Hello!

This song is dedicated to all my Contiki tourmates!

My favourite things about my trip:

• Meeting amazing people.
• Being able to stay out til 4am most nights and still get up to go to the next day's tours.
• Athens.
• Greece in general! Corfu, Delos, Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Crete, all of it.
• The amazing food (especially the Greek food).
• Getting lost in Rome but feeling happy about it because it allowed me to accidentally discover beautiful things.
• The rooftop and balcony gardens of Rome.
• The peculiar idiosyncrasies of genius tour guides.
• The view onto the picturesque alleyways of Sorrento from our hotel room.
• Drinking games on every hotel terrace.
• Stoney beaches.
• The perfect metro system in Barcelona.
• Up close and personal experiences with my friends Salvador Dali and Antoni Gaudi.
• Turkish ice cream!
• George's boat, George's tzatziki.
• Amazing architecture, sculpture, mosaic work.
• Walking through a street and hearing no English whatsoever.
• European summer.

Day Twentyfour

On my last day in Barcelona I actually woke up earlier than my alarm for once. I finished packing, called a taxi and got to the airport in record timing. I got to check in early enough to choose my seat on the plane! Then I just hung around the airport until it was time to board the plane.

And that was my last day in beautiful Barcelona.

My flight to Doha was alright, I spent my time listening to music but after a while a child started screaming and wouldn't stop. I got a bad headache and decided to sleep it off. I woke up as we were flying over Kandahar, Afghanistan. Then I fell asleep again and woke up as the plane was about to land.

In Doha airport I kept mainly to the duty free area to spend the rest of my riyals! 65 riyals (about AUD$20) is too much money to take for two hour-long stopovers at the airport, considering one bottle of water costs 3 riyals and a meal (from what I saw) cost around 10 riyals. I did get something nice from duty free though so no complaints.

My next flight was the real long haul one, 13 hours from Doha to Melbourne. I slept half of the flight, and the spent the rest listening to music and reading. I watched a version of the film Water for Elephants that was edited by Qatar Airways for "flight viewing" and had all the violence, sex and swearing cut out. As always, the food was excellent.

And now I'm home! Short and sweet description of my day. It's good to be home but I miss everything about being away, staying somewhere new, the beautiful weather and being with the best people. I'll make another post later on with a little summary of my absolute favourite parts of the trip.

Day Twentythree

Today I visited the Teatro-Museu Dalí! It's located in Dalí's home town of Figueres, two hours out of Barcelona by train.

I woke up early to half-pack my bags because I had to swap rooms at the hostel for one night. After I'd put all my stuff in my new room I headed to Fontana train station to catch a train to Diagonal, and then another train to Barcelona-Sants station.

The metro system here is excellent, which I've said already. But the staff at the stations are also excellent. At Sants station I had to buy a ticket for the regional rail line called Renfe to get to Figueres. I went up to one guy to ask him where the desk was to buy the ticket, and instead of pointing and describing, he actually walked me to the desk and told me exactly what I needed to ask for, asked about where I was going and doing and wished me a good day. So nice! So much nicer than surly Connex staff in Melbourne!

I opted to get a ticket for the regional line instead of the faster train because it was way cheaper and only took 20 minutes longer to arrive at Figueres. I was reading on the train (Game of Thrones, excellent, highly recommend it to people who love the tv show) and a man came on at Les Corts station with a guitar and began to sing. First he did "Stand By Me" and then the song from the 'One Tonne Rodeo' ad. In Melbourne I think everyone would have looked away awkwardly but on this train people joined in and danced, and everyone gave him a tip (as did I). I felt like I was in a strange fantasy world.

Looking out the window, only half an hour outside of Barcelona and there was already countryside. Past beautiful Girona it was very foresty. I didn't know Spain had forests, I was used to seeing the rough terrain past the cities in Greece. Past Camallera there was a huge field of sunflowers who were all facing the ground because it was another rare cloudy day.

The sun came out as soon as I arrived in Figueres. It only took ten minutes to walk to the museum from the train station. When I arrived (2pm on the Friday), there was a queue to buy tickets that was easily three hundred metres long. I decided to get lunch and wait for the queue to dissipate. I chose a place called Dalícatessen Cafe because I enjoy a good pun, and took fifteen minutes for a little baguette and a coffee and then decided to brave the queue. Thankfully it had receded by about a hundred metres, and it only took under an hour to get in. This may seem like a long time to wait for a museum but apparently it's absurdly fast for what usually takes up to three hours, at least that's what the people in front of me were saying. Plus it's definitely worth waiting for.

I am so glad I made the trip to Figueres for the day. The Teatro-Museu Dalí is mind-boggling. You know what kind of experience you're in for as soon as you see the bright red castle-like walls with eggs lining the roof. Entering the building after the ticket office, you see Dalí's black car which rains on the inside, with his and Gala's prized boat perched atop a column above it. Under the boat drips bright blue tears.

I explored the whole museum, and every room. The layout is pretty confusing but obviously an element of that is intentional. I saw so many of his paintings that have had an impact on me, some that I'd already seen in Melbourne but I was more than happy to see them in the flesh again. I also got to see the Dalí jewels exhibit which included his famous Pomegranate Heart and another golden heart with ruby valves inside that mechanically beat as if they were real. The entire exhibit was so moving though. Tourists everywhere were taking pictures of the paintings, but I preferred to stand back and look at them, then look at them up close, and then stand back again.

Back to Figueres train station and I only had to wait ten minutes until the train back to Barcelona. I spent the whole time reading again and staring out the window at the beautiful countryside.

I got back to Fontana at 9pm, and decided to try to visit the bookshop again. This time it was open!! I browsed for ages but didn't end up getting anything. I'm just glad my persistence to visit it actually paid off.

After I got back to my room, I started packing my things but decided to leave it until tomorrow morning because I would be more organised and less tired then. 

Tomorrow I have a free morning to pack, and then my flight to Doha leaves at 3:45pm. Back home, so sad! I love Barcelona, Gracia in particular.

Day Twentytwo

Today was my walking tour of the city's Gothic quarter! I woke up late again, and this time I really rushed to the station to get to the meeting place, but I took a wrong turn when walking to Saint Jaume square and I got slightly lost. I ended up at the meeting point five minutes past the hour and my group had already left for the tour, there was no one there. So I thought, "F that", and went on a tour of my own after looking at the tour website and figuring out the itinerary.

First I went to the Catedral de Santa Creu, with its Gothic arches and lush, green central garden. It's probably the only church I've seen with a garden right in the middle and I loved the symbolism of it.

Then I went to the Catedral Santa Maria del Mar again and finally got to have a look inside. In the 30s a group of anarchists set fire to the inside of the cathedral, burning everything wooden down to ashes. The good news is that without all the wooden clutter, the bare stone of the walls is beautiful and simple, and you can really see the scale of the structure without being distracted by too much decoration. I also had a look around the back of the cathedral and it was just as beautiful and elegant, and medieval, as the front.

After that, I ended up at a cute little stationery shop called Papirvm, which specialises in making antique-style notebooks and paper. I didn't buy anything but now I wish I had!

Then I went to the Basilica Sants Just I Pastor S.XIV, which is an imposing, flat-faced Gothic structure. It was closed so I couldn't go in, which is a shame because I'm super interested to see what the interior is like.

The laneways of the Gothic quarter in Barcelona are so winding and skinny, with buildings that seem to lean in to one another with age. It's fairly easy to get lost or miss the street you're looking for. One passer-by commented, "It looks like New York", and not having visited New York I can't comment on whether they are right or wrong. But the whole area has a distinct "old" feeling that separates it from the department stores and the modernism of the other side of Placa Catalunya. This is another great thing about Barcelona, the feeling of visiting smaller cities within a larger city. Every district has something different to see and a totally different atmosphere!

Hidden down a dead end under a church and behind a mountaineering shop, I found the Temple Roma D'Augusti, which is where four ancient Roman columns are located. The temple was a political and religious centre during Roman times, dedicated to Emperor Augustus, until the uprising of Christianity in Spain around 5AD. After it became irrelevant, it was demolished over time until only the four columns remained of the huge building, and the marble was recycled for other buildings such as the Bishop's palace. You would think after Italy, Greece and Turkey that I would be sick of seeing columns everywhere but I'm really not.

After the Temple D'Augusti I found I was really hungry so I strayed from my mini-tour and found a nice cafe (not Starbucks) and had a coffee and a sandwich. I really wish my Spanish wasn't so rusty because I ended up just falling back on English when the waiter asked me a question that was beyond my understanding.

After lunch I went back to have a look in Happy Books! I think it's the best name for a bookshop. But I couldn't find anything I was super interested in to read in Spanish. Afterwards, I made a quick stop at H&M which turned into a long stop. I may have spent an amount of money there.

Then I went to El Corte Ingles, a huge department store, determined to find a hairdryer. The giant megalith that looms over Placa Catalunya is a funny mix of high-end clothes, hardware items and kitschy landfill-destined homewares. But I ended up finding a perfect little travel-sized hairdryer so I was happy. It's decorated in a totally naff traditional Swiss-style design, so I am absolutely keeping it for myself. I just have to figure out a way to fit it in my suitcase.

I decided to go home to the hostel to drop off my shopping before visiting Parc Guell again. I felt my first time visiting it with a tour guide was a bit rushed, so I wanted to see it again. I've discovered that the only problem I have with Barcelona metro is that as you descend to your train stop, because everything is underground it gets hotter and more humid every level you descend to. My line is always two levels down and is always like a sauna by the time I get there. However, the trains are perfectly air conditioned! And they're always on time (at least for me they were) so I could stand the heat for a couple of minutes.

I walked back to Parc Guell, and conveniently found the escalators that take you up the steep hill instead of walking up. This time around at the park I got to relax and look closely at everything in my own time. I got a cold drink and an ice cream and just sat and enjoyed being by myself without a tour group filled with old people who might not have even liked Gaudi at all.

After I'd looked at everything, it was definitely bed time because I was so tired. Contiki cough has definitely stayed past its welcome and is making me exhausted coughing all night. Not cool.

Tomorrow is my last full day in beautiful Barcelona and the day I've been looking forward to. I'm visiting the Teatre-Museu Dalí!!

Day Twentyone

Today was my Gaudi tour day! I woke up late because my phone alarm didn't go off, but miraculously I made it to the meeting point at Placa Catalunya in record time to catch the tour bus.

I opted to do two Gaudi tours in one day, effectively dedicating my entire day to spectacular architecture. My first tour visited Casa Batlló and Colonia Guell, and the second visited Parc Guell and the Sagrada Familia.

We first visited Casa Batlló which was five minutes' drive from Placa Catalunya. Going through the house is a strange experience because your perception of it changes from your ascent to the rooftop, to your descent to the ground floor. From the outside, it seems to be a boney, concretey, mosaic-y puddle of elements, melting together. But the interior is so organic and ergonomically fit to the human body that everything seems to rest together naturally. The walls meld together in such a way that you forget they're there. The windows make you feel as if you're looking out of a cave, and there is so much natural light. The lower levels have a natural, tan colour scheme, and then you get to the staircase which is lined with shocking bright blue tiles and mosaic work. The stairs themselves appear like a spine. The middle two floors are inaccessible because they are privately owned, but we were allowed onto the back terrace of the house, the servant's quarters and the rooftop.

The terrace is excellent because you can see the extent of Gaudi's creative drive. The two houses next to Casa Battló have very decorative facades, but when you look at them from behind on the terrace, they are just as plain as modern apartment buildings. Casa Battló, however, continues its flamboyant mosaic work and bubbling concrete even though you can't see it from the street. It was really impressive and shows how much of a perfectionist Gaudi was.

Up in the servant's quarters, the walls are stark white and the layout is almost labyrinthine. When you see it for the first time, its arches look similar to that of a church. Then you get to the rooftop of the house where the roof is shaped almost like a dragon, and the tiles are shaped to look just like scales. It is apparently meant to signify the dragon slain by St George. After seeing the roof, you go down to the servant's quarters again and the white arched ceilings look like a ribcage. The stairs seem more like the spine of an animal, and the lower levels' natural colours and textural qualities seem like flesh. It makes you feel as if you're walking inside a living, breathing entity.

So I found Casa Battló both a beautiful piece of architecture and a really interesting perceptual experience. I could probably talk about it for ages but I won't!

Some of the tour group I was with just didn't get it though. One old American guy asked, "Do you think he meant to make it so wobbly?"

After Casa Battló, we took our bus to Colonia Guell. On the way, the tour guide explained Gaudi's philosophy: Straight lines don't exist in nature, so why use them in architecture? If God didn't create straight lines naturally, why do we feel compelled to improve on his design?

On the way to Colonia Guell we stopped at Pavellons Guell, which is now a part of a university in Barcelona, and contains a cast iron dragon gate that Gaudi designed to protect the park within.

We continued along to Colonia Guell, driving through the outskirts of the city and the industrial precinct. Colonia Guell was an industrial estate that housed more than seven thousand people at one time, had factories, houses for the workers, recreation areas, a theatre, a school for the children and an estate doctor who lived on the premises. It was designed by Gaudi to have a triangle between the three most important facets of life: work, education and spirituality. The church he was building there was half finished when he abandoned it because the senior Mr Guell passed away and his children didn't want to support Gaudi's eccentricities anymore. So only the church crypt was completed. But it's still really impressive despite being small. It's more melted, twisted and naturalistic than his other structures, keeping to the design elements of art nouveau. After we saw the church, we went to the town's museum where they gave us some sweet cava to drink! I hadn't had lunch by this point so it made me a bit dizzy.

That was the end of that tour, so we finished at Placa Catalunya and I had two hours to wander the city streets until my next tour began. I decided to go to Starbucks again (shame) so I could use the wifi there at the same time as having lunch (shame). So I spent some time doing a bit of emailing. Then I went to Topshop again and found some nice things!

The new tour started where the old one left off so I went to the meeting point again and boarded the bus. We headed straight for Parc Guell, which is where I accidentally walked on my first day in Barcelona. On the way, the tour guide explained the theory and practice of "modernisme" and art nouveau, which rests solely on taking all art/historic periods and mixing them, with lots of ornamentation and general nature themes.

So we got to Parc Guell and it was another sensory overload. Meant to be a residential estate for 60 families, the plans were abandoned after the beginning of the first world war. But that didn't stop Gaudi from living there until 6 months before his death. It is just a really beautiful place. Again, everything is engineered to look and feel natural, but everything man-made serves more than one purpose. Benches overlooking the city skyline also served to collect rainwater for the underground cisterns. A bridge also served as a shady area to sit on hot days and as a part of the plumbing system. It's a really clever place. And it goes without saying, the mosaic work is so beautiful.

The market space under the bench area with its neoclassical columns that all lent inwards was really interesting to see after visiting Rome and Athens and seeing ancient columns for real. It was fun to see Gaudi's interpretation of them.

Another old American lady didn't seem to get it, asking me randomly, "I wonder what people said when it was first built?" I replied, "I know, isn't it beautiful?" and she replied, "Well. It's certainly exotic." Not impressed?

Then we went to the Sagrada Familia, which is now a holy basilica as of five months ago, consecrated by the Pope. The tour guide explained that, as a historian by trade, the Sagrada Familia is sentimental to him because as the city has grown, so too has the basilica grown. Only eight out of the eighteen towers have been completed, and it is meant to be all finished by 2025. The tour guide advised us to be wary here because even though it is a holy place, because so many tourists visit every day, the Sagrada Familia has become a hotspot for pick-pockets, even inside. Except he said it like "pick-pockers" and it was really funny.

Before we went inside, quote of the day came from an old British couple. The old lady said, looking up at the Nativity facade, "It's got sort of a rough-hewn look to it, doesn't it." And her husband replied, "Well that's the nature business, that. See them palm trees."

I had seen photos of the Sagrada Familia from the outside but I'd never seen photos of the inside. I actually had no idea what to expect, as opposed to St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. But as I walked in, I think the Sagrada Familia had more of an effect on me than St Peter's did. The interior is minimal in design, with columns that reach up to the ceiling and explode into huge, stylised palm leaves. Each pair of columns has a subtly different colour because they've used different materials depending on how much weight the columns bear. The stained glass windows stand out because the walls are so plain, and you can really appreciate their colour and symbolism because your eyeballs aren't darting between stimuli. But I really think it was the ceiling that surprised and delighted me the most. It is so symmetrical and peculiar.

The facade above the front entrance of the basilica is definitely overwhelming though, and that's why I took my time to sit down and look at everything individually. Otherwise it just becomes confusing.

We exited the basilica and the sky had become grey and cloudy. I noted that this was the first time I hadn't seen a bright blue sky during my whole holiday! I haven't felt a drop of rain the whole time.

After the tour finished back at Placa Catalunya, I took the train back to Gracia and tried visiting a bookshop I'd been hoping to see while I'm here, but it was closed again.

I ended up going home and falling straight asleep without dinner, which has been all too common lately.

Tomorrow is my walking tour of the Gothic quarter of the city!

Day Twenty

On my second day in Barcelona, I decided to have a go at navigating the metro system! I woke up leisurely and had a fairly relaxing morning. Then I walked to the nearest station to my hostel, Fontana, on Gracia's main street.

I thought I would be overwhelmed by a brand new train system as I find Melbourne's public transport frustrating at best. However, Barcelona metro is clean, efficient and simple. I bought a 10-trip ticket that would see me through for the rest of the week, and the machine worked perfectly. Trains arrive at Fontana every four minutes on the dot, and there is a countdown clock for each arrival. It only took 5 minutes to get to Placa Catalunya, the nerve centre and tourist capital of the city.

I decided to go into town with a faint idea of what to do, and to find interesting things naturally. I ended up at La Rambla, the huge tree-lined tourist road where gypsies hassle you for money every 2 minutes. La Rambla is lined with high-street shops and souvenir vendors alike, and is packed with people. Needless to say I survived about five minutes before feeling tired of it. I headed down a little laneway that was still busy, but quieter in comparison, and was much smaller.

I walked happily down the laneway, and then down another one, and what do I find? The Dalí Barcelona Real Cercle Artístic! That is to say, the small exhibit containing Dalí's rarer sculptures and about 600 drawings and photographs. I felt so lucky that I almost laughed out loud. It was 10 Euros entry but well worth the price, with stunning drawings ranging from his early years to later life, and sculptures ranging from tiny to gargantuan. I'd seen the huge Dalí exhibit that came to Melbourne which was so inspiring, but being able to experience these pieces in their home was very special. The smaller sculptures are surrounded by red velvet curtains which gives the place a very David Lynch feel, and the Gothic arches that loom over the lower level made you feel like you were standing in a church dedicated to art. One room had a ceiling so low I had to hunch over, and between each sculpture room you had to push your way through the heavy red velvet curtains as well. The atmosphere was very surreal. Plus I was the only person in the exhibit the whole time, so it was lucky I found the place when I did.

After the exhibit, I exited to my right, and where did I end up? Right in front of the huge Catedral Santa Maria del Mar. Another example of just stumbling across something fascinating in this city. It was closed for some reason, otherwise I would have gone inside to look at the burned stone interior that I've read about. I took the chance to get some nice souvenirs from a shop nearby.

I left the way I came and ended up at a Spanish bookshop called Happy Books! Because I want my Spanish to get better, I invested in Harry Potter y La Cámara Secreta (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). I would have gotten Azkaban but it had sold out, boo.

I had heard of some nice vintage shops on the other side of La Rambla, so I headed back, holding my bag tightly. La Rambla is also the pick-pocketing capital of Barcelona and I am determined not to get mugged or pick-pocketed while I'm here.

I found the place I was looking for fairly easily, a Barcelona-famous vintage shop called Holala. It had the most amazing selection of clothes organised by decade, so I could zero in on my favourites! I spent such a long time looking that I started to get the dreaded sticky "vintage clothes hands", but I found two skirts that I adore, so it was worth it.

I spent the rest of my time looking at bigger shops like Zara (real Zara!), Mango and Topshop, but didn't really see anything I liked. I went back to some of the little laneways but the places I wanted to look in while passing by were already closed. Barcelona holiday hours in August are pretty random, smaller shops tend to just close whenever they like.

I got the metro back home to Gracia, walking a different route back to my hostel again, finding more little shops. I think Gracia is also the baby capital of Barcelona because it seems as if a third of the shops are dedicated to toys, baby clothes or prams!

I visited a little supermarket where I bought a LOT of orange juice to get some vitamin C for my Contiki cough/cold which is still pestering me.

And then I went home to the hostel, laid down on the bed to find more Sexo en NY on television! I think I might have found my nightly ritual. I didn't fall asleep accidentally though.

Tomorrow is my Gaudi tour of Barcelona! Excited!

Day Nineteen: Barcelona

Today was my very first full day in the fine city of Barcelona! As I fell asleep accidentally again the night before, I didn't set an alarm to wake up at a sensible hour. But I think half of why I keep falling asleep randomly is due to the fairly hectic schedule of the Contiki tour, so I was happy to have a sleep-in.

I spent what was left of the morning researching and booking some tours of the city. I've booked one that focuses on Gaudi's architecture throughout the city and surrounds, and one that is a walking tour of the city's Gothic quarter. I also have a walking tour app on my phone that I plan to do on my last day here.

So I got ready and dressed, and set out to go to the supermarket to get some things and have a look around the suburb where I'm staying. As with most of the things I do when I don't really know where I'm going, this ended up being an epic walking adventure. I'm glad it was a Sunday because the streets were fairly empty so it felt like I had my suburb to myself.

So I first went to the little supermarket and got some bottled water and breakfast food for my room (apples and croissants). Then I walked about 20m down the road and someone mistook me to be more proficient at speaking Spanish than I actually am. They asked me where the supermarket was and I answered something like, "Esta un supermercado... (points) that way." Awkward.

As I kept walking to have a look through my area, it became more apparent that I arrived in Gracia (my suburb) during their festival weekend. Many of the little laneways were decorated by theme. I found a chicken laneway, a plastic bottle/recycling theme laneway, and a Beatles theme laneway! I wish I'd gotten a picture of the Beatles one but I was too busy trying not too look like a tourist because it was near the main street.

Gracia is a special part of Barcelona because it used to be its own municipality until 1897 when it was assimilated into the main city. You can really tell where the suburb begins and ends because all the streets inside are small, one-way and winding, and outside they are big and two-way. There's a really nice artistic and relaxed vibe and I would compare it to Carlton or Northcote in Melbourne.

Anyway, I continued walking down to the Avenida Diagonal, and it was around that time that I stumbled across Gaudi's Casa Milà! I didn't go inside but it was a nice surprise to see it just sitting there amongst the comparatively normal buildings on the street. I plan to go inside at some point while I'm here, though.

Then I did something shameful that I have criticised other tourists for doing when there are so many amazing culinary options in a new city. I got a mocha frapuccino from Starbucks. I was successful in ordering my drink in full Spanish until I presented the barista with a 50 Euro note to pay, and then I think he hated me a little bit.

After finishing at Starbucks I decided to walk back to the hostel to do some more research on where to go in the city. Being by myself for the first time in a while was a bit tiring. I walked home a different way than I expected, and ended up right in front of another of Gaudi's creations: Casa Vicens! It really is true that you'll see something by Gaudi or something of the "modernisme"/art nouveau movement everywhere you look in Barcelona.

I got home, turned on the tv, and found the Spanish version of Sex & the City: Sexo en Nueva York. I was going to have a shower and wash my hair but then I realised my hostel didn't provide me with a hair dryer, and Jordi (the hostel manager) said he'd already lent all of theirs to rooms already. I decided to buy one for while I'm here and donate it to the hostel after I leave. So there came adventure number two: Trying to find an electronics shop that was open on a Sunday, at almost 5pm!

I walked so far through streets and streets of closed shops that I accidentally ended up at the entrance to Parc Guell, one of Gaudi's masterpieces and one of the city's landmarks. I toyed with the idea of going in, but I realised my tour visited it and I wanted to see it with a tour guide who could explain it all. Plus my legs were tired and I was really ready to have a shower and lie down, it was so hot.

So I walked back down to Gracia and ended up at one of the laneway's live music gigs! I was still really tired but spent a while there listening to the music and people-watching. Many parents had brought their little children and babies out to the gig which I thought was really nice, there was a strong sense of community in the atmosphere.

After that, I went home, too tired to think of going somewhere for dinner. I ended up having a shower and combing my hair dry which worked just as well as a hair dryer! Sexo en Nueva York was still on tv for some sort of marathon, so I watched it for ages. I knew all the dialogue already after seeing the show so many times, so I used it as a Spanish learning exercise.

I'm proud to say that I fell asleep after brushing my teeth and getting changed. Today was a fairly low-key day but I was still really tired and fell asleep instantly.

Day Eighteen: Athens to Helsinki to Barcelona

Today was my big flight day from Athens to Barcelona! As you will find out, buying the cheapest tickets you can find on the internet does not always eventuate in smooth travelling.

I spent the morning packing my suitcase since I'd accidentally fallen asleep while packing the night before. Unfortunately because of this, I didn't have time to eat breakfast, which is a key element in this story.

I took a taxi to the airport but when trying to communicate with the non-English speaking driver I had to wave my arms around like an airplane until the driver understood where I wanted to go. Apart from that he was a fun driver who did a lot of dancing to traditional Greek music on the radio. I was really sad to say goodbye to Athens but it was a nice send-off with such a jolly Greek taxi driver.

Arriving at the airport, I was incredibly early because it seems that within the EU, you only need to check in about 1-2 hours before your flight. I arrived 3 hours before my flight was due to board, as I would have done for flying overseas from Australia. So I had a bit of a wait until the lady arrived at the check-in desk, but because of my earliness, I got to be the first person to check in and avoided a huge queue.

So I hadn't eaten breakfast, and walking through the duty free shops, I was struck with a sudden food-deprived urge to spend money. I ended up buying a fairly expensive bag but I don't regret it at all! It was my first ever duty free purchase!

I was pretty hungry by the time we boarded the plane, but I figured that instead of getting something at the airport I would eat on the plane. Mistake! My tickets were so cheap because they didn't actually serve food, and you had to pay for sandwiches or other foodstuffs kind of like when you fly with Jetstar. Unfortunately my love of budget airfares had led me to do little to no research on whether my flight actually served food. I tried to buy something but I was stuck on a window seat, and every time the cart passed by the couple next to me waved it away. So I had nothing to eat during my four hour flight either.

I forgot to mention, my flight actually went from Athens to Helsinki, and then Helsinki to Barcelona. Again, to justify the logical fallacy of choosing this flight over one that went directly to Barcelona: it was about $150 cheaper than any other I could find, and at a really convenient time of the day so I could sleep normally, and I figured why not spent an hour in Finland? The fact that I would spend 8 hours total flying didn't really occur to me. That and I think I had one beer before I bought my ticket. Don't judge me.

I arrived at Helsinki airport starving and thirsty, but felt it would be most important to check in to my next flight first before I had something to eat. However there was no one available from my airline at any desk anywhere who could check me in. I spent a good half hour running around trying to find someone, until I saw the tiniest of signs at the randomest of desks that said I could check in at my departure gate half an hour before boarding. So boo on you Helsinki airport for being confusing and non-transparent. Thankfully my flight was delayed but I only had enough time to eat a ham and pickle sandwich and buy some snacks and water for my next flight, before I had to check in and board the plane. I could have spent that initial frantic half hour looking in Marimekko or the Moomin shop!! Damn you Helsinki airport!

Moral of the story: keep it simple and book a direct flight next time.

The best thing about flying in to Helsinki was looking down onto the city from the plane. The houses looked like doll houses surrounded by a Lego forest. So cute.

The flight from Helsinki to Barcelona was pretty good because I had snacks and some cute Spanish kids to make faces at. On this flight I spent my time reading instead of worrying about when I was going to eat next. So when I arrived in Barcelona, I felt much better compared to when I arrived in Helsinki.

I took a taxi to my hostel and because my plane was late, I was a little bit late to check in. But the manager didn't seem to mind and gave me a special map to all the sights of the city, which I really appreciated.

My room is really nice, with a tv and big bathroom and a bright red feature wall. As soon as I put my things down, I flopped on the bed and turned on the tv, only to find a dubbed version of the film Ghost World! One of my favourite films. So I saw it as a good omen for my time in Barcelona.

I was doing some research on tours of the city when I accidentally fell asleep fully clothed again. I'm going to start getting ready for bed earlier because I'm starting to worry that I have narcolepsy.

Day Seventeen: One Day in Athens

So after the previous night's drunken celebrations, we all managed to be off the ship and ready with all our bags by 7am, which I think is an absolute miracle. We took the bus to Syntagma Square, where we all said our goodbyes and headed off in different directions. It was especially sad to say goodbye to the Contiki kids who I'd been with since the beginning of the month! Seems like a really long time ago that the tour began and we were just getting to know each other. We were more like a family by the end.

I only had to walk one metro station down Ermou St and then I was back in the beautiful suburb of Monastiraki. Luckily I was able to check in early at my hotel because I really needed to continue sleeping.

After waking up, I decided to wander the streets of Athens and see what I could find, which is probably my favourite thing to do in such a beautiful city. I wasn't able to wander at leisure during the tour, apart from when we had free time, so it was nice to have a whole day to myself, to discover the city for myself. The good thing about Athens is that there is something either ancient or interesting on almost every city block.

First I walked to the Ancient Agora, the birthplace of democracy, where men met to discuss politics and morality. It was also the site where Socrates did a lot of his philosophising. I was still a bit tired so I just sort of sat there for a while and took everything in.

Then I came across Hadrian's Library, not 5 minutes from where I was staying, right around the corner from the Agora. Hadrian is probably my favourite Roman emperor so I was excited to look around the place. The columns, steps and one wall are still standing, but not much else is. Still, when you think about what it would have been like as an ancient library, I would give anything to take a time machine and do some more exploring.

Then I wandered back to the Agora and to the Tower of the Winds, which is probably the oldest example of a clocktower. The friezes on the top of the tower are still intact - rare that someone hadn't stolen them for their personal collection - and depict the eight wind deities of Ancient Greek mythology that correspond to directions on a compass.

After my mini tour through Ancient Greece, I decided to do a spot of shopping at the Monastiraki flea market again. I found the most amazing vintage book/toy/homewares/war memorabilia shop where the old man owner accused me of taking photos inside the shop, which I denied because I hadn't taken any photos, and somewhere in the middle of the conversation we became the best of friends. I ended up spending ages in there just talking to this old guy about Athens, and by the end when I wanted to buy some things, he discounted them so heavily that I didn't need to haggle the price. The shop was going to close down in a fortnight and as I left, the man called out to me, "Promise me one thing - never forget me or my shop!"

Then I went to another shop that was a totally intense experience because it was full of beautiful antiques, but in piles that you physically had to sort through. I ended up finding something incredible but I'll save it for a surprise when I get back home! The owner was a bit gruff but became nicer when I asked about the cat that seemed to always stay at his feet, no matter where he walked. As it turned out, the cat's name was Mortis, and the owner saved his life a couple of years ago when he nursed him back to health after having been hit by a car. Now, Mortis never leaves his side and comes to work with him every day. I even got to pat and cuddle Mortis, which was good because now I've had my cat fix and don't feel the uncontrollable need to pat all the cats I see on the street.

My last stop of the day was a total coincidence but a very happy one! In Athens there are shops everywhere selling sandals that claim to be handmade but you can kind of tell that they aren't. There was a style I had my eye on but none of the shops ever had my size - another sign that they were mass produced somewhere that doesn't cater to above size 9. Anyway, I was walking in a new direction and saw some amazing street art down an alleyway. I walked down and took a photo, turned around, and found the sandal shop of Melissinos, the Poet Shoemaker! As it turns out, all the sandals sold in the markets are direct copies of his designs, except not handmade and way more expensive. So I had to get some sandals made while I was there, in the style I was looking for the whole time! The fact that he has made sandals for John Lennon and the rest of the Beatles didn't hurt either. I tried on the Lennon style sandal but they didn't suit me. If you want to Google this amazing shop, I got design #12, the Gallico!

After blowing my budget for the day I thought it would be best if I went back to the hotel to catch up on my emails and to collapse on my bed under the air conditioning. I got a text from two Contiki lovelies who were staying on in Athens for the night as well, and we decided to meet up for dinner in the Plaka area. 

We had a huge platter of Greek delicacies at a restaurant next to another ruined ancient structure whose name I didn't catch. There was a family of cats and kittens sleeping amongst the fallen columns which we thought was so cute.

After dinner it was time to say goodbye to my friends, which was sad because we'd had so much fun together over the last sixteen days.

I headed back to my hotel and started packing up my things to get ready for my flight the next day. As has been the case for most of my trip, I fell asleep accidentally without getting changed or brushing my teeth. And that was my last day in the magical city of Athens.

Day Sixteen

Today we visited beautiful Crete! It was the last official day of my Contiki tour, so towards the end it got quite busy. We had also booked a tour that took us away from the capital city of Heraklion and into the mountainous areas.

We started off by visiting the Monastery of the Panayia Kera in the mountains, where the Virgin Mary performed a miracle in the 1600s. During that time, Crete was invaded and occupied by the Turks who sought to suppress the Greek Orthodox church on the island. A group of Turks stole the icon of the Virgin Mary from the small church at the monastery, but it returned itself to the monastery and chained itself to a pillar, which was considered a miracle. The same icon and chains were on display inside the church to see and touch. Inside the church were also beautiful Byzantine frescoes, which were very dark because they haven't been restored. The frescoes were also missing in places because during the Turkish occupation, the locals put plaster over the decorated walls so the church wouldn't be demolished. So there were only about half of the frescoes left, but what was left was beautiful and very unlike any of the others I've seen on the Greek islands. It was much more morbid, showing people burning, being eaten by giant fish, and so on. But still beautiful in a dark way. We finished our tour by walking through the secret tunnel corridor where, during the Turkish occupation, children were taught in secret the Greek alphabet and religion.

Our second stop was my favourite of the day: the cave high up in the mountains where the Greek god Zeus is said to have been born and hidden from his father Cronus  until he was old enough to defeat him and become king of the gods.

First we had to trek up to the top of Mount Ida which was an ordeal for someone wearing thongs, i.e. myself. We had the option of taking a donkey up but I chose to get some exercise instead. It took about half an hour of steep rocky paths to get to the top. Once we got there, we formed single file and approached the mouth of the cave, which seemed small until you approached the 200 steps going down. It was about 35 degrees Celsius at that time of the day and standing at the top of the steps, you could feel cold air blowing out of the cave and hitting you. Usually it's about 18 degrees in the cave but it felt freezing because I've gotten so used to hot weather. It was very refreshing though, and the cave itself was impressive with enormous stalactites and stalagmites aged roughly 2 million years old. It was another place that felt so special when you were there, and we got to throw coins in the pool of water at the bottom of the cave to pay homage to Zeus. It was eerie though because the cave's rock formations look to be a normal rock-colour when you look at them with your own eyes, but when you take a photo of them without flash, everything is bathed in an ethereal green light.

After Zeus' cave, we headed to our lunch destination which was located near some shops selling handmade goods such as weaving, pottery, carvings and candles. There was also a natural zoo with some of Crete's mountain goats inside. We had a wander around and then went to lunch which was a five course meal of traditional Cretan dishes, all incredibly delicious.

After lunch, we went to a little beach that is a favourite with the locals on the island. After walking up a mountain it was lovely to just walk right into the warm sea, which was just what we needed. We spent a couple of hours just floating in the sea and it was the perfect end to our day.

After the tour ended we didn't have enough time to see the rest of Crete. Next time I go, I will definitely be visiting the Minoan Palace of Knossos!!

After getting back on the boat we went to a series of meetings about the disembarkation schedule of the ship, and our Contiki guide helped us out with planning for getting to our various hotels and hostels tomorrow in Athens. We had a farewell dinner where we all sat together on one huge table. Later that night at the ship disco we played a massive game of Slaps, which was the drinking game and not the card game. I kept losing and having to take shots so after a couple of rounds I thought it best to retire to bed considering we had to be off the boat by 7am.

Athens tomorrow, the end of Contiki and the start of a new solo travelling adventure to Barcelona! I have had the best time on the Contiki tour, apart from being sick with the famous cough towards the end. I've met the best people who I will definitely be keeping in contact with. Missing them already.

Day Fifteen

My time with Contiki will soon be coming to a close! Today we visited Santorini, tomorrow is Crete, then we finish up in Athens the next day.

Today we anchored in the sea outside Santorini at about 8am and headed downstairs to the tenderboat which would take us from the ship to the tiny harbour of the island. The cruise ship experience is all very new to me, so taking one boat from another boat to get to the harbour was pretty weird, although all the older people on the ship seemed to be totally used to it.

We started the day on Santorini with a trip to the village of Oia. Our tour guide described it as "glorious", and I have to say I agree with him. It's just like everything you see on stereotypically Greek postcards, of domed white and blue buildings clinging to the side of the cliffs. But way more beautiful in real life, especially with the perfect weather we had today. We had a chance to wander its picturesque narrow streets and have a look into lots of the little buildings (which just so happened to be shops), and just take in the spectacular view. From where we were, we could directly see the giant volcano that was responsible for sinking the majority of the island into the sea during the height of the Minoan civilisation, about 3000 years ago.

Our tour guide also seemed to be an archaeology buff and told us all about Akrotiri, which is where the extensive Minoan ruins were discovered on Santorini. On the site there are giant frescoes and many buildings, some of which are up to three storeys high, all perfectly preserved thanks to the volcano ash that covered the island (similarities with Pompei again). Looking at pictures of it now, I might have read about it in the past, but I actually had no idea it was located on Santorini so I felt a bit ignorant. It's currently closed to visitors so we weren't allowed to go there, but once the site is opened up again I definitely want to visit! It sounds like the most interesting archaeological site, especially since the buildings are so "modern" compared to other buildings of that time.

After our tour of Oia, we went to Fira to see the main town and were given the rest of the day free. We decided to visit one of Santorini's famous black sand beaches at Kamari, but we all stupidly forgot to wear our bathers so we couldn't actually swim there. But we made it past the blisteringly hot black sand and rocks to walk our bare legs into the water, which was nice. After a while we decided to have an ice cream and sit down for a bit and I had one that was baklava flavoured - so good. Then it was back to Fira on the incredibly crowded bus which was an hour late due to the way Greeks perceive time on the islands. Definitely gives me a new appreciation for public transport in Melbourne, although the two are easily comparable.

For the rest of the day in Fira we just did our usual thing, had a look in some churches, ate a gyros in the shade, and looked around the shops. The buildings in Fira are similar to Oia, but generally larger, so it feels less quaint, but the town is still very pretty. The view from everywhere was amazing, as the town sits high on the clifftop, the same as Oia. We could see our cruise ship from above which was much smaller than the other ones in the bay. We ended the day with a cold drink overlooking the bay, the volcano, and our ship.

That night we had a little Contiki cocktail party at the ship disco, and it was good to have everyone together for a drink instead of scattered throughout the different bars on the ship. Again, after two cocktails I was ready for bed. My Contiki cough is getting better but I think one solid week of drinking every night and getting up early every morning is enough for me for now. I'm still needing sleep to make up for last week.

As I mentioned before, tomorrow we're finally visiting Crete, which I am very excited about!

Day Fourteen

Today we had four hours on the little island of Patmos before heading to Kusadasi in mainland Turkey. The ship docked at Patmos at 6am and a couple of us decided to quickly visit the Grotto of the Apocalypse and St John's Monastery up in the mountains.

We decided to go without a tour guide so that we could go early and avoid the crowds, and we took a taxi up because otherwise it would have taken about an hour to walk up the winding roads. It was only 30 Euros so roughly 8 each, definitely a bargain considering the tour would have cost 55 Euros each. Luckily we ended up beating the tour crowds by about fifteen minutes at each site, which was enough for us to enjoy the sites on our own before being surrounded by people and still taking everything in.

The Grotto of the Apocalypse is apparently where St John received messages from God which he then wrote for the Book of Revelations in the Bible. It was a strange feeling being there and not being a Christian, as I could appreciate it from a historical perspective, and it definitely felt very special. But it was overwhelming being eventually surrounded by pilgrims who had physically walked up the mountain and were crying and wracked with emotion at the fact that they were visiting somewhere very significant to their religion. It was very beautiful though, and the mosaic work outside the grotto was stunning.

Next we visited St John's Monastery which was further up the mountain, strategically built above the grotto. We spent some time in the church there which seemed like it was carved out of gold, if you judged by the level of decoration of the inside. A monk came out and discussed the church in Greek, and obviously we had no idea what he was saying but we listened anyway. The artwork inside and on the outside part of the church was incredibly complex, and I think it illustrated what John said would happen during the Christian apocalypse, but I didn't ask anyone about it so it might just be my interpretation. We also spent some time exploring the monastery, with its tiny doors and staircases, randomly ending up on balconies overlooking the courtyard, and finding amazing views of the town and bay below the mountain. The monastery was really lovely and also had some beautiful mosaic work of St John and of the Byzantine emperor who helped to build it.

We ended up back at the ship at around 9:30am. We weren't going to be in Kusadasi until around 2pm, so we had lots of spare time on the ship after waking up so early. After a while I got really, really bored. I'm not sure how I passed the time but I know I didn't take a nap.

So we went straight to Kusadasi and started our tour of the ancient city of Ephesus. The site was much better preserved than that of Delos (even though Delos is still my favourite), and reminded me a lot of Pompei with the stories behind the buildings. For example, the fact that there was a hidden tunnel from the library to the brothel so that men could tell their wives they were going to the library when in fact they were headed somewhere else entirely. The sculptures are so well preserved, and the huge facade of the library is so impressive. It's so tall for so old a structure, even when you consider the fact that it has been pieced back together over the years. The design is amazing and has such detail. The giant theatre was also very impressive and it was lovely and breezy at the top, after such a hot day. Again it was a strange feeling walking through history. The archaeologists are uncovering more of Ephesus every day, so it was also exciting to walk through somewhere where we have continuing opportunities to learn something new about ancient life.

After Ephesus, we were given some free time to explore Kusadasi and of course we went for a feast dinner and then some shopping. I tried the Turkish version of a shepherd's pie for lunch (delicious) and bought lots of presents for people. And after we got back onto the ship, that was the last of my Turkish experience. I definitely want to spend more time there in the future, I can think of a million more things that I want to do.

Tomorrow we'll be on the beautiful island of Santorini!!

Day Thirteen

Day thirteen was probably my favourite day so far. Actually, lots of days have been my favourite but this has been my favourite since coming onto the cruise ship. We weren't due to land in Mykonos until 4pm, but the ship was way ahead of schedule, so we arrived at 3pm. Some of us chose to do the Delos trip, and some didn't, so I bid goodbye to my buddies and my new little tour group headed to Delos on a little boat. It only took 35 minutes to get from Mykonos to Delos and despite people warning us it would be rocky and we would get sick, I didn't feel queasy at all.

Delos is one of the islands in the Cyclades, and is arguably one of the most important sites in Ancient Greek mythology, being the place where the twins Apollo and Artemis were born. It has 1400 years of history all on the one island, which is surprising when you are there, because you would expect somewhere lush and green to support such an extended history. In actual fact, the land is near barren and impossible to farm, and water was hard to come by. It was first a place for pilgrims to come and worship Apollo, then the Romans came in and made it a tax-free trading island, so it was an incredibly busy place before it was ransacked by pirates and abandoned by everyone who lived there, which was close to 25,000 people. The island was also purified by the Ancient Greeks, which means there must be no deaths or births on the island. Pregnant women and sickly people were taken to the island of Naxos in order to give birth or die.

The tour guide we had for Delos was amazing. She was so knowledgeable and was big on having us close our eyes and imagine life as it would have existed a thousand years ago. The second best thing about touring Delos was that it is usually closed on Mondays, but the ship arranged for the island to be open by talking directly to the Greek department of tourism. So it was just our little group, all alone on the island, and it was so quiet. After visiting amazing sites like the Acropolis and Sistine Chapel which were packed to the gills with people, it was so special to be all by ourselves.

Delos is one of the sunniest places in the world (scientifically tested), and it was so hot. But I felt freezing because I had goosebumps the whole time. The mythology behind the island is fascinating and it's so weird when you're there because you can just imagine it happening.

First we were shown the main market square, and the Temple of the Delians. We saw the Terrace of the Lions, which its statues that roar towards the Sacred Lake where Apollo and Artemis are said to have been born. Inside the lake, there is one lone palm tree, which Leto is said to have held on to as she was giving birth to the twins. We were incredibly lucky to be able to walk on the lake, as it has been drained, and touch the palm tree as well. Then we stopped for a drink, and then headed towards the more modern part of the island, where all the residents stayed after the island became a trading centre. The houses and shops are so well-preserved, and in the House of the Dolphins and the House of Dionysus, there were the most beautiful mosaics on the floor, in near perfect condition. Our last stop was at the ancient theatre, where the backings of some of the seats are still intact, and are actually really comfortable to sit in. After the conclusion of our tour, we walked back through the winding ancient streets, which were designed a lot like the streets of Mykonos, back to our boat.

Even just looking at the rocky ground past the houses, you could see discarded shards of terracotta that could have been a part of a jug or bowl. The island is filled with archaeology that hasn't yet been discovered. The whole time I was overwhelmed at the fact that I was walking where Ancient Greek mythology began, and I got a bit emotional towards the end just thinking about it. Thankfully some other people did as well so I wasn't embarrassed. I actually told the tour guide how I felt and she said she feels like that every day she's there. It's a really special place.

We took our boat back to Mykonos to meet the others who had shopped up a storm while we were gone. I had plenty of time to catch up - and catch up I did - before we had a delicious gyros dinner under the windmills as the sun was setting over the sea. The island of Mykonos is known for its party atmosphere, but we didn't visit Paradise Beach where all the action happens, preferring to stay in the town and wander the maze-like streets. It really was like a labyrinth, built to confuse pirates who would regularly visit and overstay their welcome.

All-aboard time for the ship was 10pm, but to avoid traffic we ended up coming back at around 9. Then we had a couple of drinks while watching Mykonos disappear before us as the ship sailed away for the night. It was another early night for us sick individuals.

Tomorrow is the island of Patmos, and Kusadasi! I'm also doing a guided tour of Ancient Ephesus which I am really looking forward to.

Day Twelve

Today the cruise ship was scheduled to arrive at Izmir at 2pm! So in the morning we had some free time to get things done such as writing postcards, a bit of sunbathing and some emailing. The ship arrived early and we were able to wander the town at our leisure, because we hadn't booked any activities for the day.

First we went to a little shisha bar by the sea. I didn't indulge because I want my Contiki cough to get better sooner rather than later. So instead I had a nice hot Turkish apple tea which helped my throat a bit.

We decided to walk into the centre of the city instead of getting a taxi or taking a ride on a horse and carriage. It was a fairly long walk but it was beside the churning waters of the Bosphorus so it was very windy, which offset the heat. This is where we observed the worst of the Turkish men who seemed to very much enjoy the effect the wind had on our skirts.

We arrived into town in about 40 minutes walk, and arrived at the main square where there was a beautiful little acting mosque. It was just about prayer time and we saw men outside the mosque washing their elbows and knees and face from golden taps and sinks.

We wandered into the main bazaar where there were many shops, but they were very modern and not the traditional type of Turkish wares that I like best. Likely because it was a local place and not catering to what tourists want. But the girls loved going into all the gold shops, since gold was fairly cheap in Izmir compared to Istanbul. I didn't buy much because not a lot took my fancy. It was just nice to wander amongst locals instead of tour groups.

Before walking back to the ship we had a bite to eat, and I had possibly the best cheese sandwich I have ever eaten, and more hot apple tea. After a while the call to prayer sounded and a whole bunch of men jumped up and ran for the mosque.

So today was a bit different because we didn't really see the sights of Izmir, we just chilled and wandered the place. I'm absolutely sure there is way more to see in Izmir that we missed, but our stopovers in Turkey are short enough (i.e. day trips) to warrant another, fuller visit later on.

We hadn't been doing much partying on the ship because we've all been sick, but that night we made an effort and went to karaoke in the ship disco. My throat was still troubling me so I didn't sing, but I was fine watching drunk people make fools of themselves. Two cocktails and I was basically asleep, so I retired to bed.

I don't think I've described our cabin in the ship. It's an inside cabin with no window, which is perfectly fine by me because I opted to pay less for it. You just have to turn all the lights on in the morning to trick yourself into understanding that the sun has come up. It's very small, I would say snug. But its smallness is good because it motivates you to get up and out to explore rather than staying in bed.

Tomorrow we're on Mykonos for the day! I also have an excursion planned for the island of Delos - very exciting.

Day Eleven

Today we had a whole day to see the sights of Istanbul! We woke up early to have breakfast at the buffet lounge of the ship, and then it was announced that we would arrive earlier than scheduled so we could see the ship arriving into the port as we were eating breakfast. It was really beautiful. Istanbul is such an old and culture-rich history, which you can definitely tell just from looking at the outside. The buildings are so pretty, some of which date back to the year 2 AD. From what our tour guide was saying, it seemed like the majority of the larger buildings were built in the 15th century, and are still standing and as important to the population today as they were back then.

We started off our tour today with a visit to the Blue Mosque, or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. I got in trouble because I was wearing a dress with no sleeves, and was covering my shoulders and back with a long scarf, but a small patch of back was showing for about ten seconds. I was told off pretty well and was paranoid about accidentally revealing skin for the rest of the visit. But it was a really beautiful and peaceful place, and I found it difficult to take photos because none of the pictures I took gave the place justice. I couldn't capture it in a photo so I had to take plenty of "mind pictures". The tiles are so beautiful and are a perfect example of why the art and architecture in Istanbul is so amazing. It was so beautiful, and like many of the places we've seen, it was difficult to believe that such intricate detail, and giant domes, could have been constructed in the 17th century in just 7 years.

Next we visited Hagia Sophia, which was a short walk away. Hagia Sophia is much older than the Blue Mosque and looks way more Byzantine in its construction, and is less decorated, although the ceilings had some impressive mosaics and a beautiful dome featuring the Archangels Gabriel and Michael. I actually loved Hagia Sophia more than the Blue Mosque for its richer history, going from church to mosque to museum over time, and for its ancient ramps that felt like secret passageways from the main level to the upper level. The interior design is fairly understated, with striped marble instead of floral tiles on the walls, and I loved the intricacy of the mosaics, especially the one featuring Emperors Justinian and Constantine. Hagia Sophia is much older than the Blue Mosque, and the marble steps to enter the building were completely worn down by millions of feet over more than a thousand years. It reminded me of Pompei where you could see where the chariots rode down the stones of the main street by the indentations left by the wheels.

Then we visited a carpet shop in the main part of the city for a chance to sit in some air con, drink some apple tea and see a carpet-making demonstration. There was one carpet I really wanted to buy but one of the other girls snapped it up before I had a chance to ask how much it was - shame. It was a really rich-coloured, geometric style carpet that I would have hung on a wall if I had been quick enough.

We had a small amount of time to visit the Grand Bazaar which wasn't enough in my opinion. Next time I'm in Istanbul I would definitely be interested in spending hours there. I can see how it would be incredibly easy to get lost though. We only stayed on the main 'road' of the bazaar and it was still disorienting. It was so busy, so full of people, but there were so many treasures to be sorted through that we just didn't have enough time to do it justice, especially since we didn't have time to visit the antiques part where I most wanted to go. Next time!!

Next, we visited Topkapi Palace to have lunch and wander the palace gardens. There were so many cats lying around that we started taking a picture collection of "Cats of Istanbul". Lunch was delicious Turkish fare and we were so full by the end that we sat under big trees in the garden until pinecones started raining down on people. Topkapi was also an amazing example of classic Turkish architecture and interior design.

After Topkapi Palace, we were free to go back onto the ship if we wanted. However, it was only 4pm by this time, and 'all aboard' time was 7:30pm, so we decided to visit the Spice Markets of Istanbul. It was only a short walk across the bridge (and across continents), where there were so many men fishing from the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is a clear blue-turquoise colour, which I am not used to considering the muddy brown of the Yarra. It seemed to be constantly choppy, definitely not like a normal river.

At the Spice Markets we were treated to so many free tastings of Turkish Delight. It was funny to see where the Turkish men thought we were from - one man went up to a girl and just asked, "New Jersey?", and she's from Sydney. But it was a really good place to shop and get some presents for people (and maybe for myself), and the shopkeepers were friendly and open for a good bargain. It seemed to be like the Grand Bazaar but on a much smaller scale, and with aromas of delicious spices. After we had finished shopping, we decided to get a Turkish ice cream from one of the stalls out the front. Turkish ice cream is way chewier than normal ice cream, but infinitely more delicious, especially with chopped pistachioes on top. Someone said that it was chewy because it's partially made from grape skins, but I don't know if there's any truth to that.

I would definitely love to spend longer than one day in Istanbul in the future. It is such an interesting city with the richest history, and there is so much more to see. The good thing about doing a tour is that you see the basics, and then are incredibly inspired to see more and more.

After the market, we retired to our ship, and hung around before going to one of the nicer restaurants for dinner. The good thing about staying on a cruise ship is that all our meals are included with the price of staying in a room. So you can go to eat in the buffet and have an assortment of cuisines for dinner, or you can go to a classier restaurant and have some delicious Turkish seafood dish, but you won't have to pay for either of them. It is excellent.

Something new about this leg of the trip is that most of us have developed the "Contiki Cough", which happens to everyone who does a Contiki tour. It's not quite a headcold, not quite a sore throat, but somewhere between the two. It's funny though because whenever we're all on a bus or in a room together, everyone is coughing at the same time. Thankfully it'll probably be gone by the time I get back to Melbourne.

Tomorrow we're visiting Izmir at 2pm! We'll probably go to the bazaar there and do a bit more shopping before sharing a nice shisha by the seaside, and then it's back to the boat.

Day Ten

Today was our travel day from Athens to Istanbul! Our big group split off into two little groups in the morning and we headed to our cruise ship, the M/S Louis Cristal, at 10 in the morning. It's the first time I've ever been on a cruise ship so I was pretty nervous about becoming seasick but so far it hasn't been too bad.

That morning, however, I was incredibly hungover from the night before so the boat felt like it was swaying more than it should have been. We organised all our optional activities early on in the day and had a clear schedule on the ship to do whatever we wanted because it would take 24 hours to get from Athens to Istanbul by sea. So we decided to first have a nice lunch at the buffet dining room, sort out our on-board accounts and have a look at the shops, do a bit of internetting, and then have a look outside. After a while we decided to get some sunbaking done and I fell asleep immediately, but thankfully had the presence of mind to turn over after a while so both my sides have a fairly even tan.

By the end of the day I was feeling really queasy with a combination of a persistent hangover and the first time of staying on a ship for an extended period of time. So I stayed with the Contiki group at the ship disco (totally naff but fun) for a little while before I started falling asleep on my feet. Then I went to bed, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and woke up at 5am still fully dressed and without having brushed my teeth. I felt as if it were the first day in Rome and I was extremely jetlagged again. Thankfully my new roommate is just as deep a sleeper as my old one so I was able to get dressed and brush my teeth without waking her up.

So that day was a bit of a "nothing" day but at least I now know what it's like to be hungover on a cruise ship.

Istanbul tomorrow!

Day Nine

Today was our guided tour of the Acropolis! It was the only thing we had scheduled to do in the morning, and the rest of the day we were allowed to have lunch and discover Athens for ourselves until it was time for dinner.

I will preface this entry by saying that I have absolutely fallen in love with Athens and I want to live there. It actually reminds me a lot of Melbourne, and is so easy to get around, with incredible restaurants and shops, with the added bonus of beautiful views of the Acropolis. We could see very clearly the Acropolis from the 7th floor terrace of our hotel, and at night it was lit up with bright yellow lights. There was also an amazing flea market in Monastiraki where we were staying that I could have explored for hours. Basically I adored it and could have stayed for a week more, or even longer. Our suburb was only 10 minutes walk away from the beautiful suburb of Plaka which sits at the foothills of the Acropolis.

So we went very early in the morning, and made our way through the horrendous tourist bus traffic that heads to the Acropolis early in the morning to evade the heat. It was so busy with so many people that we actually noticed a lot of freaks out and about. We saw a man wearing shiny black lycra leggings and Peter Pan-style boots. We saw lots of women wearing heels and slipping about on the marble and gravel. And finally, we saw a woman carrying a cat around in a backpack.

Anyway, we got a ticket for entry to the Acropolis and to the other sites such as the Parthenon and Hadrian's Library. However, we only had time to see the Parthenon so the others will have to wait for the next time I visit Greece (which is likely to be soon judging by how much I loved it).

We walked up so many marble steps, through old gates and marble columns strewn across the ground to see the giant Parthenon, and I pretty much fell in love. I couldn't stop staring at it and got a bit emotional, but I had warned some of my tourmates that I would have that reaction, so it wasn't embarrassing. I don't know what else to say about it other than that I felt so small and insignificant. It was so beautiful. We took so many photos, one of which is my current Facebook picture. I want to go again so I can spend more time there and visit the other sites as well. We had been warned that it would be swelteringly hot but it was actually perfect weather: sunny but not hot, breezy but not cold. So all in all it was an experience I'll never forget. I feel really lucky to be able to see these things while they're still around.

After the Acropolis, we went on a bus tour of the city, showing the site of the first modern Olympics and some of the parliamentary buildings. We also passed by Syntagma Square, where the tour guide mentioned nothing of the recent protests and everyone was walking around seemingly without a care in the world.

After the bus tour, we all went back to our hotels and decided to wander the city. Myself and a friend went to get a giant feast lunch of moussaka, grilled haloumi cheese, tzatziki and potato chunks. So good. Greek food has been my favourite out of all the foods I've eaten so far. Everything tastes so fresh compared to the Greek food in Melbourne and I find myself actually enjoying eating tomatoes for the first time ever. Later on we went to buy some presents for people and found the aforementioned flea market where I scored some really interesting things.

For dinner, we went to a delicious dinner in Plaka, where during our breaks between appetisers and mains, men and women came out to perform traditional dances and invite us to dance as well. I had the best time.

That night was the last night our big crew would be together, as some people opted to do the 3-day cruise, and some people the 7-day cruise, so our group would be on different boats visiting different islands. So that night was going to be a big one. We went to a little bar not too far from the hotel and drank and sang and danced and had the best time. Obviously I'm writing this in the past tense because I'm about two days late, and I can say that at this point in time I miss them all so much! If any of them are reading, you have the stalker sheet, you know where to find me. I'd love to keep in touch with all of you.

The next day was our travel day from Athens to Istanbul, Turkey!

Day Eight

Today was our travel day from Corfu to Athens. We began by waking up with the biggest hangover of the trip as a result of the generous drinks at the toga party. Thankfully we didn't have any activities to do today, just ferry and bus travel.

We took the ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, which only took an hour and a half. Being hungover on a moving ferry on the sea is an interesting experience but not necessarily something I'm looking to recreate. After we got to the mainland, it was on to the bus and then we had six hours of bus trip to get to Athens.

After a couple of hours we stopped at Amfilochia for a gyros! A bit like a souvlaki but smaller and contains hot chips as well as the standard meat, salad and tzatziki. It was the perfect antidote to our hangovers which were being aggravated by the bus travel.

We got in to Athens around 6pm. Our bus parked a couple of streets away from our hotel and we got to walk through the alleyways (which remind me a lot of Melbourne) to get to it. We had some time to have a shower and a quick nap and then we had dinner at a little restaurant which had two live bouzouki players. Afterwards we did a bit of souvenir shopping and a group of us shared a shisha at a little bar around the corner of the hotel.

I want to live here forever. I really love Athens. Also, if anyone is concerned, the streets are safe to walk at night and everyone seems happy and conflict-free.

Tomorrow we get to explore the Acropolis!!! I'm so excited! I think I might get a little bit emotional.

Day Seven

Today we were given free reign on the isle of Corfu, a whole day to do whatever we wanted. Seven of us decided to hire a mini van to drive into town and visit some shops, and then beach hop on the west side of the island where the beaches are sandy instead of rocky.

A lovely Canadian decided to drive since he was the least hung over (if at all), the only person who knew how to drive a manual car, and is used to driving large vehicles. He was a total champion, navigating the roads with ease and seemed to have incredible luck in finding car spaces. First we went into town to go to the pharmacy to get aloe vera gel because I am too pale for Greece and have gotten a bit burnt. However it's already developing into a nice tan so no complaints.

The first beach we visited was at Liapades Bay, which was incredibly beautiful. We bought some pool noodles so we could float in the sea again and stayed in there for ages. We had a gyros and a drink and suntanned for a while. Actually we loved it there so we stayed for hours.

The second beach we visited was Ermones Beach which was surrounded by luxury hotels. We couldn't be bothered swimming again so we had an ice cream and walked the trail around the bay.

The streets in suburban Corfu are incredibly narrow, some are one way, some have furniture blocking them and some were just blocked for no reason. We spent a lot of time figuring out the roads and getting stuck in one way streets where locals would just drive the opposite way. We're figuring out the way of life in Greece pretty quickly.

We had to get home to the hotel to have dinner but because some of us were full from lunch we stayed back and took our time to get ready for... the toga party!

Contiki puts on a toga party for all travellers visiting Corfu, and this one was huge because we had four busloads of revellers. So we got to meet the other travellers who were doing different tours. Before we got to drinking and dancing, we were given instructions on how to tie a toga in two ways. Both were a bit too short for my liking so I improvised and made something I like to call "historically accurate".

It was a huge party and we all drank too much. The next day we had to be out of the hotel by 7am for our travel day from Corfu to Athens! So we were a bit worse for wear. But very happy to be finally visiting Athens.

Day Six

Today we got up early again to catch a ferry from Igoumenitsa to Corfu! It was only an hour and a half and we spent it on the top level of the ferry under a canopy for shade, looking out onto the sea and mainland Greece. One of the boys brought a football so we kicked it around much to the amusement of the Americans and Canadians who didn't know anything about AFL.

Seeing Corfu Town from the top of the boat was really lovely. We came in to the older part of town with the beautiful Venetian architecture and impressive Byzantine fortress on a hill. All the buildings were painted pastel colours with typically Venetian window shutters and little cobbled alleyways.

We were actually upgraded to a four star hotel that had an amazing pool and poolside bar, it was really nice. After checking in, we headed off to spend the day on George's boat.

So we went straight to the harbour in Corfu to get on George's boat. We had been warned that some of the things George said were inappropriate but it turned out that every sentence he said was blatantly sexual. He was actually hilarious and a really great tour guide for the trip. First he took us to a little dock in the middle of the bay where there were some performing sea lions (so cute) with trainers getting them to do tricks. He also showed us the highest point of the island and knew a surprising amount about the flora of Corfu.

Then we stopped off at a little beach towards the south, where we could choose to do some water sporting activities, or swim, or sunbake. George gave us some pool noodles (guess the innuendo for that one) so we could float in the beautiful sea. We all jumped off the boat into this clear blue water, it was perfect. The beaches on the east side of Corfu have rocks instead of sand so it was ingeresting to navigate that for the first time. I decided not to do any water sports and opted instead to stay floating in the sea as long as possible with some friends. George made us hot chips, salad, sandwiches and tzatziki for lunch and it was the best tzatziki I have ever tasted.

After everyone was finished with parasailing and wakeboarding, we got back on the boat and sailed around for a bit. After a while George called all the Australians to the front of the boat to sing the national anthem. This was made much easier by the fact that we were allowed to drink after the water sports had finished. Then he called out for the New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans, Brits, and so on until everyone had a chance to sing.

Afterwards, and in high spirits, we set sail for a smaller island off Corfu which George has named Skinnydippy Island, so guess what we all were instructed to do. A surprising amount of people were up for it, so it was a good time.

We left George's boat at 4pm after having the best time. I had such a good time that I forgot to take any pictures. We also bought tshirts from George that had a wide range of sexual innuendo picture puns on the front (I chose the least offensive one) and a huge picture of an orgy on the boat on the back of the shirt.

After the boat we went to the beautiful hotel pool to relax with some drinks. Then we went to a huge traditional Corfu dinner with dancing in circles, rings of fire and smashing plates. Again, I had such a good time that I forgot to take photos. But we've been talking a lot about "mind pictures" on this trip and I've certainly taken a lot of those.

After dinner we went to a local club in old Corfu Town which was also a good time. We stayed out late but it was alright because the next day we were allowed to sleep in! By "sleep in" I mean sleep til 8am. The next day was our free day to do whatever we wanted, so we chose to hire a van and beach hop. More adventures to follow!

Day Five

Today we got up at five in the morning to have breakfast at 5:30 and leave for the drive to the ferry at six.

First we drove four hours from Sorrento to Bari. When our bus was drivig over the cliffs of Sorrento, I put my iPod on shuffle and "Since I Left You" by the Avalanches came on. It was the perfect musical accompaniment to saying goodbye to the most beautiful city I've ever visited (Youtube it). At Bari we got on the ferry which would take ten hours to get to Igoumenitsa in Greece, where we will stay one night and then head to the isle of Corfu on another ferry.

We passed the time by drinking beer, playing card games, looking at each others' photos on our cameras, and sleeping. We wanted to play sardines as well but there weren't any good hiding places. Towards the end when the sky got dark, we crossed through a point where we could see the twinkling lights of Albania on one side of the ferry, and Greece on the other.

Long story short, now we're in Greece! Corfu tomorrow, we're going on a boat trip with a guy called George who is meant to be hilarious.

Day Four

Day four was our day trip to the isle of Capri. We got up fairly early to catch the ferry across, which only took half an hour. The ferry ride was really pleasant, air conditioned inside and had lots of cute booths for people to sit in groups.

Once we got to the island, we were directed to our little boat which would take us all the way around the island and show us the highlights.

From our boat, we took mini boats into the blue grotto, and magical is the only word I can use to describe it. It was so beautiful. The man steering our boat sang songs to us while we were in the cave, which echoed throughout.

We also had the chance to jump into the sea and swim through the green grotto, which was so refreshing. The sea was the perfect temperature for jumping into after driving around in the hot boat, and the water was a clear turquoise green colour. There were jellyfish in the water that stung a couple of people but thankfully I swam away from where they were.

Then we boated around to the white grotto, where there was a rock formation that resembled the Virgin Mary near its roof.

After getting back onto dry land, we were given four hours to discover the island. Two of us had a long lunch facing the sea, then wandered around looking at the shops. We also got the cable car up to Capri Town which had beautiful views and luxury shops (we didn't go in). We went and saw the gardens of Augustus which also had amazing views and a nice shady place to sit down and have a drink.

The streets in Capri Town were narrow and winding with low arches. We intended to catch the cable car back down to the harbour but it was closed for some reason, so we had to make our way down the steep residential streets. They were so cute and narrow, and every front gate had a decorative tile with the owner's name on.

When we got back to Sorrento, we had another five course meal (!!!!!!!!), this time with different slices of pizza. Perfect with apple cider and ice. Afterwards we went to a British pub for one of the girls' birthdays, and ended up staying up late playing drinking games in the hotel courtyard.

Tomorrow is our travel day from Italy to Greece! We're taking the Adriatic Ferry across the sea.

Day Three

Today we got up bright and early to get on the special Contiki bus that took us to Pompei and Sorrento! As all of us had had a fairly huge night, we were all struggling. Two of the guys had a 15 minute power nap and that was their night's sleep. One girl vomited on the bus but into a plastic bag so it was all alright. Nobody was left behind, which is the most important thing.

On the way to Sorrento, the view of the hills of the outskirts of Rome was so beautiful. Lush green fields, vineyards, and the occasional dilapidated (but still standing) Roman villa.

We arrived at Pompei after about three hours of driving. We met up with our tour guide and were radio'd up for what was my favourite part of the trip so far: exploring and discovering the ruins of the ancient city of Pompei. It was so easy to imagine what life would have been like back in those times because most of the city's walls are still standing, the grafitti on the walls is still readable, and the beautiful frescoes, while somewhat faded and cracked, have retained their richness of colour and absolute beauty. The city was active for 700 years before it was ruined by Mt Vesuvius.

Pompei was another place I'd studied at school so it was magical to walk through the streets and be surrounded by history. You could see the indents on the cobblestones which had been worn down over 700 years by chariots riding down the streets.

The brothel was also pretty funny: a normal sized, double storey house with small rooms and beds, with paintings of the "menu" over the doors. Prostitutes in Pompei were called "lupas", which is Italian for "she-wolves", and they used to call to the men in the street, howling like wolves.

Obviously the tour guide for Pompei was excellent because I learned so much in a smaller amount of time, which is another thing I'm loving about being here. I feel like so much new knowledge is being packed into my brain.

After the tour, we had lunch and got back onto the bus for the rest of the drive to Sorrento.

I knew I would love Sorrento as soon as we drove over the cliffs, looking down on the bay of Naples and the colourful buildings. It was breathtaking. Getting around the city was so easy as well, and we didn't get lost once, which was a stark contrast to our adventures navigating the backstreets of Rome. The shopping was also excellent.

We ended up having another five course meal on a restaurant that overlooked the entire bay at sunset. I think the delicious food was actually upstaged by the view.

After dinner and a couple of healthy serves of limoncello, we went back home, got ready and went out to a karaoke bar! Good fun, the tour group has a really good atmosphere.

Tomorrow is our day trip to the isle of Capri!

Note: I realised I can't upload photos from the iPhone so you'll have to wait til they're on Facey B!

Day Two

Today we visited the Imperial Roman Forum, Colosseum, and all around the Vatican City. If I thought I was overwhelmed yesterday, today I was absolutely struck dumb by the sheer human effort and skill needed to construct such amazing feats of architecture.

We went to the Colosseum and Forum earlier in the day before the heat set in. We took so many pictures, lots of good ones. It only took eight years to build the Colosseum, which I didn't know. The whole time we were wondering just how amazing it would have looked in its prime, especially when the slaves stretched a waxy canvas across it and turned it into a giant pool! At the Forum, my favourite space was the house of the Vestal Virgins. The sculpture of all the holiest women in the house's garden was especially beautiful.

We started off at the Vatican Museum with our charming old man tour guide in a radio at our ear. I was excited to find the bust of Antinous, Emperor Hadrian's longtime boyfriend, that I'd read about for a school project so long ago. We saw the Vatican's collection of marble statues, giant pink granite Egyptian baths, and huge maps. We also went into the Sistine Chapel which was another "slapped in the face by history" moment. It was so jam packed full of people and we saw some guys getting dragged out for taking photos. I actually can't put my feelings into words about the scale and impact of the ceiling. I am so happy that I've seen it in real life.

When I stepped into St Peter's Basilica, my jaw just dropped. I'm not religious (as everyone knows) but I was struck with awe. As the tour guide said, today we build structures just as high and wide, but with the aid of computers and modern machines. But Michelangelo planned the whole Basilica just with a pencil and paper. And it's so ornate and beautiful, with mosaics so fine that they look like oil paintings.

Tonight we're going to a five course dinner (!!!!) and Roman folklore show, then out to drinks for my roommate's birthday. Shaping up to be a good one.

Update from this morning:

Dinner was beautiful, we were so full by the end. Bruschetta, antipasti, lasagne & pasta, meat, and some form of sugary treat afterwards. Then we went to a club where the drinks were free for two hours. Needless to say, feeling a bit fragile this morning.

Today it's off to Pompeii and Sorrento on the bus!

Day one

The rest of today was amazing. In the morning I thought I had to check out of my room, but turns out I didn't have to. So I went straight back to my room, put my stuff back where it was, and then headed out to explore.

I ended up finding Castel Sant'Angelo in record time. The heat was pretty intense at about 30 degrees, so I stopped for a seat in the shade of the gardens that surround it. They're lowered as if it's a moat surrounding the castle. I had a sudden realisation that I was sitting in the place that I'd read about as a kid and done some extensive extra-curricular Wikipedia research about. It was a really strange and significant feeling, like being surrounded by history, and thinking about what might have happened there thousands of years ago. I've been having this feeling all the time here!

So after I'd finished being overwhelmed, I realised I hadn't eaten breakfast so I had a panini and an icy drink on the banks of the Tiber. I went for a walk around the Castel, but didn't go inside because the queue was too long. I basically went for a huge walk all around the ancient bridges and statues, along the Tiber and through winding cobblestoned alleyways, but didn't commit to visiting anything in particular except for the Castel Sant'Angelo.

Then I decided I would make my way to the Vatican City to have a look around the outside before the guided tour that's on for tomorrow. The scale of the place is difficult to express. I just sat and stared at everything for some time. I can't help but think, if I'm this impressed by the outside, how am I going to feel tomorrow? I sent some postcards and had a look at some of the market stalls, and then decided to go home just as the heat was at its worst. I got a bit lost on the way back but I didn't mind it. Got there in the end.

I met everyone for the Contiki tour at 4pm after I got back. Everyone is really nice! We got all our forms together and fixed up all the little housekeeping details of the tour, then we did a walking tour at 7pm.

First we went to see the Spanish Steps, which are only 10 minutes walk from the hotel. A couple of the boys were told to drink from the fountain in front for some reason, and they did so, but I wouldn't have done it! It was so beautiful but very crowded, we got some good photos. Then we went to the Trevi Fountain which blew my mind, I kept thinking about La Dolce Vita by Fellini. I threw some coins into the fountain! I wish I could be more concise about it, but I'm pretty tired at the moment. I had the best time.

Next we went to see the Pantheon which I loved the most. Another moment where history slapped me in the face. I couldn't stop staring at it. The second best part about the walking tour (apart from the attractions) was that it gave everyone on the tour a chane to mingle and get to know each other outside of the hotel.

Lastly we went to Piazza Navona which was the perfect place to get dinner. A big group of us went to a lovely little restaurant which cleared and set up their upstairs section for us, and we had the best meal of bruschetta, salads and spaghetti, pizza and lasagne. So delicious, especially after walking all around the city.

After dinner, we went to get gelato and walk back to the hotel. I had dulce de leche and tiramisu gelato! The best I've ever had.

And now I'm going to bed. My roommate and I are watching Jersey Shore. Tomorrow I'm seeing the Colosseum and Imperial Forum. Then it's off to the Vatican City to see the Vatican Museums, St Peter's Basilica and Sistine Chapel!

Buon giorno!

Hello everyone! This blog will chronicle my (admittedly short) one month odyssey through Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Spain. I named it Ciao Melbourne because I live in Melbourne and "ciao" means both hello and goodbye in Italian (at least I think it does, my Italian is really not that great and has been tested to its limits already). Plus if I name it something ambiguous I can keep it and use it again for future travels! Hopefully.

Firstly I have to apologise for any spelling errors because I'm typing on an iPhone and despite having owned it almost a year I'm still not good at the whole lack of a tactile response thing.

So I got on a 15 hour flight to Doha, Qatar on Monday, then a 6 hour flight from Doha to Rome, Italy on Tuesday morning. I have to say, Qatar Airways has some awesome meals. For dinner, I had spicy fish cakes with sambal sauce, turmeric rice and sauteed broccoli. Then breakfast was vegetable frittata with a croissant, yoghurt and lots of fruit. The good food definitely made up for the screaming children. I think I spent most of my time on the planes sleeping. My advice is, if you want to sleep on a plane, don't listen to the Spirited Away soundtrack on your mp3 player. I thought it would be a relaxing choice but there were way more cymbal crashes than I remembered.

The view into Doha from the plane was amazing. It seemed like thousands of low, flat Middle Eastern style buildings, stark white against the beige sand and rocks. And then a massive, sprawling city skyline off into the distance, coveted by what looked like a dust storm, fog, or maybe pollution. As we landed, we were told it was Ramadan and not to eat or drink in public. Luckily there was a little cafe in the airport cordoned off for non-Muslims, but I don't doubt that some of the employees would have been fasting. I got a bottle of water and had a mildly embarrassing currency moment where I thought the register lady said it cost 60 instead of 6 Qatari riyals. Anyway, it seemed like minutes passed and then I was on a plane again, and that was my first and (as yet) only Middle Eastern experience. Definitely somewhere I want to go in the future. It was 40 degrees Celsius at 8:30 in the morning!

Now I'm in Rome, about to check out of my current hotel room and into another one to start the Contiki tour. I got here at about 3pm yesterday, checked in, put my stuff down in the room, and went outside to wander the streets to get a feel of the place. Then my back started hurting because of my awkward seating position on the plane and I came back for a nap with the intention of going back out for more discovery. My nap turned into a 9 hour sleepathon and I woke up in the middle if the night, alert and ready to look at more stuff, still fully dressed. Then I had the idea (actually Melpo's idea!) to start a blog and here I am, almost 10 in the morning, nerdily excited about everything I see out the window.

I thought I would do an introductory post, and there it is. Next time I update, I might have done some incredibly touristy things. Today I'm going to walk to the Vatican and have a look in there, look at the Castel Sant'Angelo and lots of beautiful bridges, take some pictures. The tour officially starts at 4pm. Exciting!