 and by Frecciargento, we arrived in Venice about 3 hours later. Since we were only spending a day trip in Venice, we left our backpacks at the baggage deposit (7.8€).  When we got off Stazione Venezia Santa Lucia, the first thing I noticed was that the place was crowded with tourists. I estimate that 90% of the people here during the day are tourists. But despite the numerous tourists crowding the place, I found Venice incredibly lovely.

Ponte di Rialto

From the train station, we found ourselves walking towards Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), stopping frequently to take photos of the canals and gondolas. Even without a map, finding our way towards Piazza San Marco was easy. There were signs everywhere and practically everyone was walking towards the same direction. On the way to this famous square, we traversed the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge), another major tourist attraction. Listening to Rick Steve’s audio guide, I admired the Piazza San Marco which embodies what used to be the Venetian empire. 

Basilica di San Marco at Piazza San Marco

In this piazza, we found Basilica di San Marco, the Campanile di San Marco (bell tower), Torre dell’Orologio (clock tower) and the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace). And a lot of pigeons. You can find winged lions, which symbolizes San Marco, everywhere around the square. At the time of our visit, a portion of the Basilica was covered due to repairs but we could still see the colorful pillars of the Basilica. In the piazza, I was particularly fascinated with the clock tower, which has 24 hours and the signs of the zodiac.

Torre dell'Orologio

Venice is quite small that you can walk most of the city for one day. However, walking the entire day can cause a strain in the feet, too. All the public toilets in Venice cost €1.5. And this fact is posted at the WC entrances for tourists who are trying to find one that is for free. This may probably be the reason why some alleys have a pungent smell.

Bellisimo!

At the end of the day, Angela and I just sat at the front of Venezia Santa Lucia, overlooking the Grand Canal, and watched the sun set. The tourists diminished as night began to fall, and I could just imagine how romantic the city would be at night. A local we briefly met told us how she dislikes the canals of Venice and the frequent floods they have to tolerate, but we were charmed by the narrow and quaint streets of this lovely city. Can you just imagine waking up, opening your front door to a canal and travelling to work by vaporetto? Wouldn’t that be amazing?  At 9:05 PM, our night train left Venice and we bid this lovely city buona notte.

Buongiorno Roma

Rome was… HOT.

Day 8

We originally planned on taking the first train from Firenze to Roma but we didn’t want to wake up too early. We took the high speed train AVI from Firenze SMN to Roma Termini which cost a 10€ reservation fee and took 1:45 hours.

The first in our list was to see the Musei Vaticani.  We didn’t have any reservation so we were worried about seeing a long queue again. It didn’t help that on our way to the Vatican, we came across some people asking us if we wanted to join a tour group that can skip the very long line at the Vatican. And when we arrived at the Vatican, the queue was … short (yay!). A regular ticket for 1 day costs 15€.

Inside Museo Vaticani

Swiss Guards

Although I studied in Roman Catholic schools for 14 years, most of what I know about the Vatican is from what I’ve read in the novels of Dan Brown and from watching the movie Angels and Demons (I know, I know... you can roll your eyes). I knew it was a long shot but I was hoping to get a glimpse of the archives of the Vatican.  But hey, the Swiss Guards and the people in robes (priests? nuns?) were an interesting sight. 






The highlight of the visit to the Vatican is the Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel). Despite the vastness of the Musei Vaticani, tourists will have no problem going around the Vatican since the tour layout pretty much goes in just one direction. Before arriving at the Sistine Chapel, we found ourselves passing through hall after hall of hundreds of collections from several centuries.  I couldn’t stop taking pictures of everything that we saw.

View of Basilica di San Pietro from Museo Vaticani

I knew that the Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre was small but what I didn’t realize was how small Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam painting was! Call me ignorant but I’ve always thought that it covered the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I learned that it was just one--not even the biggest--of the many paintings that covers the ceiling. As a popular tourist destination, the Sistine Chapel is flooded with tourists and you can feel the low murmurs of the crowd inside this sacred historic building. And when you look up, it is striking to find the numerous paintings of different sizes on the ceiling.

Inside Basilica di San Pietro

After hours at the Vatican Museum, we found ourselves at Piazza San Pietro, surrounded by angels and saints. Then we entered Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter’s Basilica), where Saint Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus is said to have been buried.

Piazza San Pietro

As part of my checklist, I wanted to take a photo of the Colosseo at night. In heels, we got lost quite a few times figuring out the Roman metro (which seemed to be under construction) before we finally arrived at the Colosseo. Near the Colosseo, was also Arco di Constantino.

A night view of the Colosseo

Our hostel, Ma Hostel, is ideally situated near the train/metro station Termini. Rome has two metro lines: A (red) and B (blue).  A single ticket costs only 1€ but it is not very well connected so we did a lot of walking.   We arrived at our hostel at around 10 PM and finally, we ended our day by doing laundry before saying buona notte!

Arco di Constantino

Day 9

Our second day in Rome started with the Colosseo. I learned that the Colosseo used to be marbled, so you can just imagine the grandeur it used to be. Aside from gladiators and games, it was also used for political gatherings before. The Palatino was just across the Colosseo but we got lost on our way there (thanks to following other tourists who were just as disoriented as we were). Our 12€ admission ticket to the Colosseo includes the Palatino and Foro Romano. The sun was blazing but the air was cool. If you’re not on a shaded area, it can get pretty hot. Many Westerners were enjoying the sun but I’m an Asian who is already used to the sun.  We walked along the ancient roman ruins towards the Foro Romano.

Colosseo

Trinità Dei Monti

From the Foro Romano, we found our way to Fontana di Trevi, thanks to the GPS. We wanted to take a photo of Fontana di Trevi when it lights up in the dark so we walked around and had another pizza and gelato and even a mozzarella burger at McDonald’s. We went to Trinità Dei Monti (the Spanish Steps) at Piazza di Spagna, to the Pantheon at Piazza della Rotonda, and to the big Piazza Navona As expected, they were all crowded with tourists.  

The Patheon

Soon, it was already 8PM and although Fontana di Trevi was already lit up, it wasn’t dark yet. Since we had to wake up early the next morning, we headed back to the hostel before dark. Anyway, we tossed a coin at the Trevi Fountain, so we will be back again… someday. But for now, our journey in Rome ends here.

Fontana di Trevi

La Mia Fermata in Pisa e Firenze

Day 7


There was only one reason why we wanted to go to Pisa: Torre Pendente di Pisa… the leaning tower of Pisa. We arrived in Pisa around noon and as expected, it was sunny.

Torre Pendente di Pisa

Battistero di San Giovanni

There were no lockers at the Pisa station so we had to bring our backpacks with us as we trotted about 1.7 km from Pisa Centrale to the leaning tower of Pisa at Piazza dei Miracoli. In this Piazza, we also found the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta or simply the Duomo di Pisa (Cathedral of Pisa) and the Battistero (Baptistry), where people used to be baptized so they could enter the cathedral. Galileo Galilei is said to have been baptized in this Baptistery. 

Duomo di Pisa

Walking along the streets of Pisa

We originally planned on staying in Pisa but after 1-2 hours, we decided to stay the night in Florence instead. So, armed with our Eurail pass, we hopped on to one of the local trains that stops at Florence. The ride only took 1.5 hours.

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

We did not plan this part of the trip, so we did not have any hostel reservation. We had no idea how to search for accommodation (without the availability of internet) but we immediately found ourselves at the tourist information office, which was just across Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station. There, we decided to check out the nearest hostel, Ostello Centrale Firenze. Our room was spacious and the bathroom, outside the room, was spacious too. It was funny because the lights were automatic. So when I would take a shower, the lights would go off and I would have to wave my hand outside the curtain to turn it back on.

Palazzo della Signoria, Firenze

We didn’t really have an itinerary in Florence. We just wandered around without a map, ate gelato, pizza and pasta, and enjoyed the Italian surrounding which were just so charming. There are a lot to see and visit in Florence but instead of visiting the museums, we decided to just take pleasure in the bursting feel of Italian Renaissance surrounding us. We found some form of art in every corner of Florence. The city itself is like an open art museum!

Fountain of Neptune

Sculptures at the Laggio dei Lanzi

In Piazza della Signoria is the Palazzo della Signoria, also known as the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace). Aside from a statue of David near the Palazzo, you can find  a copy of the  Fountain of Neptune (the original is at the National museum). At the corner of the piazza is Laggio dei Lanzi, where several statues are laid out. 

And quite nearby is the Galleria degli Uffizi, a famous museum housing some of the works of da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. 

One particular attraction that we stumbled upon was the symbol of Florence, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore or otherwise known as the Duomo di Firenze. Since we did not bring a map and my smart phone with the GPS had an empty battery, we guessed our way back to the hostel using the Duomo as our landmark.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

I did not expect to like Florence so much. But I did. J

Train Tales: Spain to Italy

One of the biggest problem we had on our trip was how to get from Spain to Italy. It was the only thing in our two-week scheduled Europe trip that was  left a question mark, even when we were already in Barcelona. We had several options and we ended up with our last option.

The route from Barcelona Sants to Pisa Centrale

Option 1: Elipsos

Our first option was to take the Elipsos night train from Barcelona to Milan. The train would leave Barcelona at 19:25 and arrive at Milan 10 AM the next day. Then from Milan, we could just take the local trains to Pisa or Rome. However the Barcelona-Milan route only runs three times a week and it did not fit our schedule.

Option 2: Eurolines Bus

Our second option was to take the Eurolines bus from Barcelona to Florence. The bus leaves Barcelona at 5:00 in the afternoon and arrives in Florence at 10:00 AM the next day. And since we were planning more than a month before our actual travel date, the bus fares were at a reduced rate (about 50 EUR). But we couldn’t buy tickets online. We tried for weeks; we tried using both Visa and Mastercard; but we simply couldn’t buy the tickets.

Option 3: Grimaldi Lines (ferry)

We then thought about taking a ferry. There was a cruise (Grimaldi Lines) from Barcelona to Rome that also costs about 50 EUR. The ship leaves Barcelona at 10:15 PM and arrives in Civitavecchia, Rome at 18:45, the next day. While this was a comfortable option and allows us more time in Barcelona, we weren’t psyched about arriving 6:45PM the next day. It was a bit too late and we were on a limited schedule.

Option 4: Airplane

Travelling by air was not on top of our list since most airline tickets (especially those from low-cost flights) were non-refundable and we wanted our schedule to be as flexible as possible. Moreover, I was planning to bring a mace and this would probably need to be checked-in (which might cost extra). But the most recommended way to travel (from the online forums) was by taking an airplane. So, we checked all the low-cost airlines. Unfortunately, the cheapest fares at that time were at least 150 EUR and that was just not on our budget.

Eurailing my way from Spain to Italy

Option 5: Train ride in hell

Our last option was what I call the train ride in hell. While researching online, I learned two things: there were no direct trains from Spain to Italy (except for the Elipsos which doesn’t run daily) and taking the train was NOT recommended. I spent weeks looking for the best route that fits our schedule but we needed at least 4 train changes and about 22 hours of travel time.

Railing from Spain to Italy

Barcelona to Pisa: 5 connections, ~22:30 hours,  €30.75

We decided to do the train ride in hell. It didn’t sound exciting but it was cheap and we did invest on a Eurail pass. And hey, it would be an experience for us. At Barcelona, we tried to make reservations to Pisa but there were no direct trains and we could only make reservations up to Valence. Our route required us to go from Spain to France and then to Italy and we could only make reservations for our ride connected to Spanish cities. So, with no complete reservations, we started our journey from Spain to Italy.

View from the train on our way to Valence

We prepared ourselves for an exhausting trip but much to our surprise, it wasn’t tiresome or even boring. Each train we rode was different from the other and the view was interesting. We even saw the alps from a distance on our way to Valence.

Valence TGV

When we arrived in Valence, we immediately searched for the ticket office to make reservations for Pisa. While waiting in queue at the ticket office, we met another traveler, Ozi, who was travelling the same route we did. He was a young Turkish guy who was a volunteer at Czech Republic. He was also travelling around Europe using Interail (the equivalent of Eurail for Europeans). We decided to travel together, which was good because by the time we arrived at Nice, it was already 10:30 PM. And our train from Nice to Ventimiglia was at 5:25 in the morning.

Train stops on our way from Barcelona to Nice

The initial plan was to leave our backpacks at the station and check out Nice’s Promenade des Anglais while waiting for our train to arrive. However, there were no lockers at the station and the baggage deposit was already closed. Furthermore, the Nice Ville station was closed at night. So, with our backpacks, we found refuge at McDonald’s. Of course, we could’ve booked a hotel (we didn’t find any hostel in sight) but c’mon, do you really expect us, budget travelers, to book a 100++ EUR room for 6 hours?  While McDonald’s sated our bellies and kept us out of the cold for a few hours, it was only open until midnight. And like the rest of Europe, there was nothing 24 hours within the vicinity. We started walking around but we had our backpacks and it was a bit heavy to carry around. Promenade des Anglais was approximately 1.5 Kilometers away but without a map, we were bound to get lost.

Waiting for Nice Ville to Open

So, we settled at a bus station, in the cold, with a big clock staring at us. We talked all night and observed several people questioned and taken in by policemen. With our backpacks (and nice innocent faces), it was quite obvious that we were just tourists waiting for Nice Ville to open. So, we were never bothered by the police car passing by in front of us every few minutes. It was an interesting experience and I was glad that at this point of my trip, I wasn’t travelling alone.

Zzzzzzzz......

Finally, a little past 5, Nice Ville finally opened and we hopped on our train to Ventimiglia. We didn’t need any reservations anymore; just our rail passes. The regional train had plenty of stops, which I stopped listing down. We passed by Monte Carlo and I think we may have also passed by the French Riviera but it was too dark to see anything. However, by the time were in Italy, the sun finally came up and somewhere around Ventimiglia, we had a view of the Italian Riviera. The ride was scenic. I caught some sleep during the train ride and woke up from time to time to enjoy the view.

Enjoying the Italian view while on the train

We finally arrived in Pisa at 10 in the morning and except for the icky feeling of not taking a shower for 24 hours, I felt great. The train ride was definitely NOT hell. Would I do it again? Sure, why not? But I’d probably start the trip a little bit earlier so I’d see more of the French Riviera. And if time allows it, stay a day or two at Marseille or Nice.