Hello! As promised to all here is my spring break holiday blog, It was an awesome trip of a lifetime so be prepared for a super long one!
We started our journey on Friday, Kelsey and I attempting to pack everything we would need in our £5 duffel bags with out too much weight. Mine was really heavy and I have no idea why. None-the-less our adventure was beginning and we were excited!
Our flight from Gaitwick to Rome went well although we were starving when we landed and neglected to get food at the airport before making our long trek to our hostel. After being bombarded by a man at the airport trying to get us to take a taxi we discussed that we would just take the train like the directions told us. The train and stations were covered in Graffiti, something we weren't used to, which made it difficult to see the names of the stations, which accounted for us getting of a stop to early and because we were on the last train of the night we were all worried what would happen. Our luck changed when we called the hostel and they said they would come pick us up. Saturday we got up early so that we could collect our tickets for Easter Mass. We did a ton of site seeing before 11:00. We started off by throwing some change into the Trevi fountain which is supposed to either mean your wish will come true or that you'll visit Rome again in your lifetime. Either of which I would be happy with.
We continued walking around and saw the Pantheon ( not to be confused with the Parthenon) and a ton of other really buildings and statues and ruins. We eventually made our way to the Coliseum and got a tour of it. It was really neat to see. With our tour ticket we also were able to have a tour of the Roman Forum. The Forum is where the senate used to take place as well as a bunch of other neato stuff. Easter Sunday we woke up at the butt crack of dawn to get in line for mass at the Vatican. There were tons of people there from all over with flags and banners. I was a little disappointed in our Catholic friends who were all giddy and uber excited that they neglected to bring a sign or flag of any sort but O well. We also didn't have the greatest seats because they thought the Pope was going to be driving around in his Popemobile afterwards and would drive right by us but he didn't. A few of us almost weren't allowed back to our seats after we had gone to the toilet because it was getting close to the start. I simply told one of the Swiss guards I had gone to the toilet and I had a seat and he let me through. Kelsey and Val weren't so lucky but eventually they also got back in. Although we weren't able to understand pretty much any of it because it is in all different languages. It was still a lot of fun. After mass and lunch we Rome-d around some more...(Our pun of the days thanks to me:] ) We went to the St. Peter’s Basilica which is the building that mass was held in front of. It was beautiful inside. After we were done there a few of us went to Circus Maximus which is were the chariot races took place. Mike and I saw it fitting to run around it, but I was wearing flip flops and skirt so I only did half of it.
Monday morning we left very early again for the airport to fly to Milan and from there to Athens. In Athens Kelsey and I couch surfed. She had found a couple on the couchsurfing website that had a spare room that they were willing to allow us to stay in for the few days we were there. We were very grateful to save a little bit of money and not having to stay at a hostel. They were super nice and cooked us good food too..I still don't like seafood but managed to eat the octopus that was in the pasta... They also drove us around the first night and showed us some of the sights, including watching the sunset from a mountain top. From this mountain top I also decided I didn't like Athens because it is all buildings and cement where as I felt Rome is more open space and not as congested. I tried to keep an open mind but found it hard. We saw the Parthenon and all the other stuff on the Acropolis. It was neat but nothing at all compared to Rome. Maybe had we gone to Athens separately I would have enjoyed it more but I like to doubt that. We saw more of Athens including the original Olympic stadium and ventured out the 2004 stadium. I was very saddened to see the state the stadium was in. It was all run down and deserted like a Ghost town. There weren't museums or tours or anything and all the buildings were closed so we were only able to see the swimming pools, the indoor bike track(through windows) and the outsides of the other buildings. It was cool to see but I wish they would have done more to preserve it but I suppose all the venues get to be that way...
Wednesday our group went all different directions, A few off to Cairo (which I really wish I would have done but just another reason to go back!), others to a different island and Kelsey and I went to Mykonos We took a ferry that took about 4ish hours to get there and closer to 5 to get back on Saturday. Mykonos is a tourist island and there is pretty much nothing else there and unfortunately for us we were at the very beginning of tourist season. We stayed at a place called Paradise beach which had only opened a couple weeks before we had got there so nothing else around it was open. But it was a very relaxing trip which I think we needed. Paradise has it's own beach right there so we didn't have to worry about leaving things or stepping away and our things ending up going missing. Thursday we roasted on the beach, laying out for a long time. We then took the bus to town which is tourist shops and clothing stores we'd never be able to afford. Like I said before this island is mostly just for tourists and the night life is very popular but we up for just relaxing so we checked out early most nights.
Friday was an awesome day! We rented ATV's and drove all over the island. It was so awesome. The roads there were pretty crazy and some sharp turns. I would go again in an instant if I could. We rode right by the water and up in hills that had fabulous views. It was so cool. I was fried again when we were done because I HAD to wear shorts because it was warm enough. so the tops of my legs got burnt like when I wear shorts when we bale or mow... we looked into getting sunscreen but it was like 15 Euros for a tiny bottle so we suffered... Saturday we took a ferry back to Athens and then stayed in a hostel before leaving Sunday. Sunday was the Greek Orthodox Easter so we weren't able to find anything for breakfast or anything to do so we ended up going to the airport super early and spending a ton of time in the airports all together because of our lay over as well.
I was definitely ready to be back in London by the time we got back. Traveling made me homesick mostly because I wanted my own bed and good pillows. But we are back in London now and I love it here. This city still amazes me everyday. But anyways. That is my super long blog about Spring Holiday. If you want to know more you can ask although I don't know what else I would tell you other than it was great. :)
We continued walking around and saw the Pantheon ( not to be confused with the Parthenon) and a ton of other really buildings and statues and ruins. We eventually made our way to the Coliseum and got a tour of it. It was really neat to see. With our tour ticket we also were able to have a tour of the Roman Forum. The Forum is where the senate used to take place as well as a bunch of other neato stuff. Easter Sunday we woke up at the butt crack of dawn to get in line for mass at the Vatican. There were tons of people there from all over with flags and banners. I was a little disappointed in our Catholic friends who were all giddy and uber excited that they neglected to bring a sign or flag of any sort but O well. We also didn't have the greatest seats because they thought the Pope was going to be driving around in his Popemobile afterwards and would drive right by us but he didn't. A few of us almost weren't allowed back to our seats after we had gone to the toilet because it was getting close to the start. I simply told one of the Swiss guards I had gone to the toilet and I had a seat and he let me through. Kelsey and Val weren't so lucky but eventually they also got back in. Although we weren't able to understand pretty much any of it because it is in all different languages. It was still a lot of fun. After mass and lunch we Rome-d around some more...(Our pun of the days thanks to me:] ) We went to the St. Peter’s Basilica which is the building that mass was held in front of. It was beautiful inside. After we were done there a few of us went to Circus Maximus which is were the chariot races took place. Mike and I saw it fitting to run around it, but I was wearing flip flops and skirt so I only did half of it.
Monday morning we left very early again for the airport to fly to Milan and from there to Athens. In Athens Kelsey and I couch surfed. She had found a couple on the couchsurfing website that had a spare room that they were willing to allow us to stay in for the few days we were there. We were very grateful to save a little bit of money and not having to stay at a hostel. They were super nice and cooked us good food too..I still don't like seafood but managed to eat the octopus that was in the pasta... They also drove us around the first night and showed us some of the sights, including watching the sunset from a mountain top. From this mountain top I also decided I didn't like Athens because it is all buildings and cement where as I felt Rome is more open space and not as congested. I tried to keep an open mind but found it hard. We saw the Parthenon and all the other stuff on the Acropolis. It was neat but nothing at all compared to Rome. Maybe had we gone to Athens separately I would have enjoyed it more but I like to doubt that. We saw more of Athens including the original Olympic stadium and ventured out the 2004 stadium. I was very saddened to see the state the stadium was in. It was all run down and deserted like a Ghost town. There weren't museums or tours or anything and all the buildings were closed so we were only able to see the swimming pools, the indoor bike track(through windows) and the outsides of the other buildings. It was cool to see but I wish they would have done more to preserve it but I suppose all the venues get to be that way...Wednesday our group went all different directions, A few off to Cairo (which I really wish I would have done but just another reason to go back!), others to a different island and Kelsey and I went to Mykonos We took a ferry that took about 4ish hours to get there and closer to 5 to get back on Saturday. Mykonos is a tourist island and there is pretty much nothing else there and unfortunately for us we were at the very beginning of tourist season. We stayed at a place called Paradise beach which had only opened a couple weeks before we had got there so nothing else around it was open. But it was a very relaxing trip which I think we needed. Paradise has it's own beach right there so we didn't have to worry about leaving things or stepping away and our things ending up going missing. Thursday we roasted on the beach, laying out for a long time. We then took the bus to town which is tourist shops and clothing stores we'd never be able to afford. Like I said before this island is mostly just for tourists and the night life is very popular but we up for just relaxing so we checked out early most nights.
Friday was an awesome day! We rented ATV's and drove all over the island. It was so awesome. The roads there were pretty crazy and some sharp turns. I would go again in an instant if I could. We rode right by the water and up in hills that had fabulous views. It was so cool. I was fried again when we were done because I HAD to wear shorts because it was warm enough. so the tops of my legs got burnt like when I wear shorts when we bale or mow... we looked into getting sunscreen but it was like 15 Euros for a tiny bottle so we suffered... Saturday we took a ferry back to Athens and then stayed in a hostel before leaving Sunday. Sunday was the Greek Orthodox Easter so we weren't able to find anything for breakfast or anything to do so we ended up going to the airport super early and spending a ton of time in the airports all together because of our lay over as well.
I was definitely ready to be back in London by the time we got back. Traveling made me homesick mostly because I wanted my own bed and good pillows. But we are back in London now and I love it here. This city still amazes me everyday. But anyways. That is my super long blog about Spring Holiday. If you want to know more you can ask although I don't know what else I would tell you other than it was great. :)
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