A Cool New Years, A Smelly Train Ride and the City With Streets of Water.

New Year’s Eve in Rome is crazy.  There may be other cities that are as  crazy as Rome, but for most of my adult life I have worked NYE  so I am sure there is heaps of craziness that goes on that I don’t know about, so Rome to me is crazy.  There are people walking down the center of the main streets (no cars) talking, laughing, drinking and walking to where they plan on spending their night.  The little cobble stone alley ways that are usually quiet are absolutely packed with people. Cars are parked everywhere; on the sidewalks, blocking walk ways,  hoods in a small area and the rest of the car sticking out on the road, a lot of crazy parking that wouldn`t fly to well back home.

Dan and I had bought tickets the previous night for the Ice Bar.  A bar/club completely made of ice.   I was super excited, not for the negative temperature, but A. for the fact that I actually got to go out for New Years and B.  I had never been to an ice bar.

We make our way through the insane yet controlled crowd of people enjoying the vibe of  the crowd and make our way – shoulder tight – through the alleyway to the Ice Bar.   When we get there we light a smoke and finish our travelers –of beer (you can drink in the streets).  We are minding our own business when this young Italian guy with long black hair – almost to his butt – and the thinnest moustache on his upper lip comes strolling up.  Now,  I don`t care about someone`s sexual orientation, one of my very best mates is gay but this guy was even too gay for my gay friends and of course he heads straight for Dan – it`s not the first time.  He sachets over and flips his hair over his shoulders and says something in Italian and makes the hand motion for a cigarette.  Dan pulls out his pack and gives the guy a cigarette.  The guy, almost stumbling,  kind of sexually begins to pat his own chest looking for a lighter.  He finds one, lights his smoke and with star struck eyes reaches his hand out and attempts to caress Dan`s cheeck.  ``Oh boy``  I`m thinking ``where is this going.``  This isn`t the first time Dan has been hit on,  in fact, he gets hit on by men more than I do.  I swear we can go to a night club and he will walk out having more free drinks and getting more numbers than me lol.  Just when the guy got within 1 cm from Dan`s face this guy comes out of nowhere and picks the other guy by the waste saying ``leave them alone`` in Italian (or at least that’s what it seemed like he was saying).  The guy started whining and then flipped his long hair over his shoulders and got lost in the crowd.  I think Dan felt relieved, I was entertained J

The Ice Club isn`t that big, I would say it could hold maybe, a maximum of 50 people at one time.  Everything  such as the walls, the bar, the seats, even the glasses for cocktails are made of ice – which I now think every drinks should be served in an ice glass, you have no idea how much better a cocktail is. The cocktails were awesome, soo yummy and the fact that there are no dishes to clean at the end of the night is great for the bar staff.  Dan placed our glasses on the bar and said to the barman ``I brought some dishes for you.``  He looks at Dan, picks up the glass and smashes it against the wall!!!  Seriously,  ice glasses, the best idea lol.

 The only thing not made of ice is the floor.  Before you go in they put a big silver poncho on you to keep  warm as the temperature is -5.  Most people don`t last more than 45 minutes at a time, I figured being Canadian I could last ``no problem.``  The first time we were in was just over half an hour and then we wanted a smoke,  we walked into the lobby, got a shot of hot chocolate and when we got outside I felt like walked out into a summer night; Rome is nice weather but it gets cold at night, it wasn`t that warm but being in the cold temperatures made it feel so warm.   The second time was just over an hour and half and we both started losing feeling.   My toes were freezing,  Dan was wearing thermal socks and his toes got numb as well.  We had to leave, we were so cold.  We went back in to use the toilet, but sitting out for 20 minutes and going back in didn`t help,  my body just wouldn`t stay warm so we ended up leaving.

We had an awesome time.  Of course,  within 5 minutes of being inside I manage to meet the only other 2 Canadians in the bar,  who we spent the countdown and some time in the little Ice Room of the main floor.  They were only in Italy for a few weeks as they were running a Marathon in Bologna; I hope they did well.  Then we met some American students, they made me laugh.  I notice accents so much more now and they just put a smile on my face. ``Oh my god, your like Canadian.  We are like from Minnesota.  We are so like close to Canada, we are almost Canadian.``  Gotta love them.  I loved being out and meeting people, and having an awesome time in a cool (no pun intended) bar, I even got to practice my Italian.

I remember waking up face down and fully clothed the next morning.  Yup, that drunk.  I believe it was all the Lemoncello I drank before we left, plus the shots of Jager, glasses of champagne, cocktails and the wine we apparently bought at another bar after we left the Ice Bar.  I vaguely remember having a chat in a lineup waiting to use the toilet at some bar and chatting away to some Italian guy;   telling Dan I was too sick to drink the wine he bought me and him telling me he couldn`t buy drinks at one bar because he didn`t have a ticket.  Apparantly walking me back home was quite entertaining,  looks like Dan`s the one with a lifetime ticket to Emmie Duty J

We were leaving for Venice the next morning.  It was the last thing I felt like doing I tell ya.  I didn`t have wine flu but I definitely had vodka flu or something, whatever it was I felt like shit!!!   But,  as the trooper that I am we got our stuff together and headed for the subway with my parents.  

My parents stayed in Rome as that’s where their flight leaves from.  I really didn`t want to say goodbye.  The past two weeks with them was amazing,  two of my favourite weeks of my travels.  I was close to tears and I think I saw a few in my mums eyes but I made our goodbyes fast so I wouldn`t break down.  As I hugged my mum I heard my dad say to Dan ``you take care of my baby.``  In case you are all wondering…my parents loved Dan!!!  I was nervous as it was the first time they were meeting him but all went well, really well J

The train ride to Venice was agonizing and not because of my ``flu.``  It started off fine,  in fact,  I was excited.  Have you ever seen in movies where people are backpacking in Europe and they get on trains where they sit in a little cubby room, well, that’s what this train was like and the seats actually pulled out almost into a laying position.  The two seats across from each other met in the middle once you pulled the seats out so Dan and I just stretched out and slept, well tried to anyways.   We were with a couple that had a three year old boy.  On top of the kid smelling,  the father reeked really bad of B.O.  that filled the cubby so bad it was almost intoxicating and , they insisted on keeping the door closed (we had the window seats which they had comfortably settled themselves into until I showed them they were our seats.)   Plus the kid never stopped.  He talked, he sang, he screamed, he ran back and forth a long the seats,  climbed the luggage shelves,  banged the seats,  my head was pounding and not because I had the ``flu.``   Five and a half hours we had to listen to this kid,  they never told him to be quiet or sit down ;  I was losing my patience.   The kid had woken me and Dan up 3 times and I had my earbuds in!   The last time I woke up the mother was talking so loud I thought she was on the phone,  the little boy was talking very loud so instead of shushing him she decided to talk over him.  At one point I looked at him, put my hand up and said ``hey!``   The couple just looked at me as if ``how dare you tell him to be quiet.``  He stopped for about 30 seconds.  Finally  I got up and headed out of the cubby and looked out the window.   Dan came with, and we just stood there for about 10 minutes.   Between our heads pounding, ears ringing and infested nostrils we weren`t in the best of moods.   When we went back in the cubby I asked them to keep the door open and they looked at me absolutely appalled but I didn`t give two shits,  I was suffocating.

Finally,  after a long 6 hours – that seemed longer than any 12-22 hour bus ride I had with Greyhound in Australia – we arrived at our destination.  Venice.

As soon as we walked out of the train station we hit the main street…OF WATER!!!  Yup it`s right there when you walk out.   So awesome.   We grabbed a water bus and headed to our hostel.   It was probably one of the best ``bus`` rides I have ever had.   Restaurants lights blinking on the water street that is just lined with buildings, and a cool breeze as our bus made it slowly through the canal.

After wandering aimlessly through the streets we found our hostel and dropped our stuff off,  in our massive dorm room;  a double bed on the lower area and two beds up in the loft area, all to ourselves J  We went for dinner and then to bed with plans of exploring the streets the next day.  Unfortunately, it rained all day the next day so we stayed in our room watching movies, only leaving for food.   The next day however was sunny blue sky`s.  We probably walked for about three hours all together.   In and out of the windy streets,  being asked if we want a gondola ride – they are about $100 so we said no – if we wanted to buy a purse at a good price,  restaurants, shops and heaps of people.   The streets are so tiny barely 4 people can fit in shoulder to shoulder,  they are so narrow but yet there is a warm cozy vibe to them.   And in case you are wondering,  no, there are no cars.  Everyone has a boat or takes a boat lol, in fact; Venice is the largest urban city in Europe that doesn’t have cars.  It’s actually quite nice.  

We went for dinner at a little Ristorante around the corner from our hostel.   We ordered the tourist menu which came with a first and second course and we also ordered a half litre of red wine which absolutely delicious.  After we had consumed everything on our plates and in our glasses,  we really wanted to order another half litre of wine but they had a 20 euro minimum to use our card (we had already paid)  “that’s ok, no worries.”  I said.  “no, I bring you wine on the house.”  “no really it’s ok you don’t have to.”  “Yes!”  she said.  Free wine!!!  After we went to this little bar that had a stools and a high barlike table outside and had a few more glasses.   When we got back to the room our roommates who we were told were arriving that night were not yet there.  Curious like cats we scoped out the other rooms in the hostel – we were in a building behind the main one – and found that we were the only ones there!!!  We went out and bought the Italian version of Goon which is a 1.5 litres of homemade wine in a water bottle for 5 euros and had a little party.  Just Dan, me, music, a deck of cards and our Italian goon; and should I mention we smoked out the window?  Probably not lol.   It was a really nice way to spend our last night.

  I must say Italy has been a bit of an eat, pray love thing for me.  I have eaten the best food – pizza and pasta, of my life,  and so much of it, praying that I wouldn’t put on the pounds but loving every minute of it!!!  I’m actually quite gutted to be leaving, and so is Dan.  The past three weeks have been incredible, I don’t want them to end.  I would to them all over again.  I have seen where my family roots are from,  been surrounded by my favourite language also my fathers native language. I have never eaten so much pizza and pasta or drank so much wine.  These three weeks have meant so much to me and are possibly 3 of my favourite out of my travels.  I  really missed my parents in Venice,  Itay really didn’t feel the same without them :(. 

Now it’s back to England.  We are currently on our flight which was delayed by two hours, we took off when we should’ve been landing in Gatwick, we are hoping we make our coach in time so keep your fingers crossed. 

Ciao Italia, Mi Amore, arivadercci x

PS.  When we left, we had to go through passport control and I got my stamp :o)


- for first time readers.  Please revert back to the Great Britain  blog

Myths of the Motherland

When I was a little girl my bedtime stories were those of Roman Gods and Godesses,  Greek and Nordic Mythology,  how the sun moved around the earth accompanied by a wonderful demonstration from my dad which consisted of him holiding a crystal bowl or my globe (which ever was closest) and moving a flashlight around it explaining the effects of the sun in the different seasons and a one year cycle.  I know it doesn't sound like your average adolescent bedtime stories, but I loved these moments with my dad and stories or information about the world;  my favourite stories however and still are today are, the Myths of the Motherland.  These don't include gods and goddess' - though maybe at some point they might have been thought of with the high regard from others, holy grales - though holliness did take place, sons of god - though sons were born,  any wars or fights with opposing towns or beasts - though an attack did happen, nor are there ruins - though the stories do take place in a town once inhabited by a population of 4000 only now to be mostly abadoned with a population of 300.

The stories are centred around a little boy who was born into a poor family during the second world war.  He was the youngest of four and had a thirst for knowledge.  His family  barely had enough food or money for that matter. His toys were bumblebees, catching flies and the little alleyways and steps through out the town where he ran.  He was a  very happy child and loved his life, family and was quite content  in his village atop a hill, with panoramic views of rolling hills and farmland,  snow peaked mountains and the Adriatic Sea.  One day when he was 8 years old,  his family took a train to the otherside of the country, got on a boat and waved goodbye to their town and set sail for a new land and a new life,  never to go back.  Though it is to be said that he still has relatives in that town.

I always got told different stories about this little boy, there was never just one.  There was one story about him riding a donkey when he was three and the donkey got scared and threw him off.   How they moved from one house to a smaller house because they couldn't afford to live where they were.  The new house was small a kitchen, and bedroom and a basement area where him and his brothers slept.    He was baptized in the church at the centre of town.   There was a story about him and his friends  being outside the school windows when a rabid dog in the town approached them and there only place to go was on the window ledge but one being unfortunate and being attacked horribly.  A local man who had been in jail for killing his wife was sitting there on a stool, he picked it up and beat the dog to death, though the little boys friend passed away only a few days later.  Horrible I know, but thats the way the story goes. 

My whole life, my dream has been to go to this town where the Myths of the Motherland have taken place.   If not me at least my dad,  I've always wanted him to go more than I wanted it for myself.   It has been so important to me for him to go and the fact that both of us got to go together is incredible.

The town is about a half hour from where we are staying in Termoli.  Termoli is about 4 hours from Rome  which is where we flew into from Athens.   It was an easy and short flight and we didn't even have to go through customs - I was pissed off because i didnt get a stamp in my passport.  However, my parents are not used to traveling and didn't think to hire a car before we got there.  Nothing was available, nothing till Christmas or after Christmas, some places you have to give them 48 hours so they wont out if its not reserved.   Our hotel was booked out in Termoli for that night and my mum didnt want to lose the deposit so they were hell bent on getting out to Termoli.  Finally after an hour we found a company that would rent us a car but it had to be returned on Christmas day.  

We ended up with an Audi,  as beautiful as it is it is quite a frustrating car.   It stopped and my dad couldn't get it started, it took almost 10 minutes for him to get it started, plus the GPS they gave us is a TomTom and it is horrible,  it tells us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way,  it doesn't tell us to turn and then tells us we are going the wrong way.   It's night time,  we have no idea where we are going,  we are exhausted and the thing got us lost 2 or three times.   - Never buy a TomTom -

The drive was long, well 4 hours isn't long but its because it was getting late and we didnt know where we were it makes it seem longer.   The drive was pretty incredible, even though it was night.  I had no idea Italy's landscape was mountains and rolling hills.  The roads were windy and a lot of the time we were high up over towns - which i'm kind of glad it was night because I don't think during the day my vertigo would be too happy.   Even though we were driving through the mountains we never seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.  Lights from surrounding towns all over the mountains could be seen the whole time...it was so pretty.   I could see sillouhettes of mountains with peaks covered in snow "no honey thats just clouds" my dad said "no daddy, lol, they are mountains. But don't worry just keep your eyes on the road"   We arrived at our hotel at 2am.  We are staying in a castle.  This place is a little town with narrow streets hanging laundry and little eateries, surrounded by castle walls that look out the beach and the Adriatic.  This place is a landmark and so beautiful.  We were so excited when we got here we couldn't sleep,  we cracked a bottle of wine to celebrate, but within minutes we were all curled up in bed in sleeping. 

The next morning we were up and in the car; off to the town of the Myth of the Motherland.  Lidia (what I have named the TomTom) got us lost, turned us town the smallest dirt road with holes instead of keeping us on the main road.  Honestly I swear she was having a laugh at us, almost like she was programmed just to piss us off.   Though, the drive was incredible, rolling hills with hills on them that rolled into the other rolling hills.   It landscape looks like a patchwork quilt of the most vibrant greens, some patches being brown with freshly turned soils.   Towns and farms dotting the patches,  and a backdrop of the biggest mountains I have ever seen covered in snow.  It was breathtaking.  We stopped a few times for pictures, but we were all really excited to get up to the Motherland town.   We finally get up there and drive around the nearly empty streets and park.   We walk up to a monument surround by local men and my dad asks (in Italian of course)  "where would I find the Piazza"  the guy looks at him with a smile and points to where we are standing "this is it" my dad smiles and continues to speak with the man who slowly leads us into the local bar where we order homemade wine that they freely poor to the top of the glass.   Within five minutes my dad had a circle of men around him, saying the know his brother.  My dad also gives them two womens names, one being a relative of the little boy from the stories.  The town is so small the men of course knew who they were, they even knew the family name of the little boy.  My parents and I couldn't stop crying, it was incredible.   My dad for the first time, after leaving on a boat had never gone home to his home town and for the first time in 62 years he finally stepped foot on his Motherland...my dad was that little boy.

He showed us the church where he was baptized and just outside on the stairs where he hit his head and got stitches.  He pointed out the old school where he sat on the window ledge while the rabid dog attacked his friend.   We walked the narrow streets,  95 percent being abandoned,  places borded up, no shops, one bar and restaurant, the school is all closed up, houses are crumbling.  I felt so sad, it was like a ghost town, but at the same town I was walking the streets that I had heard about over and over growing up, always trying to picture what it looked like and now having it write infront of me.  It was such a surreal feeling.  Even though it's mostly abandoned its exactly the way I have always pictured Itay to look like.  Narrow little streets barely wide enough for a car but they somehow magically fit perfectly.  The streets are cobblestone each side lined with buildings (mostly residences),  laundry hanging from oneside to the other, beautiful doors and windows and old fashioned buildings,  even though most of it is quite derelict it is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been too.

One of the main things my dad really wanted to see was the last house he lived in.  He has a picture of it at home and its the house he always talked about.   As small as the town is, when you don't know where you are going its easy to get turned around.   We didn't mind though, we were in no rush and my dad was pointing out things from when he was little and we were all quite happy taking photos.  All of a sudden this car pulls up and rolls down its window.  The men from the bar had called my Uncle's friend who hopped in his car to come and get us and show us around.  How awesome is that!  First stop, my dads house.

It's been abandoned for 30 years.  But there it stood, a one room house where his whole family lived.  I had heard so many stories and yet there it stood infront of us.   We broke in...well we just unhinged the wiring on the door.  My dad was shaking as we entered.  It was all concrete really not much of a site, but yet I found it so incredible, I was standing in the house that I heard stories about my whole life.  Plus,  with me being curious like a cat I ended up finding an original key to the house and grabbed it for my dad,  now he has the key to his past.  

Next we went for lunch.   There is no menu, they bring you what is being cooked, but it's a 4 course meal.  We only did two courses, we were so full after and our tastebuds were going crazy.   Homemade pasta and sauce, homemade wine, fried yet not greasy vegetables...I have never tasted food so good in my life.  I was speechless with overwhelmed tastebuds they have never been so happy.

After that Teddy (my uncles friend) took us to see the two women my dad wanted to go see.  As soon as we walked down the narrow street to Maria's house she recognized my dad - Maria has kept intouch with my aunt (my dads sister) for all these years - and they embraced in hugs and kisses.  Then the neightbours door opens and another woman pops out; her and my dad exchange a few words and she says "Ahh,  Nicola,"  then they embraced with hugs and kisses ending with us being invited upstairs for some drinks.   To top it off the room we were standing in was the first house my dad lived in and the room he was born in! It was an incredible and extremely emotional.  My dream of my daddy going home finally came true.

Ive heard my dad speak Italian all my life, but hearing him speak it in his own country and to see his face light up as he is surrounded with others in his homeland is incredible, I really can't explain it.

The next day was Christmas Eve and in Italy mostly everything is shut until the 27th. However, the owner of the (only) bar/restaurant in his town said that if we were coming back the next day (Christmas Eve) they would open just for us, so we planned to be there for lunch the next day.  That night we went for pizza.  Now for those of you that know me well, you know that pizza is my favourite food group.  Let me tell you, this pizza was the best pizza I have ever tasted.  It was just a Margarita one but it melted in my mouth when it touched my lips, I hadn't even taken a bite of it yet.  I think I even melted with the pizza.  Its quite strange as you can eat quite a bit but the food even though cooked with oil is not greasy, or heavy and you never feel bloated after a large meal, it's heaven.

When we arrived the next day there was a table set for us.  They brought out a carafe of there lovely homemade wine and we poured ourselves a glass, "salute."  Within in five minutes we had the biggest plate of homemade spaghetti with fresh seafood and a tomato oil sauce.  I ate half of the plate (which was meant for all three of us)  after that was done they bring out salad and a plate of seafood.  I had no idea we were getting more food, i thought the pasta was the only serving which is why I ate so much of it,  I could barely eat anymore but it was soo good I didn't want to stop.   We had to go to the bar downstairs as thats where you pay and we ended up having more drinks and talking to the locals.  After that we went by Maria's house (the first lady we met the previous day) she invites us in for espresso's.  We find out she was my grandmothers cousin!  She is family and her kids (who were there) are our distant cousins, how amazing is that!  We met family!  After that we stopped by Gina's (the second woman from the previous day)  I knock on the door - knock knock "buonjorno, zia gina"  I said as i knocked my mum was laughing at me.   She invites us in for coffee, these incredible homemade pastery things smothered in a homemade wine and chocolate drinks which is like drinking a fudgcicle in a shotglass.  We even got to see her kitchen where she makes her oil out of olives...unreal.  It was an amazing two days.

My dad was pretty beat when we got back.  He had a bit of an emotional hangover so my mum and i decided to go out and have a few drinks. 

We went to two places for some wine and came back up to our castle town as one of the bars was open, but it was a private function so we went back into town and settled at the bar we had just left.  3 glasses of wine, 2 sambucca's and 3-5 plates of tapas was 15 euros (about $20 CAD).  Tapas plates are brought out automatically with every glass of wine ordered here.  You don't even need to eat dinner, and you dont get drunk.  It was soo yummy and we had such a good night.  Our waiters name was Massimo and even with a huge language barrier - i've been spoiled having my dad around as a translator - we still managed to communicate :)

It was still quite early when we got back but with everything pretty much closed we decided to call it a night.  I could hear the bells ringing outside and people getting ready for midnight mass.   My FB messages pop up from my mum "wanna come outside and meet me for a smoke."  I grabbed my wine and blanket and we sat outside till past 1am drinking wine and giggling, while we watched everyone go to and come back from midnight mass, what a great way to spend Christmas Eve.

Today was Christmas and we were exhausted.  The past two days had been really emotional for all of us and it had caught up so we napped for a few hours and didn't head out till about five.  We found a place that was open and just had some munchies and then headed back.  We have only been in italy for 3 days and it feels like we have been here longer than Greece, but so much has happened it has made it seem longer - in a good way of course.

Tomorrow we have to drive to Rome to switch our cars around and come all the way back.  Thats another story to explain and you will have to wait for that one.

Bone Netale  (spelled wrong) x