Isle of Capri ..

26 June 2010

Sorrento and Capri – Wow – Going back there no problem.

The Hotel Vesuviuo was the hotel we stayed in in Sorrento. I am travelling on my own as you know, so they gave me a SINGLE bed in my room – a SINGLE bed, hell, last time I slept in a single bed was when I was 15, so it was interesting ... However the bed was very comfortable.

Dinners have been the usual Italian fare – pasta to start, then meat or fish, then desert. I stop at pasta, or don’t have that and have the fish. My GOD, how they HELL am I supposed to eat all that food?

Woke up this morning after a sleep in – the first during my entire time here (7am!!!). Breakfast was cereal, salami, pastries .... and coffee. We headed out to Capri.

You get to Capri on a fast ferry, so got there around 10:30. Our guide told us to haul ass off the boat – said that we should get to the exit door as soon as we hear the engine slowing down. Capri has something called the Blue Grotto, and it is not always open or accessible. I did not understand why, as apparently even in sunny weather, it is closed. She had been told that it was open!!! We were the first group off the ferry and into ANOTHER boat heading off to the Blue Grotto. We waited for about 20 minutes once there as the only way in was on a row boat! Four of you then climb OUT of the one boat into the row boat, and you head into the Grotto. The height of the hole is about 1m, so you lie down in the boat as you go in. I have not enhanced this picture in any way, and did not use a flash!!!



Well worth it!!

After that we headed up in a little bus – up the road of DEATH – also called Mamma Mia road. One, because of the view, Two, because of the road! How two busses pass each other is truly scary.

Had lunch in Ana Capri – which is about 1000m above sea level. Sat with Stephanie and Greg from Massatchutts who had just got married. She ran off somewhere and when she came back mentioned you can have shoes MADE in 20 minutes!!! So, we had some free time up there and did abit of a walk around and I had a pair of shoes made in 15 minutes! Truly, really. Cost around $100 Aus Dollars. I could not have done that at home. Nothing spectacular, but what a thing to get done!

Stunning views from there as well. There was a shop I strolled into – OMG – Armani, Escada, etc all in this shop. I, of course, was not really paying attention and saw a stunning stunning dress – really beautiful – from Escada – should be beautiful as it had a price tag of 3500 EURO!! Quickly left that shop!

After lunch we went back down to Capri centre – Prada, Aramni, Sergio Ferragamo stores. You name an expensive store and it was here. Capri is THE place to go – rich and famous people come here all the time.
We walked past all the expensive sores to Augustus Gardens. Stunning views again, and the garden was lovely.

Garden I hear you say – Pfffffffffff – but check the view

At the end of the day the tour group split up. There were those of us going back to Rome via YUKKY Naples on the super fast ferry, and the rest of the group headed back to Sorrento for the rest of their tour. Had a lovely day in Capri.
Got back to Rome around 9:30, but then the bus had to drop each and everyone at their respective hotels – so only got in at 11pm!! YAWN. Off to Conference Hotel this afternoon. Chat then.

Florence .......

24 June 2010
Starting off with a random

Hotel RANDOM : why did I pay to use wireless internet when there is no connection in my room???

OK, after that .... up at 6am to head to the tour company for my tour of Florence. WOW, there were alot of people there, but luckily they were all heading in different directions to me.

Got on the bus, and took a travel sickness tablet “just in case”. Did the trick and I will certainly use those again. 3 hour trip to Florence – with one wee stop on the way – which was at a place called Ferno, and the shop was Spaccio Grandi Firma. All I wanted was coffee, and MAN was it good. I have not had one bad coffee yet.

There are three medieval towns that you can see from the highway here on the way to Florence – I know they are called Braschi (in Lazio), Orte (in Lazio) and Orvieto (in Umbria), but hell am I going to have trouble trying to figure out which one is which in the photos!!

Italy Tourism new add campaign, written by me :There is a WOW around every corner!
Truly, everytime the bus turned a corner, or we did during our walk, it was WOW. What an awesome place Florence is. Everything is OLD, and I mean OLDER than dirt, OLD!
Did not have enough time in Florence. We were taken to Piazza S Croce – but as FLorence was celebrating St John’s day (patron saint of Florence) the Piazza was closed off in parts. I managed to buy myself a necklace, but not a jacket, as it was just too rushed. I will be back to do that one day!! Necklace is good tho!

We had lunch in a Palace!!! Palazzo Borghese!!! Check the ballroom out -

Then did a walk around Venice. Stunning – so much too look at but so little time

Florence quote of the day : In a museum looking at Statue of David and guide says – “over there are new statues, new as in created this morning – well, actually in 1800’s but in Florence, that is as early as this morning”. Not wrong.

However, I must admit was not my choice to go into a museum. I like to see stuff outside, and because they moved the REAL David into a museum they built especially for HIM, we had to go in as part of the tour. You can keep that, thanks. I was happy with the FAKE David outside (and did not like standing in queue to get in either – even tho it was only 20 minutes)

Got back to Rome around 9:30pm, packed ready for Naples/Sorrento/Capri tomorrow. Back on Saturday.

Oh Hi Rome .... :-)

23 June 2010-06-24

Landed this morning – at Yawn ‘o Clock. The plane was over an hour early, so of course I cleared customs to find NO driver to collect me. The office was closed, and I was sent from one terminal to the other in search of the “correct” site. Was NOT A Happy camper!!! The Driver arrived at 7:20am – which meant I was the 2nd person OUT of customs and the last to leave. Not happy!!

Anywho, got to the hotel only to be told that I had to wait for a room, come back he said. I was in tears before he even started. He eventually realised that all I wanted was to leave my cases and use the bathroom – and he was much nicer about it all. So off I headed for a walk to waste time – smelly, tired and wanting to lie down (curl up in a ball more like). Luckily for me Cindy gave me a map, which I started at for about half an hour in a little coffee shop up the road. I “thought” I knew where I was going and off I headed – ended up at Piazza Venezia – errrrrrrrrr, where was Trevi fountain?? My hotel is apparently around the corner from Trevi. Well it WAS, when I eventually found it again! I found Cindy’s shoe shop – which I will be going back to, after I stared at a pair of shoes, and have decided they are coming home with me.

Must admit, up until about 4pm today, I had not met one nice, friendly Italian. They were all rude bastards! Every single one!!! No smiles (and let’s face it, I KNOW how to smile), no friendly greeting – just grunts and groans at my pathetic attempt at Italian – or even refusing to speak English. Karma is going to come back and bite your butts Italians baby!!! It seems like such an effort for them to even TRY and listen or help. I think I might have to stick to touring English speaking countries from now on!

After I had found Trevi Fountain, I went back to the hotel. Got myself into the room, and unpacked a few things. No need to unpack everything as I head of to Naples overnight on Thursday. Only taking teeny tiny bag.

After that, I was out the door, and decided to follow the rooftops – just see something I liked, and then look behind it, and so on and so on .... started at Palazzo Montecitorio, Tempio Adriano, Pantheon, (that blew me away)

Area Sacra, back to Piazza V, looked down to Collesseum and Campidoglio, back round to Trevi. Then eventully back up to Piazza Navona, skipped past the Vatican (as doing a tour and don;t need to see it twice), back to hotel. Is it possible to be all toured out already??? My feet hurt, AND to make matter worse, this hotel only does breakfast. I know I KNEW that already, but when you are tired, all you want is dinner and bed!!

Sitting eating dinner Tratoria Trevoni whist I type this note, and the Amercians next to me are asking if the EggPlant in the AntiPasto is meant to be eaten ...........mwhahahahhhhhh. Moron!!!

Dinner was awesome. Too much, but GOOD!

Off to Florence tomorrow, so catch you on the flip side.
Later
M

Still on the Plane ......

FYI - I am blogging in the past - as could only get some free time TODAY!!!

23/06/2010 10:14:26 AM (This is MELBOURNE time – not Plane time)

Plane time is 4 hours away from Italy!

Who the HELL made Bangkok airport so huge.  My goodness gracious.  Karl, I got some exercise!!!
When I went into the lounge the lady at the counter said rather sternly “You at gate C6.  You leave early.  Very far”.  Yeah whatever, thinks Michelle.  Of course, then it sat in my brain for the next hour, and I decided to head on out to the Gate.  I felt like I was walking back to Melbourne!  Luckily I had my walking shoes on!

Finally got to the gate, and onto the plane.  This time I was UPSTAIRS in Business Class – woooo Swish!!  I got myself all comfy only to be told I had to leave my tiny bag downstairs as there is limited space up here for bags.  No problem, got some shite out, and sent it downstairs.

THEN, of course, no trip is complete without someone being a tosser.  Gypsies!!!  Yes, you heard me, Gypsies.  Well, they LOOK like Gypsies (he does anyway).  The tromp up the stairs, get to my seat, and in Italian start talking to me.  I go, WTF?, (but said Pardon?)  The guy was trying to ask me if I would swop seats, but the woman was pointing at another seat, and saying YOU MOVE.  I said, NO (but thought, get stuffed B1tc4).  I eventually got it out of them they were travelling together but had been seated separately and wanted to sit together.  Kind hearted soul that I am, I moved – no biggie.
BUT, she had the largest bag in the universe, plus about three other bags.  The air hostess advised her, like she did me, that her big ass bag had to go downstairs.  Well, she carried on like a pork chop – saying she is paying business class fare, and blah blah, special, blah blah ....... she went on like this for about 10 minutes before Gypsie boyfriend just said, “take the shite you need out of the bag and put it in a plastic bag, I’m taking the case downstairs.”  Needless to say, she huffed and puffed for about an hour.

Then I took a sleeping pill and went to sleep – BUT, the Dr said should get a good 7 hours sleep – LIES LIES – I only  got 5.  Better than NONE tho. Now got the iPoddy on, with the noise cancelling headphones over them, listening to Erasure – I downloaded all sorts of OLD stuff before I left.  So boogie woogie in my chair again.

Hopefully the next bloggy I put up after this will have pictures of Rome.

SIDE NOTE : watched Avatar, and must admit I expected more.  Probably because everyone said it was awesome.  It was good, but I watched the beginning and almost turned it off.  Just putting it out there ....

Plane musings ....

22/06/2010 6:03:51 PM

Here I am, sitting in Business Class next to Susie – a Cardiac nurse from Frankston.  Yes, EVERYONE can afford Thai business class!

Anywho, we have already had so much food – OMG, and the Chablis is wonderful.  Karl is going to have his work cut out for him when I get back ..... or I am going to have MY work cut out for me??

I have finished my REAL BOOK, and will soon take to the Kindle.  Not sure I am going to like not having paper in between my fingers, but HELL, I have 7 books on that Kindle which would have probably taken me over my luggage limit if I had the real paper books in my bag! (Thinking of Malinda here ...)
We have been in the air for 2 hours already, and ONLY have another 7 to go – wooo Hoo, and I have to keep awake until Bangkok.  I have just roamed the personal audio channel and am listening to SEAL Greatest Hits – which for those of you who REALLY know me, is making it really hard for me to sit still in my chair.  Lalalalalalalal – Killer .... makes me think of John.  He loves Seal too.

The blankets on Thai business class are awesome.  The lady across the aisle from me has her blanket unfolded and I can see certain Spottie monsters lying on it when I get home.  I will have to “appropriate” at least 3 when I come back from Italy.  They will LOVE these blankets.

RANDOM : eating a carrot stick and thought of Josie.  Not sure why, as Josie doesn’t look like a carrot.
OH OH, Josie, keeping YOU in mind, there is a man on the plane, here in BUSINESS CLASS, who had an iPad.  Looks like a nerdy nerd nerd tho ...... NOTHING like YOU at all.  He looks BORING.

The movies I can chose from include Avatar – not in 3D tho.  That is JUST not RIGHT for Business Class – who is with me???

RANDOM : These noise cancelling headphones make it hard for me to hear the air hostess asking me if I want more to drink.  That is SO not correct!  Who invented these things?

Right back to the music – they are LIVING in the 80’s on this trip – Footloose soundtrack, Madonna greatest hits, Bee Gees???  Moving onto the iPoddy soon I think.  Just gonna listen to Madonna one more time tho....

That’s all for now folks.
Later
International Traveller

I'm leaving on a jet plane.....

Rightio,
Here I am in the Air New Zealand Business class lounge.  SIGH, what a hard, hard life I am having.

I decided that I really needed to upgrade myself for the long distance haul to ROME.  So, I paid the difference to upgrade to Business Class.  You know, you even get your own queue to go through the luggage check??  WtF?

AND – my luggage only weighed 19.9 kg’s.  I have another 10kgs’ in my pocket for the flight home – which means SHOPPING.  Yeee Haaaaaaa.

This is a short and sweet blog until I get on the plane.  Cheers
M

Heading Off to Italy

Tomorrow I head off to Rome ....... ahhhhhhhh, and the lovely, lovely sunshine; pasta, and did I mention SUNSHINE?
I will, however, miss my spottie kids terribly.

Taking my laptop with in order to keep myself up to date on where I have been and where I am going ... which SHOULD mean you all get updated too.

Ciao :-)