My travelling adventures...

Hi! Well the rest of Italy was really good... went to the markets at Pistoia which were really... interesting - felt like I'd really gotten into local Italy as am pretty sure I was the only tourist there - definitely worth the visit... then went to Lucca - was pretty good - less tousity than Florence and Rome. I hired a bike and cycled along the city wall which was nice and then left for Cinque Terre early the next day. It was absolutely beautiful, not the best weather - a bit overcast for the 12km walk between the 5 hill-side villages but was still gorgeous! Was bizarre saying bonjourno, prono and scusi instead of the regular 'hey' etc...  Then onto Pisa - was glad I hadn't spent the night in Pisa as it was a bit... well a bit of a hole really i thought... - But the Leaning Tower was fab. - was brilliant views from the top. And as you were going round and round to get to the top you could feel which side (ie the leaning side or not) you were going - was pretty good! Caught the plane back safe and sound and now in Egypt!!! - Gorgeous - meant to be in 30s but definitely doesn't feel that way sitting on the little beach under our timber umbrellas!!! The hotel is OK... good breakfast and the chef that does your eggs/pancakes is just like Andre the Giant from the Princess Bride - similar accent and everything (not sure how that is since he is egyptian) Been very nice and relaxing... we had a full body massage, scrub and wrap on our first day - was wonderful (my first ever massage!) We've definitely had a few interesting times with the egyptians - definitely friendly people... - we are about to go to a little local nightclub to have a drink with a boy that can't take no for an answer from Karen!!!!! Yes we have had a few fun adventures so far - had a really nice 'taxi driver' who has become our friend (which means you have to sit in the front with them) but he took us all round Hurghanda for free! - took us to a really cheap (and hopefully good!) travel agency which we booked an overnight trip to Luxor through (for Saturday)... and am off on my first diving trip tomorrow (Karen is just going to laze about on the beach)... Planning on doing an overnight to Cairo later on next week... and then a few more dives and a couple of snorkelling trips... - should be good! Amazing weather - always blue cloudless skies, nice calm crystal clear water - can't wait to go diving!!! This will probably be my last message til back in the UK...!
Later!

Walked into the Gallerie dei Accademia at 8.30 , definitely the time to go to beat the crowds... anyway walked into the hallway with David at the end and sunlight was streaming in thru the dome onto him, it was magical! he was bigger than i thought ~5m high... and he, just like Botticelli's Birth of venus and Spring, takes your breath away when you first catch of glance of it in real life - for me anyway... was brilliant! Also in the Uffizi is Michaelangelo's only painting -the rest were frescos... - interesting huh?

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Well had my second day in Tuscany - was lovely... Went to Siena with sophie (room mate) which was nice... and we went to San Gimignoano on the way back (little detour) which was really beautiful - definitely worth the visit - beautiful countryside just what you would imagine Tuscany as... - a lot nicer than Siena... on the way to San G we had to change buses at Poggibonsi (love the name!!!) where we had a hot choc/coffee bought for us by the bus driver!! anyway had a good day... and off to the galleries tomorrow!

Well I arrived in Venice OK, just in time for sunset which was nice - found my hotel OK as well - my room (room no.310!)- a nice little cupboard, but relatively clean was OK - cosy :)  Found out that a map is pretty much no use in Venice in my wanderings to find dinner that night, so ended up catching a water taxi back (5 euros! - not that cheap!)  The hotel brekkie was good - a lot ebtter than Rome - rather than the sugar-encrusted croissants, got toasted jam-filled ones (still had the brick-hard bread rolls tho) but had FRESH fruit! Saw lots of things:

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Hi! Well haven't been getting up to anything too adventurous... Have seen loads of bunnies, pheasant, snow drops and finally a little muntjack deer! I had a nice walk thru the countryside the other day, and saw what is reputed to be Britain's ugliest church at Hartley Whitney today when I went to visit my other cousin, Nicholas...
Am off to London tomorrow to stay with Kristin (David's sister) for the weekend, then go to the airport for Venice from there... then onto Egypt the following week! Exciting times!  And am off to have a good ol' english indian tonight :)
At my Florence backpackers they give you 1/2hr free internet each day (as well as free brekkie!) so should get a chance to let you know how i am getting on there... Later!

 

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Hi! Just thought I'd check-in... :) Have been busy doing web stuff trying to organise accomodation and looking up stuff about Italy etc - urgh should've remembered from Rome that they aren't that big on customer service... - have got my accomodation sorted (wanted to have that organised so know where to head when i get off the train) - hostels get booked up - so missed the YHA in Venice but got a lovely 2* with shared bathroom (which was actually the same price as the hostel pretty much) - but that should be fine... and Pisa - well it just seems that they hardly bother with hotels cos there is only the leaning tower there so no one wants to stay! - but got a hotel booked for my last night in Italy there (the only hostel I could find was way out of town)...
Haven't been getting up to too much here - days seem to go by pretty quickly and have been enjoying taking it easy... seen a bit more of the english countryside etc and they have had a nice cold rainy day today which has been nice to snuggle down for...  Anyhow not much else to say 'cept - later gators!

well... no longer doing the imaginative traveller tour... - am just joining Karen for the 14 days in Hurghanda (from 21 March-4 April), which we can use as a base to see the pyramids, Luxor, do some diving etc... Instead I am going to go to Venice and travel thru to Florence and Pisa via train, visiting Siena, Pistoria and Lucca along the way the week before we leave for Egypt (13-20 March).  It is a bit of a quick tour, but as I am going by myself I thought I'd see how i went with the solo travel and a week isn't too long so I should be able to handle it - and then I'll know how I'll go with travelling more of Europe by myself...
Hmmm what else... went to Greenwich - was absolutely beautiful - gorgeous park - nice sunny day (altho a bit chilly - even snowed again for me - but the snow didn't settle), saw the Cutty Sark, went in the tunnel under the Thames there that was built in 1908, and went thru the Royal Observatory - and amazingly timed it perfectly to see the time ball at the Observatory drop at 1pm (apparently you can see the ball 15miles away and so ships can tell the time by looking at it...).  Went to London for the day again, which was good - did a bit of wandering round, including a bit of window shopping at Harrods...  Went for a lovely walk thru the woods today near my auntie's place -  it is nice blue skies and bit chilly - perfect!