I just find though that I no longer have a lot to write – does nothing interesting happen to me?  I mean unless you want to know what I do at work all day (which isn’t much), what I watched on TV (since leaving university I seem to find myself watching some daily, even if it’s only 30 minutes), what errands I did, or who I hung out with, all on a particular day, then there’s really not much to say.  I’m working on it though!

Tomorrow night I have training to be a host program volunteer with MISA – the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association.  This program helps immigrants and refugees (more than 70% of people who use this program are refugees) who are new to the country and community, become accustom to their new community and life here.  These are things like bus systems, grocery shopping, banking, etc.  English help and learning of cultural nuances is also likely to come up.  I will be matched with an individual or family and work with them once a week for 6 months to a year.  I’m pretty pumped!

I’m also playing ringette again!

So that’s the update.  I am going to try and be more diligent about writing, and try to find something worth writing about.

www.freewebs.com/perfectly-myself/

Veneto
This region is great, it has Venice, Verona, and Padova. I didn’t make it to Padova, though I hear it’s great. Verona though was my absolute favourite place. It had everything: it was old, but new; it was clean; it had shopping, sites, panoramas, and all around it was peaceful and the people were friendly.  You probably only need a day there, but it’s probably cheaper to stay there than Venice, and it’s only an hour and half away from Venice – which is why we chose to stay there and take an early train to Venice.  Venice is Venice: you have to see it. The touristy areas are really crowded, as you would expect.  Make sure when you go though you don’s JUST do the tourist sites; you have to stray off the beaten path into the quiet non-tourist areas.  This is where I think the Venice magic is.  You can also find great little shops in this area.  If you decide to go to Murano to see the glass blowing demonstrations and buy some nice gifts from the real place, then walk around first.  When you get further onto the island you can find free demonstrations.  And a lot of the shops have very similar merchandise so shop around for the best prices.

Campania
My experience was not great, I will be honest.  So I apologize in advance for the negative tone that this will likely have.  In Campania’s defense, there is a certain charm to this region (yes, even Naples), you just have to be tolerant, and I would suggest going with someone who knows the areas, or with a guided tour.  So with that, Campania…
Be prepared, and be wary of who you trust: we were almost robbed by a three year old on our train. This region, I’ve been told, and especially Naples and tourist sites, are known for having pit pockets.  The men also seem to be different here than any other place I visited.  It seemed like every single male (age did not matter in the slightest) would look us up and down or call at us, or honk if they were in their car.
Sorrento is lovely, and the center has nice shops and bars, which all seem to stay open late, so walking there in the evenings (like 7 or 8 until 10 or 11) is nice. A lot of people stay in Sorrento because it is nicer and feels safer than Naples, and you can access Naples, Pompeii and Capri fairly easily from Sorrento.
Capri is beautiful. A boat tour around the island is essential. Whether you have the budget for a private boat tour is up to you. The advantage here is that you can ask them to stop and you can swim. To see the famous Grotta Azzurra you have to pay an extra 10euro for a separate rowboat and guide. I didn’t think it was worth it since the whole sea around the island is a beautiful blue, plus the rowboat rowers expect a tip. But then again my friends thought it was definitely worth it – So really, your call. Don’t just stay along the beach area in Capri, go up into the town, or even to Ana Capri. There are regional buses that leave from right beside the main beach area (Marina Grande).
Unfortunately I didn’t get to see Positano (there was a forest fire rerouting traffic or something and we didn’t have time), but I’m told it’s amazing.  Just be prepared for stairs.
Beaches in Amalfi and Capri aren’t sandy, they’re rocky. So just go expecting that.
Pompei was cool. I actually had a rushed visit, but it was awesome nonetheless. You can climb Mt. Vesuvius, and I highly recommend it. There’s supposed to be a way to get there from Naples, Sorrento, or Pompei with the Circumvesuviana, but everyone we asked kept giving us different stories (throughout this trip I always felt like everyone was trying to take advantage of us). So we took a tour instead from a TourInfo kiosk. It was pricier, but we got them down to 30 euro each including the administration fee. This got us admission onto the mountain, taxi to and from Pompei to Vesuvius and the taxi driver gives you a mini tour. We found this at the yellow Tour Info kiosk just before the amphitheatre entrance to Pompei. You need at least a full day and a half to do Vesuvius and Pompei. If you are pressed for time it is my recommendation to skip Pompei and go to Herculaneum instead, which is closer to Vesuvius anyway. Herculaneum is another city destroyed/preserved (I never know how to describe these cities), but it doesn’t get the tourist coverage so it’s less crowded. It is smaller, but much better preserved. If you have time to see both, then get a combined pass for like 18 or 19 euro.  This gets you into both (otherwise they are 10 euro each) as well as three other archeological ruins sites. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Pompei, within walking distance of the train station and the ruins. It was Hotel Amitriano I believe: Family run, nice clean rooms, and free breakfast. They also let you leave your luggage there after you’ve checked out if you still have touring to do at Pompeii.

Tuscany
Book tickets in advance for the Uffizi. There are designer outlets just outside the city but are easily accessible, so I’m told, by regional bus. The towns around Tuscany all seem to be Etruscan and Medieval, so there’s no need (in my opinion) to see them all. I lived in Siena for five weeks, and it’s nice.  Palio time (First week in July and beginning of third week in August) is very festive, but very crowded.  Sitting in the (Piazza) Campo though at night is wonderful, and during the day there is a duomo, the tower, an art museum or two, as well as “Secret Siena” tours run though the tourist office there.  These take  you into crypts, passageways, and other areas not normally accessible to the public. San Gimignano is also lovely, but small, so it won’t take you that long. I really enjoyed walking the main street and going in and out of the shops.  It also has a Gelateria there that has won the world cup of gelato two years in a row. If you’re into wine, then take a wine tour because you’re in Chianti and Brunello country.  Brunello is specific to the Montalcino area.

Rome
You could spend days here and see not have seen everything.  I recommend staying near Termini, the main bus, train and subway terminal. The area around it isn’t posh, but accessible to everything. We stayed at Hostel/Hotel Beautiful 39 06 97612302 Via Napoleone IV, 35. The reason I recommend staying near Termini is because it’s possible to walk to the centre and to the coliseum and ruins, but then you can take a subway back if you’re tired at the end of the day. The subway is only 1 euro each way. And you’ll need to at least to take you to the Vatican, which is farther than everything else. Termini also connects you easily to the airport, and the other bus/train terminal (Tiburtina). You need at least two full days in Rome, three is probably better though. The Vatican alone took me 3-4 hours for the museums and then you have to see St. Peters’ and the Pope’s tombs. Go the Vatican at lunch and start with the museums, because there are much shorter lines (or none at all!), but time will be tight afterward to see St. Peters’ so don’t rest too long between the Museums and St. Peters’.

Beaches
My favourite beach area is the Adriatic, specifically le Marche.  I have family in Pesaro, so I always stay there.  The beaches are sandy and not as crowded, the water is gorgeous, and you can get great seafood.  The downtown area is small, but plenty of nice shops.  It’s really a pleasant walk.  Sites include the composer Rossini’s house, and the music conservatory that bares his name; between June and September there is both an opera festival (this goes on for the most of the summer I believe) and a film festival.  Then, the second weekend in September is the Fiera, where they block off several streets along the waterfront and it is a massive four day market.  I LOVED it, and there are so many sweet, sweet deals to be had.  You can find pretty much anything there.

Other
I spent a few hours in Milan, so I don’t have too much to say.  Via Napoleone is the famous designer store street, however right around that is Via della Spiga, which is also lined with designers, but it is both nicer and quieter.  There is also this big store called “Temporary ______” – I can’t remember the name exactly, but it is right in the Via Napoleone area and huge, so you can’t miss it.  This is Milan’s equivalent of Century 21 – designer clothing at a discounted price, I’m talking a 10 euro Valentino wallet.
Torino (Turin) is also a nice place to visit, but I stayed with family so I don’t have too much to say about it except that they have exquisite piazzas, that I think are best viewed at night.  And it is fairly safe to walk there at night.  They also have this Gelateria called “Grom” which is supposed to be famous, and it prides itself on making distinct flavours using local products.  Finally, Torino has an Egyptian museum, which boasts the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts and art outside of Cairo.  There was TONS of stuff, including real mummies and recreated tombs.  The bookshop though was a bit of a disappointment.

Eurail Pass
Buy your Eurail passes in Canada, rather than once you get there. And when it comes to trains in Italy, they don’t always announce the stops, so pay attention to the stop before yours, because you can watch for that.  The other indication is to pay attention to the time that your ticket/itenerary says that you are supposed to arrive because that is sometimes your only indication of which stop might be yours.
When you’re trying to figure out which train is yours, the departures board won’t always say your destination, so look at the time each train is leaving and match it with the time that YOUR train is supposed to leave.  There are also bulletin boards that have the complete schedule of arrivals and departures for that particular train station. These list all the times of each train, each of the stops each train makes and at what time, as well as what platform the train normally arrives at.  Be aware though that the platform can change – rare, but it does happen, so make sure you know the final destination your train makes so you can confirm the platform on the electronic board.  They also announce changes, so if you know your final destination, your train number, and your Italian numbers 1-10 you should be okay.

Background: I am still in Italy, and still happily in a relationship with my boif.  So last night I was at an arcade in downtown Rimini with my cousin, Eliza, and her friends, and Eliza and I were about to start playing a game together, when these three men (appeared Southeast Asian by descent), yes three, came out of the blue and started chatting me up.  If Eliza could speak English, she’d write a comment in confirmation.  It was just so random.

But there you have it.  Once and for all, it’s not me, it’s them.

I started my day by getting breakfast aka a pastry at Dolcissima, the pasticceria (pastry shop) beside my Zia’s (aunt).  Whenever my Canadian aunt is in Italy she stays with my Zia and goes to this place for breakfast each morning, so I had to try it.  I didn’t eat it right away, instead I took it on the bus with me into Pesaro (30 minutes tops) and ate it while sitting in the shade outside of the Rossini Music Conservatory, listening to the students practice inside.  It was so peaceful and just so pleasant.  The rest of the day I just walked around Pesaro for hours (I was gone nine hours to be exact).

It was the first day of the Feria (di San Nicola) which is essentially a gigantic market and happens every year – second weekend in Septemeber I believe is always the date.  They close off the two main streets by the seaside and then several of the smaller ones running perpendicular, and there are hundreds of vendors and thousands of incredible deals.  I went up and down each street and saw every single vendor, from the little children selling toys for a little bt of pocket money (they were cute, trying to partake in this on the sidewalk) to the clothes, shoes, kitchen stuff, meat, cheese, food and candy vendors.  I stopped for a piadine for lunch (piadina is Italian flatbread-like sandwich) and just sat at one of the small tables the vendor had.  And this older woman, who was also alone, came and sat with me.  And she was just so nice, and talked slowly for me, asking me about Canada and telling me about her family.  It was great!

We parted ways and I continued on looking at the vendors.  Up until this point I hadn’t purchased anything for myself (yet funds were still running low), but at the Feria I definitely spent some moula!  I bought a much needed spring/fall coat, that’s also good in rain.  Beige-ish, trenchcoat style, looksgreat on me, and only 22 euro!  Then I saw the shoes… three pairs to be specific, all leather, and all deals!  A yellow pair of flat boots, a blackpair of heeled boots, and a black and silver pair of wedges!  I’d been looking for boots and a pair of wedges for almost a year now, and when I saw the yellow ones… Ijust knew.  So I’m extremely happy with my purchases.  Though I spent lots money, I’m chosing to look at everything I bought as investments, since they’re going to last me for a while (they should anyway!  quality Italian leather goods are pretty safe), and I’ll probably get a lot of wear out of them now that I have to join “the real world”.  At least this is how I reconciled it all in my head.  I also stroked some gifts off my list of people to buy for – which was a lot of relief!  I always want gifts to be perfect so it’s always pressure for me.

I ended the day by taking in two musuems.  The first was the Museum of the Diocese of the le Marche, which chronicled the excavations of the Pesaro Duomo as wells as a history of Christianity in Pesaro through artifacts found during the excavations and other religious art, relics, and objects.  It was actually quite enjoyable and different from all the other museums, churches, and art I’d seen elsewhere.  It felt more real, like it told a story, and in a similar way I was also more drawn to the artwork.  They pieces were all quite different, as opposed toother art galleries and exhibions I’ve seen in my travels thus far which all seem to be of a similar style.  The museum ticket was only 2 euro for a student and it included admission into the Church of the Name of God,which was my second “musuem”.  I thought the church was fascinating.  Again, just so different than anything else I’d seen so far.  I wish there was more information provided at the actual site, but unfortunately I’m going to have to do my own research when I return home.  The church was actually quite dark – both as in lack of light, and it’s artwork and embellishments.  The expressions in the artworkwere more realistic, I thought, in that they weren’t all angel like with those glazed over looks toward the heavens.  There was the outline of a scull and crossbones on either side of the alter- no detail, but you could recognize the shape.  Then on the ceiling above the entrance to the church was a figure looking very morbid and almost petrified or in pain.  I wish I had been allowed take photos!  But if you have a sec, google La Chiesa del Nome di Dio (Church of the Name of God)

After the museums I had to return home for dinner (8pm).  But what a lovely day!

I thought this all sounds reall great.  I’d be interested to see the implementation though!  Because I think that’s a whole other story altogether.

I got to sit with Dr. Horton at a dinner last year and spoke with her through, but she never mentioned this.  She is incredibly smart (obviously) with several degrees from some of the top schools in the US and England.  I can’t remember which ones and I don’t want to be wrong, which is why I’m not specifying.  But when I say top I mean in England it was Cambridge or Oxford and in the US it was an Ivy League – Harvard or Yale I think.

Cool lady, even cooler idea!

Most of the discotecas (or all?) are outdoors, since the weather makes sense to do it that way, but it does mean that people can smoke in there, which kind of sucks.  In the crowds I was so worried about accidentally getting burned by one.  And some people also just throw them on the ground when they’re done, like without snubbing them out.  The biggest downer though was the music.  In past experiences the music was hits and top 40 stuff, but this was all techno, so for me, it got old after a while.  But the women in the group I was with (who were having a worse time than I was I think) said that normally that’s the music they do play.

Highlight of the night though was that 10 minutes after we arrived the guys went to the bar for drinks, and us gals waited at the side.  This guy starts talking to us, and when he says something to me I have to ask him to repeat so I could get it all and try to understand the Italian, but one of the women quickly says “she’s Canadian and only speaks a bit of Italian” so the man turns to me and says, in perfect English, “where are you from?”  Turns out, his grandparents are from… Cape Breton!  What are the odds!?  We didn’t talk long though, but it was an exciting little find.  I will likely be going out again next weekend, but in Rimini again and hopefully that will be a little more fun.  Ciao!