The Amalfi Coast: I

I think this will be a series of posts dedicated to the Amalfi Coast. My first stop is at S.Agnello, a town just before Sorrento. I'll be spending 2 nights here and I head to Amalfi and Atrani next. Both towns are about 90 minutes away from Sorrento by bus. It has been such a long tiring journey today but a rewarding one at the end of the day.

Crazy lady on the train to Sorrento!

Noticed how no one is sitting around her. It is because she starts shouting nonsense once a while.

On the road to Sorrento

I've finally arrived at Italy and am on the regional train from Brindisi to Sorrento. Things have been going smooth so far and I've met some new American friends. One of them will be starting his freshman year at Berklee College-small world indeed. However, I nearly missed one of my train connections at a small town called Foggia. I didn't even know it was a train as it has only 2 carts and it was so short!! I thought it was a service train until I noticed someone running to the train with his bags. Funny moments you experienced while you're traveling in a foreign land.

Crossing the Ionian Sea

Well, I'm off to Italy after spending a week in Greece. The best part in Greece was visiting the island of Santorini. I'm sure the other Cyclades island is nice too, but Santorini was special. Wish I didn't have to leave it but there's still a long way for me to go. This time, I was able to get a cabin and hopefully get some good rest before my 2 weeks journey in Italy.

On the road to Patra

If you're one of the lucky person who gets a seat on the right side of the bus (seats are automatically assigned with purchase of ticket), the view along the way to Patra are simply amazing! You'll see the coast lined up with olive plantations and houses facing towards the crystal clear blue water of the Mediterranean.

On the road to Patra

There are some parts of Greece that reminds me of home in Malaysia. It is chaotic, congested, dirty and the city streets are filled with scooters flying by. I have nothing against Greece, but I really cannot imagine a city like Athens, which hosted the 2004 Olympics and the country of Greece who gave birth to western civilization and democracy can be so backwards.

Leaving Santorini

It's difficult to describe the island of Santorini so I'll just let the pictures do the talking. It's sad to leave this special island, but it has certainly been a relaxing four days, hitting the black beaches in Perissa and enjoying the views from Fira and Oia. Now I have to head back to dirty old Athens before continuing my journey to the Amalfi Coast, Italy.

More on Santorini

Found in Santorini: I heart Santorini

Found on the phone booth next to a bus stop. The message says " If you are a woman interested in meeting a 39 years old guy for a discreet and free relationship call me or send me an SMS at 6972591014. Thank you and lots of kisses."

Santorini

Not much to say except it's hot and sunny!

My view: Off to Santorini

Getting to and getting around the greek island is such a pain in the ass. It pays to book early, but online booking has a surcharge of 25 euro and there were no availability for the Sunday ferry I had planned. And online booking has to be done four days in advance. Instead I had to do an overnight ferry on Saturday and through a travel agency. The ticket for deck seat costs only 30 euro (one way) but its an overnight ferry, so for that price you don't get a cabin, which is why I'm lying on the floor to get some shut eye. Another tip, travel agent can charge up to a maximum of 5 euros per ticket for service, so ticket prices may vary. My return ticket from Santorini to Athens costs 27.50 euro and I bought that from a different agency, however it is also a different ferry company.

My next task is getting to Italy from Greece. There's no way any of the ferry from Santorini could connect with the ferry to Italy (the port is 4 hours away from Athens), so I'll be staying in Athens for another night when I get back. There also seems to be limited availability on that ferry (which is surprising-are there really that many people travelling to Italy? It is a huge ferry!) From the advice of the travel agent I talked too, I might have to go straight to the port and get a deck seat. So another long journey ahead.

Found: Stray Dogs?

There seems to be a lot of dogs lying around in Athens. I'm not sure if they are stray dogs as they have a collar on them. But I'm been sitting and watching him for a good one hour no one has approach the dog.

Athens

What can I say? Athens is a congested, polluted city. Except for the archaeological site like the Acropolis, the museums and the history behind the greeks, there's really not much to do here. There are parts of Athens which can be unsafe to walk around, and you just need to be constantly on the lookout of everyone around you. A day or two in Athens is more than enough to see the major sites.

A New City: Berlin

Berlin has been through so much for the past century. I knew about the war and the history behind it, but I never expected the scars the war have left behind to be cut into the city so deep. There are very few old buildings left in Berlin, as most of them have been hit by bombs during WWII.

Berlin is constantly changing, with new buildings coming up every so often. The city skyline is crowded with cranes at work. But speaking of new buildings, much of the old classical building can be quite deceiving as they were built in early 20th century. Basically, they were built to look old. A good example right now is the construction of the Old Royal Palace. The royal palace was originally demolished during the communist period and was replaced by a social building. This communist social building is now being demolished (picture above) and a replica of the Old Royal Palace will be build on its old site. All the details, building plans and statues were dug up from the archives and will be rebuild to look like the original.

Its an interesting city no doubt, with a rich and brutal history. But Berlin is a city that looks at the present and towards the future without destroying its past.

Easy?

Flying easyjet is no easy task. Though check in time is usually 2 hours before flight, I'd advise getting there 30 minutes earlier as by the time you get to the front of the line, your check in counter would have already opened an hour later. (Waiting time may vary from different airports and flight schedule. )

Me and my bike

I had a few hours left in Berlin and rented a bike for a little stroll around the city. It was a great ride visiting sites I didn't have the chance to see before. Actually the guy who rented the bike was really nice. Not sure if he has the best price as I didn't get to shop around but it was near the hostel I was staying and even though I only rented it for 3 hours, he was very flexible with the time (an hour late was fine) I have to return the bike. He also owns a small cute cafe and its where I rented the bike. Overall it have been great fun!

Celebrating Capitalism At Its Greatest

Happy 4th of July! The New American Embassy here in Berlin is celebrating the 4th with a grand opening. As you can see, the embassy (on the left) is located next to the Brandernburge Gate in Berlin. Seems like there's going to be a big feast and a concert or some sort tomorrow. I see Burger King paired with some Sam Adams.

The Theatre

Who sells alcoholic drinks in a cinema? The Germans do.

World Travelers

I really don't understand why certain people who travels to foreign countries expect the same quality, service and quantity that they do back in their home country in a cafe or restaurant. We all know the value or the euro againsts other currency right now, but why complain when you already know it is going to costs you xxx amount. The one good thing in Europe is that prices are readily displayed for the consumers. There's no hidden tax costs or any additional service charges (except for certain conditions) that will change the displayed prices. As for service, most Europeans enjoy their leisure time. You don't have to rush to order your food when you're sitting down waiting for the server to assists in your order, and you're not expect to leave right after you've finished your meal. I think some of you would know who I'm speaking of so I'll just leave it to your wild imagination. People are hard to understand.

Scandinavia: The Nordic Countries

For the past month, I started my trip at Copenhagen, Denmark - Stockholm, Sweden - Helsinki, Finland - Talinn, Estonia - Rovaniemi, Finland - Honningsvag + Nordkapp, Norway - Tromso, Norway - Bergen, Norway and ended my Scandinavia tour in Oslo, Norway. I'm currently in Berlin for a few days before heading down south to Greece.

To say which Scandinavian country is best to visit is difficult as all of them have its own unique quality but I can say that Stockholm was my favorite city, followed by Bergen and Copenhagen. All three cities have one thing in common which I find comfortable and it is the scale of the city in relationship to the people and its daily activities.

Helsinki was okay but it might have helped change my mind if the weather was better, however it is an interesting city in comparison to its Scandinavian neighbors. The city doesn't have the many tall conical shape church towers like Stockholm or Copenhagen, nor does it have the Scandinavian / Viking architectural influence and motifs just because it was not part of the Viking culture. In fact, Finnish itself is a completely different language from Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. From Helsinki, I took a side trip to Talinn, the capital of Estonia and one of the Baltic states. It was only a 2 hour ferry ride between the two cities. The old medieval city of Talinn is charming and is listed under the UNESCO heritage list. It is a city for those who like to go back in time and experience an old medieval town and enjoy the history and culture.

Oslo was my least favorite city not because it has the least to offer but my accommodation and safety within the city limits gave it the lowest point.

My highlight of this trip was taking a side trip off my planned route to a small fishing village in the Lofoten Island. Stamsund is still a busy fishing community and like all the rest of the Lofoten, winter is the prime fishing season and that's when the whole island comes alive. However it is not to say that summer is dead and boring, the tourist help keeps the island alive. But Lofoten is best when it is quiet and uncrowded as it helps one enjoy the magnificent landscape it has to offer. Like a step back into the mystical and fantasy period of the writings by Tolkien, Reine was my favorite part of the island and the most picturesque.

The other "high-light" was of course taking the long hike up the high mountains to watch the midnight sun. It wasn't a bright and sunny day but it gave a spectacular light show that night or should I say day, as night doesn't really exist above the Arctic Circle line during the summer season.

It has been a great journey so far but there have been some downside to it as well, mainly frustration, poor or careless planning and other unexpected situation that was out of my control. If it wasn't so expensive, I would recommend going to Norway, but a visit to Sweden and Denmark will provide you a true Scandinavian experience. However, don't forget about Iceland. It is also part of Scandinavia and my visit there in 2005 was an amazing weekend. I think the currency exchange rate has probably lowered the amount of tourist going there, but if the opportunity arise, Iceland is a must to finish or start your adventure in Scandinavia.