What should I get today?

In some of the metro stations in Barcelona, they have this huge vending that will sell you anything from a can of coke to a bottle of shampoo. Very handy for backpackers and travellers alike who just got in to the city and needed the essentials. This one is in Maria Cristina metro station.

Performing on the streets

Through my 2 months journey, I've encounter a lot of street performers. From Denmark to Italy, I've seen the Statue of Liberty, an Egyptian pharoah and many other lifeless performers who just stands on a pedestal to have their picture taken by pedestrians, even after someone gave them some money. However, it is in Barcelona that the streets performers here are by far the most creative and interactive I've seen yet. Above along the street of Les Rambles, we have the Invisible Man. They were also a gargoyle, a vampire, a Asian lady who dresses up with baskets of fruits and vegetables on her, an angel, a guy cycling with a puppet skeleton and the list goes on. My hat off to the city of Barcelona for such great inspirations.

Ola, Barcelona!

Got in to Barcelona late yesterday and will be spending a few days to explore the city. But first stop, the temple of the sacred family (Sagrada Familia) by Antoni Gaudi.

Me and my bike: Part II

Took a hilly 25 km bicycle tour to the Chianti Hills for some Tuscan landscape and wine tasting as well as a tour of an old villa owned by the Rossi family (of the Martini brand).

Siena

Siena - a town that has drew many inspirations to architects and urban planners worldwide, mainly for its town square, the Piazza Il Campo. (Pictured top) I can't put my mind on why that is, could it be the history, the scale and relationship to the users or simply the fact that it is famous for its twice annual horse race around the square, or all of the above? In either case, Siena is a beautiful town with a breathtaking view of the Tuscan Hills that surrounds it.

Cinqueterre (5)

The 5 towns along the northwest coast of Italy begins with the northern most town of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Together they are known as Cinqueterre (Five Towns). Each of the towns are within a few minutes ride by train, but they are also linked by foot paths between each town. The foot paths were once the original connection between the towns. It has now been recognized as a National Park and is protected under the UNESCO heritage site list.

I took the pleasure of taking the train up to Monterosso and started my 10km hike to the southern town of Riomaggiore. My total journey hike with stops between the towns of Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola was 6 hours. (The stops at Monterosso and Riomaggiore are not included in the total journey) Each town has its own characteristic and are very different from each other. Monterosso seems to be the largest town (probably because of the sandy beach) and Corniglia is probably the smallest (also possibly because the beach is difficult to reach as you have to hike down). However, my favorite town between the five is probably Corniglia. It may not have the best looking architecture, but it is charming in its own little way. It is also the only town that sits on top of a hill rather than perching on a cliff like the other towns. The path from Vernazza - Corniglia path is also one of the most scenic, but it is also one of the hardest trail to tackle as the path are rocky and dangerous during wet weather.

Interestingly enough, I was lucky to experience some Mediterranean rain shower while walking along the path from Vernazza to Corniglia. The Vernazza - Corniglia path is also the longest followed by the Monterosso - Vernazza route (only about a few kilometers shorter but it takes the longest because of its high altitude hike). The shortest path is between the town of Manarola and Riomaggiore, better known as the Via dell' Amore (path of love).

The five towns are not difficult to reach (about an hour train ride from Pisa Centrale) and I highly recommend a visit as well as taking a hike between the five towns. It is also advisable to bring comfortable shoes and be cautious when hiking as some path are really narrow. It has been quite a rewarding day being able to enjoy and experience a natural and man-made wonder.

(Picture above is the town of Manarola)

My name is Lucca

Took a side day trip to Lucca yesterday and I have to say it was really nice to get away from the crowds in Florence. There's a lot of history to Lucca but I won't bore everyone with that, however the one interesting and major attraction to Lucca is the old city wall that has protected Lucca from invaders in the past. Unlike old historical wall I've seen in other cities that are mostly destroyed or quarried for building materials, Lucca's wall is still standing, partly because it has been ramped and converted into a beautiful path and park for strollers, cyclist and the locals to enjoy. There are other interesting parts of the city such as the trace of an old roman amphitheater and a tower overlooking the city with a small garden at the top floor. All in all, it was a relaxing day as I fell asleep in the park for most part of the day.

Under the Florence Sun

This post is a probably a bit late but I've been in Florence since Wednesday afternoon. Florence is actually a beautiful city if you can look beyond the crowd of tourists. For the past 2 days, I've walked around the city and have visited 2 of the most popular and crowded museums in Florence, the Accademia (which houses the statue of David by Michelangelo) and the Uffizi (which has the 2 famous painting by Botticelli).

Looking into the eyes of David inside the Accademia does not even compare to the replica in the Palazzo Vecchio. Though the statue was originally made to admired in an exterior setting (like the replica made standing outside the city hall), in the Accademia, you're looking at the statue through the eyes of Michelangelo. Or maybe it was just the lighting or the interior setting that makes David unresistable to the eyes of the public
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The Uffizi has a really good collection of arts but of course everyone visits it for Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' and the 'Primavera'. Both are equally beautiful paintings but I wish they didn't have the glass panel covering the paintings. Its was too difficult and distracting to really admire and study the painting as it was intended.

Florence is a small city. The scale of the city actually reminds me of Boston as it is very walkable and most major sights are within a 15 minutes walk. Coming from Rome to Florence, I think of Rome as New York City and Florence as Boston.

Leaving Rome

It has been a fantastic long week in Rome. Got to visit ruins, places, paintings, sculptures and churches that I have only seen on slides in art history classes before and am now able to experience them in person. It was brilliant! A lot of the old buildings like the churches and the colosseum do need to be experienced in person to realize just how massive that structure is! I have attached to this post a trusty map that had got me around Rome for the past week. The highlighted areas in orange and red are streets and places that I've walked on. For orientation purpose, the big red circle on the lower right (next to the grey/orange patch) is the Colosseum. The big red patch on the upper left is the Vatican.

There are just too much to see in Rome. I think I've only covered 20% of the churches dedicated to Santa Maria. But as it has been said before, "a lifetime in Rome is not enough". I'm on my way to Firenze (Florence) for a week in the Tuscany region. More Santa Maria to cover and hopefully will be able to see David.

Lost in Rome

There are just so many churches, so many piazzas and so many archaeological sites to cover in Rome that it seems ridiculous to post every single sights. However, the one thing I bumped into was this guy drawing the Birth of Venus by Botticelli in the middle of the sidewalk near the Pizza di Spagna. His artwork is amazing, but he has also written some pretty interesting directions and information for tourist. Below are his words.

"Everyday lost tourists keep asking me the same questions, here are the answers ...

1. Piazza di Spagna: 2 minute walk down Via Condotti.
2. Piazza di Popolo: At the end of Via del Corso.
3. Trevi Fountain: Walk 500 meters up Via del Corso and on your right you will find Piazza Colonna. Turn left off Via del Corso after you pass the column in the center of the piazza.
4. Pantheon + Piazza Navona: Same as Trevi directions but turn right off Via del Corso after you pass Piazza Colonna.
5. Colosseum: It's too difficult to explain, so go to the Pantheon instead.
6. St. Peters + Vatican: Walk down this street in front of you until you reach the river and follow it to your left, cross the bridge with the statues on it then simply follow the trail of African guys selling fake Prada handbags.
7. Nearest McDonalds: So........you travel to a new country to experience a different culture famous all over the world for its food and wine and you want to eat at McDonalds.
8. Hard Rock Cafe: It's somewhere near Piazza Barberini
9. Nearest ATM: There is one behind Fendi. "

Why so many people?

Why are there so many people sitting on the steps at the Piazza di Spagna?

Exploring the ancient relics at the Vatican

Spent the whole day at the Vatican today, visiting St.Peters Basilica and the Vatican Museums. This whole place is huge, especially the museum! However, it does have a rather good or probably one of the best collection of paintings and antiquities from the Roman classical periods. And there is of course, the Sistine Chapel, housing one of Michelangelo finest paintings. It is worth the visit, just to see and experience the scale of the church and the frescos inside the church and museum. I suppose with no internet in the old days, people have a lot more time to explore the fine arts, and time probably wasn't a big issue back then.

Ciao Roma!

Well, finally made it to Rome. I'll be here in Rome till next Wednesday, hopping around the ancient sites to modern Rome.

The Amalfi Coast: IV

My last stop at the Amalfi Coast is Atrani before heading up north to Roma. Unlike the bigger town of Amalfi next door, Atrani is small, yet it is full of life. From its facade, you might think that Atrani is a sleepy town, but hidden behind those thick walls are narrow secret passageways and steps leading to different parts of the town as well as paths leading to Amalfi; this is where the energy of Atrani can be found. From within this passageways, you may find people catching up about their day, donkeys carrying loads up the steps and small piazzas where children plays. There is of course a main piazza where the locals would gather during the night, but life during the day takes place inside the labyrinth of Atrani. I'm glad Amalfi is getting its full attention from the tourists because that leaves Atrani to be appreciated as it should be, a hidden gem.

Dog on a scooter

If you look closely to that white fluffy dot on the lower left side of the scooter, that's actually a dog, not a stuffed toy!

The Amalfi Coast: III

This is the town of Atrani, where I'll be staying for 2 nights. Its a quaint little town, only 200 meters next to the bigger town of Amalfi.

The Amalfi Coast: II

Sorrento is less than 10 minutes away by train from Sant Agnello. It is a bigger town, but I much prefer the small town quality and the slower pace at Sant Agnello.

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.