Debrief

How do you know when your blog is finished? How do you know what you’re supposed to write about next when everything you’ve written doesn’t even sound like it’s come from your own head? How do you sum up a year when you can’t think about it without your eyes filling with tears?

I’ve begun this post over and over again. I can’t believe we’ve been in Canada for eleven months already, living a life that is more or less exactly the same as the one we left back in 2011. Back then, about a month before we left, I wrote this:

“I know that there’s so much good stuff coming in the next year and that all these lasts will be replaced with firsts. And I know I need to remember that most of these things are only temporary lasts. But all through this process it’s been very hard to not focus on what we’ve given up in order to make those good things come true. We both make comments all the time about what we’ll do when we come back and what we’d buy if we weren’t going. I know it will all be worth what we’ve given up but sometimes it’s hard to not let the doubts take over.”

Now, I can’t help but see the similarities in this paragraph and in one of the last I wrote about leaving Scotland. How is it possible that in just one year, we were able to create a life that was just as hard to leave as Canada was?

Part of it was the friendships we made. We left people behind in Edinburgh that genuinely cared for us. We felt loved and accepted and given the fact we were thousands of miles away from our family comfort zones, this was wonderful.

Brandon found a place in the piping community that spread further than just his band. He spoke to fellow pipers daily, spouting off stats and contest results like sports fans do. They have a language all their own and I often found it easier to make myself busy elsewhere when Brandon, Lachie and Calvin started speaking bag pipes.

I also had a pipe band family in Edinburgh and without it, I wouldn’t have had a social circle at all. Wendy, Kirsten and Rachel were such important people to me. They gave me someone to have lunches with, someone to hike and shop for camping gear with, someone to take me on drives to small towns and make crafts with. They also stuck up for me in what turned out to be some nasty situations with someone who was not so nice at band practice. They helped me to navagate through so many little parts of Scottish life, and laughed at my complete Canadian-ness.

And then there was Jesse and Katie. They provided us with so much knowledge and really, were rather instrumental in our decision to set up in Edinburgh instead of Glasgow. Without them we wouldn’t have known how to take the bus, which grocery store to shop at, which pubs to frequent, and we never would’ve found Craigmillar Castle. We also wouldn’t have had a betrothal ceremony or spent a fabulous weekend in a magical little cottage on a Perthshire estate. We are so lucky to have had them and as with all the friendships that grew out of the Scottish soil, we treasure them deeply.

Another part that made Scotland hard to leave was that we carved out employment identities for ourselves. I had a terrible time letting go of who I was when I left Coast Paper. I cried myself to sleep so many nights because I didn’t have any idea where to even begin looking for a job. And when I did finally get some calls back and eventually even interviews, I had a hard time getting excited about the fact that I could actually get a job. Thankfully when I was finally offered a position just before Christmas at Paperchase, I felt like I’d been given a lifeline. This was something I could do – I could help people find what they needed, I could talk about paper and cards, I could stock and clean shelves. And finally someone took a chance on a foreigner who just wanted so badly to go to work every day. I made friendships at Paperchase that I also value very deeply. I very quickly developed a loyalty to the company and especially to the Edinburgh store. I was very sad to leave.

But I think the biggest part of why our life in Edinburgh was so good was that we did it ourselves. We rallied time and time again against adversity and struggled through times when we had no idea where we were going or what we were doing. We found ourselves often in a place where payday was still miles away, our bus passes were expired, we had groceries to buy and exactly fifty pounds to our name. I’ve said it before but we started completely from scratch with little or no idea what we needed or where to go to find out. Brandon loved it, I kind of hated it, but I learned really fast how to rely on him and trust that he would figure it out. As much as we had gained new friendships, we really only had each other. Every decision we made was made together. We became a solid team and true partners in our journey. Now that we’re back in Calgary where everything is familiar and we have so much support around us, things are a bit different. It’s not that we no longer a team, we just don’t need to be so dependant on only each other. I miss the way it was before.

In a very strange way, we’ve found it much more difficult to fit back into Canadian life than it was to find our niche in Scottish life. I know part of that is due to how much we miss Edinbugh and how much we talk about it. It’s also due largely to the fact we don’t like how easy it is to get caught up in consumerism and the endless push for wealth and possessions here in Calgary. We lead a very simple existance in Edinburgh and for the most part, we did just fine. That’s not to say we didn’t want to have nicer things and that we didn’t miss some of our posessions, but we did quite well with the bare essentials. One frying pan, three pots, four plates and 2 bowls. The contents of our cupboards here in comparison is disgustingly opulant. We miss so much and talk constantly about what we had and wish we could’ve brought with us.

I miss being able to walk everywhere I needed to go. Or if not walk, then hop on a bus that would efficiently get me there. And I stress efficient. Because though I could take a bus here, in no way, shape or form would I describe Calgary Transit that way when compared to Lothian Buses.

I miss the sense of identity that the Scots have. We are seriously lacking in pride here in Canada. I truly believe that most Canadians will never completely understand or appreciate how good we have it, and how awesome it is to have that blue Canadain passport, until they spend an extended amount of time out of Canada. I know it’s not really our fault that we have no sense of pride. Afterall, our country is a baby compared to so many others. But the Scottish people embrace their history, bloody and turbulant as it is, and have no problem telling you they have the right to drink that pint wherever they like because William Wallace won the battle of Stirling Bridge, etc, etc. Now their proof may not actually have anything to do with the situation at hand, but their facts will be right and they’re damn proud of them.

I miss being able to spend 10 Pounds on groceries and have two dinners covered with nothing left in the fridge to go bad. You just can’t do that here. Everything is packaged much, much to big. The best example of this is milk. I pour soured milk down the drain all the time now because we don’t even finish a 1L carton before it expires. In Edinburgh we bought a pint of milk and always used it up. You can’t buy a pint in Safeway. At the ScotMid around the corner from our flat I could buy half a cucumber or half a loaf of bread. Six free range, organic eggs cost 1 Pound. And my most favourite meal, especially when Brandon wasn’t home for supper, consisted of a bag of pre-steamed noodles, a bag of stir-fry veggies, and two packets of sauce that I could buy for less than 5 Pounds.

I also miss the hospitality that we encountered time and time again. For the most part, we were greeted warmly wherever we went. Often too warmly and had a terrible time getting out of conversations that seemed non-ending. And I don’t doubt that as much as the pub and shop owners hate the tourists that swarm the streets during Festival time in August, they would share a pint with them and tell them their life story and that of their great uncle who went to Canada once in 1962 as well.

Overall, I miss the atmosphere. It didn’t happen all the time, but once in a while everything would just feel…different. I don’t know exactly how to explain it and I know that it was probably because I was foreign, but sometimes the air would feel thicker, charged somehow, and with a scent of earth or dust or sometimes the sea. And I would kind of feel like I was part of something and I would be filled up. I breathed a bit deeper, my vision was sharper, my sense of touch was oversensative and I would become overly emotional. And this felling could happen anywhere. Most obviously it happened when we were standing on the battlements of a castle ruin, sitting on my finally found highland hill, standing under our tree at Craigmillar Castle on our betrothal day, or sitting on a bench petting William the cat at Rosslyn Chapel. But also, and more remarkably, it also happened on many occasions on the Royal Mile, often on my way home along London Road Gardens, once or twice on George Street, and always when we visited Queensferry. It could be that I was taking my good friend Karen’s advice and being careful to be present in every moment so I was being ultra sensative. But I do know that it’s not a feeling I’ve often felt here. Once or twice in Jasper, but even that was different.

There’s no one thing I can say to sum up the year Brandon and I spent in Scotland, but saying that we lived there comes pretty close. It deeply offends me when people assume we were on an extended vacation in Scotland. Yes, we traveled and yes, we saw fabulous places while we were there. But what we did was far from the definition of a holiday. We experienced life in another country that turned out to be much more foreign than we expected it to be. Because of that, created a foundation for our relationship that has been put through test after test and has never cracked or even shown a scratch. I feel a little like that one year gave us about 10 years of experience. Looking back now on what we gave up in order to make the life we lived in Scotland happen, I know that it was all worth it. The tears, the stress, the doubts were all worth it and more. We will forever look back on that year as one of the hardest, but very best of our lives. We came back changed people and I hope that some of the things we loved about our lifestyle in Edinburgh came back with us and that they won’t fade away.

And now finally, eleven months later, I guess I’m finished this blog. Thank you to everyone who followed along and couldn’t hardly wait for the next post. In a way I feel like we carried you all along with us on this journey.

The journey home

While most of Split was still asleep or just stumbling home from nightclubs, we walked down the gangway and into a taxi at 4:30 in the morning on the 20^th of October. Tony from our boat had arranged the pick up for us and though he told us it would cost 250 Kuna, the driver insisted on 300. Brandon asked him to stop at a bank then because we’d made it work that we only had exactly the cash we needed left. Instead, he pulled into a gas station, put 300 Kuna worth into the car and then had Brandon come in and pay for it. Works the same I guess!

 

We arrived at the Split airport which was in another town about 30 minutes from the port in lots of time - before the airline staff even got there. There was a long line up but we checked in alright and then sat at the gate waiting to board our short, 45 minute flight to Zagreb where we would then catch our connecting flight to London. We arrived, made it through passport control, and then managed to finally get the attention of the crazy busy lady at the one coffee shop to get some breakfast and water. We then proceeded to wait, and wait, and wait some more constantly watching the screen above our gate willing it to give us more information other than just the word DELAY. We were supposed to leave at 8:30 and finally, after a nap, more coffee, a complete game of crazy 8’s countdown with our trusty Canada flag cards, and a trip through the duty free shop, they announced that they would have an update at 10:00. Then they announced they would have an update at 10:30. And again at 11. At noon they started boarding our flight. And then, because the crew had worked their maximum 6 hours already, we had to wait for the replacement crew. We were finally off the ground just after 12:30 and everyone was plenty cranky. We stayed pretty calm though, figuring there was little point getting too upset when there was really nothing we could do about it anyway. Would’ve been nice to sleep a little later though.

 

Now we had planned on having those four hours we spent stuck in the Zagreb airport in London. We wanted to go to Hamley’s toy store again and we didn’t want to have to hurry to get our train at 3:40 to Manchester. As it turned out, we had an hour and a half to get from Heathrow to Euston station. When we landed we made it through the customs line in record time, waited very impatiently for our back packs at the baggage claim and then hurried through the airport trying to find the trains into the city. We paid 38 Pounds to take the express train to Paddington station which thankfully only took 15 minutes. There, we bought Tube tickets and then pushed our way onto the first car we could trying to make our way to Euston. What should’ve been very easy was complicated by closures on both lines we needed to take. Great! Three trains later we piled off the Tube and ran up all the escalators to get into the main Euston station. And somehow, though I’m still not sure how we were that lucky, we made it onto our Manchester bound train with just six, that’s 6, minutes to spare. We sat there for a moment and just laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation and were thankful that we weren’t like some of the people on our flight from Zagreb who’d missed their connecting flights to the States.

 

Thankfully there was a café on the train and we were able to get packaged sandwiches and bags of crisps to eat as lunch/dinner and when it came time to change at Crewe, we weren’t as stressed or worried anymore about time. We arrived in Manchester at the airport station and after eventually locating a phone, we called the hotel to send a shuttle to pick us up. We were so grateful to Brandon’s mom and dad for booking us that hotel for the night because at that point we were so tired and looking so forward to the idea of a hot tub and a hot meal. We got checked in after what felt like pulling teeth at the front desk only to find dried puke all over the toilet in our room. But rather than changing us to a different room, they just sent someone in to clean it. Great, but then we just had to deal with the stench of it all night. They offered us a free drink as compensation which we declined and then went in search of the pool. That at least was a relaxing hour.

 

We ordered room service and while I dozed in and out of sleep, Brandon accidentally pulled the emergency cord in the bathroom. Because they put us in a disabled friendly room there were two of these cords, one next to the bathtub and one next to the bed. It wasn’t all that horrible, just embarrassing to get a phone call and then a knock on the door to reset the alarm. Oops! We had a good night’s sleep and then went down to a hot breakfast. Then, trying to brush my hair before putting all the toiletries into my back pack, I pulled the emergency cord. Agghhh! Anyway, we checked out and got into the car that took us back to the airport where we got into the long line to check into our flight. Security took a long time too and by the time we got ourselves put back together, shopped and picked our way through all the duty free to find our gate, it was nearly time to start boarding. And though it was a good flight, it was much, much too long and squishy. Not so bad as the Thomas Cook flight to London last September, but bad enough.

 

We landed safely, though a little late in Calgary on October 21^st, a year and a month since we left. Going through customs was quick, they didn’t question any of our time away or the very small value we put down for what we were bringing back into the country. It then took forever and a day for our luggage to come down onto the belt. We were actually starting to worry when they finally appeared. Then through the last check point and we were officially in Calgary. Our parents and Brandon’s brother were there waiting for us, complete with a bright yellow sign welcoming us back. The hugs and the tears were worth the early morning, the long flight and the wait in the airport. The snow was a bit of a shock and the cold was not all that welcome.

 

Everything here remembers us as well as we remember it. We’ve moved into our house now and nearly everything went back into the place it was when we lived here last year. There are still a few pictures to put up, but all the boxes are unpacked and tomorrow the tv and internet will be hooked up. I start work on Monday, Brandon has an interview tomorrow, we’re going to band practice tonight…and as wonderful as it all is and as comfortable as we feel, I can’t help but wish that our address was still Elgin Terrace. I want to open my door and step out into Edinburgh. I want to go to Rosslyn Chapel or to Queensferry to take pictures of the bridge. I know I shouldn’t be sad and yet something in me is yearning already for the place we carved out for ourselves there. It’ll pass I’m sure, I just need a routine and some normalcy here that reminds me of how good it is to be in Canada. But I sure need to look a little harder for beauty here. It is good to be home.

November 1 - Catching up on the cruise

We’re home in Canada, the house is totally unpacked and we’re already sick of this cold weather. But before I get to that, I have to catch up on the last week of traveling. So, back to the boat and the salty Adriatic we go!

 

Rather than bore you with too much detail of each day’s events, especially since much of every day was spent lounging around and soaking up the sun, I’m going to try to describe the whole week in one shot. Sorry if it gets a little lengthy.

 

The first full day of sailing started early and after breakfast, we stopped to swim. Everyone was feeling a little more brave and Brandon got the jumping off the boat ball rolling by leaping from the front of the boat. This was quickly followed by a few other people, including me. I only did it the one time because I wasn’t smart enough to jump straight in - my entry was more on my bum and that hu-urt something fierce. It was an awful lot of fun though. The day was marked by really choppy water and I started to feel a little sick. I went down to our cabin to get something and made the mistake of laying down on my bed and then wasn’t able to get up. It was all I could do to talk myself out of throwing up and yet I couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed and get back out into the fresh air. Finally Brandon came down to get me and forced me up and outside. It was better then, but thankfully we were in port shortly after that and the solid ground did wonders. A few of us embarked on a hike up to where the map said was a little church. There wasn’t much of a church, but we did have a great walk. We climbed higher and higher up a gravel road to where we finally got a fabulous view of the bay down below. The people we met along our hike were very friendly, waving and saying hello as we passed by. The cats, that are everywhere in town, were also very friendly, though some were not very healthy. I felt bad for them because they were obviously strays but they didn’t look like they were starving so I guess they weren’t too bad off. We all stopped for a coffee at a little café at the bottom of the hill and those who had the ability made good use of the free wi-fi offered there. That night was the captain’s dinner on the boat but our package didn’t include this in the price because of the deal we got. We had dinner at a little restaurant in town instead which was nearly deserted and really quite romantic. We met a bunch of the others at a bar just beside the dock for cocktails. It was a tiny little place but the building had stood there for about 400 years. And since the tourist season had pretty much ended already, we had the place all to ourselves.

 

The next morning we had just a short sail to Dubrovnik. It was rough water again but because the weather report was promising worse weather, the captain made short time of it and we were there before noon. We spent the afternoon in the old town walking along the top of the city walls to see the breathtaking views of the sea and all the orange roofs down below. We also had a guided walking tour where we learned all about the narrow little streets - much like the closes in Edinburgh - and all the hundreds of steps people walk every day to get to and from their homes in the old town. We also saw some of the evidence and left over damage from the war in the early nineties. Dubrovnik suffered badly and though much has been done in the way of repair, it’s hard not to notice the replaced roofs and scarred walls. We broke with the group for a little while to walk through a small museum and then to get some chips to tide us over until dinner. We found everyone then at Buza, a pub that sits just outside the old town wall where the tables and chairs are perched on the rocks just above the sea. The waves crash into the cliff below you and you can watch the brilliant sunsets there with an unobstructed view. Brandon and I walked back to the boat then and got dinner at a gyro place just on the dock.

 

At breakfast the next day we got the news that we were staying in Dubrovnik another night. The water was going to be much too rough for us to sail and in the interest of safety and comfort, the captain decided to stay put. Fine by me considering my minor bout of sea sickness! We unfortunately also got a message that morning to call home to Brandon’s dad asap. Thankfully there was a shop right on the dock that offered international calling and we were able to get in touch with Alan quickly. That’s when we got the sad, sad news that Brandon’s Great Grandma Bryce had passed away. The grey sky and light rain seemed rather fitting just then. We couldn’t believe that we’d made it the whole year without any family catastrophes and now, one week before we were due home, we were faced with this devastating news. I asked Brandon if we should pack up and head to the airport but he decided that it was a better tribute to her 104 years for us to continue on and see as much as we could see as we’d planned. We joined with the rest of the group then and took the bus into the old town where we too connected to a coffee shop wi-fi network and sent some emails home. We pushed on, visiting a pharmacy museum and monastery cloister garden, a war photo exhibit that was very, very difficult to see, and then made our way back to the boat for lunch. We did a lot of just wandering around that afternoon, shopping, eating chips, and then Brandon and I went back to Buza for another look at the sunset. There, we toasted to Grandma Bryce and her fabulous life. We’d booked to have dinner on the boat so we went back there for what turned out to be a really great bbq. We met everyone back in town for a glass of wine and then ended up going to a local bar not far from the boat. We were guided there by a really nice Croatian man who then told us all about what it’s like living in Dubrovnik. I was struck by how open and willing to just visit with us he was. He walked with us part of the way back to the dock and we all appreciated how genuinely nice he was. Tony, the bartender on the boat was in fine form when we got back and he proceeded to show off a bit of his skill. He ended up pouring us a cocktail in which flames and a whole lot of alcohol were involved. It was a night full of much laughter, a few tears, and a wee bit too much liquor. But it sure was fun!

 

It was a little tough to get out of bed the next morning but we made it up to breakfast where we were met with a few nasty looks and comments about the noise level from the night before. Oh well, we had fun! Our first stop was Mjet and though we only had a short time here, we made the most of it. Nine of us rented bicycles and made our way through the national park to see the stunning salt water lakes on the island. With sore bums and aching legs we made our way back to the boat and onward we went to the island of Korcula. Here we bought much needed toothpaste and sunglasses (Brandon’s third pair since leaving Edinburgh) and found a bakery to fortify us with sugary dough before we hit the water for a rather chilly swim. We joined our usual group for a bit of a picnic on the top of the boat and then went in search of pizza for supper. We then climbed to the top of one of the old Roman towers for a cocktail delivered via a rope and pulley system from the main floor bar. Everyone was rather early to bed that night.

 

The next morning we once again stopped for a swim after breakfast and once again had a great lunch on the boat on our way to the next port. When we landed at Hvar we found this apparently bustling and very touristy town nearly deserted. But we made the most of the lack of crowds and hiked up the hill to the old fort to look around and take in the views. Brandon and I made our way back down and then found a great spot to perch and watch the sunset. We went back to the boat for drinks as Tony promised us two for one happy hour to try to clean out his bar. Being the last cruise of the season, he wanted as many empty bottles as possible. We went for dinner that night with what turned out to be a large group. I think we were 11 in total and we had a feast. Brandon and I shared a pot of garlicky mussels and then the catch of the day which was one of the best fish I’ve ever tasted. The restaurant grilled everything in an open fire oven on the outside wall and we sat on their patio watching a giant orange moon come up over the water. Brandon proceeded to win a rather intense game of Uno against Tony and one of our boat mates. It was a great evening.

 

Our last full day of cruising began beautifully with breakfast and then a nice long swimming break just off a rather popular beach called Zlatni Rat. It was a gorgeous spot and swimming to the beach from the boat was great fun. The beaches aren’t sandy though, they’re all just rocks and pebbles and therefore a little rough on the feet if you don’t have water shoes to swim in. I didn’t go up onto the beach, just stayed in the shallow water where the little fish could check out my toes and nibble at my ankles. I got chilly though and the fish wouldn’t stop bumping into me so I made it back to the boat before Brandon did and proceeded to warm up in the hot sunshine at the front of the boat. It was glorious. We were soon on our way again though and the last few hours went by quickly with lunch and showers and we were all of a sudden back in Split. Brandon and I spent about an hour getting our cabin in some sort of order and packing most of our things back into the back packs. Then we went into the old town to shop a bit and spend some time on wi-fi before going back to the boat to toast the sunset with our sailing friends. Dinner was pizza and chips with the group and since we had such a crazy early start to the next day, we played a few hands of Uno and then went to bed early. We had to say goodbye to all our new friends though which was too bad since most of them would get to at least spend breakfast the next day together. But it was such a good time and we agreed the very best way we could’ve spent our last week in Europe. And when you read about how stressful the next day went, you’ll understand why we were ready to jump on a flight and head back there if we could to do it all over again!

October 13 - Awake in Croatia

We woke up this morning to the sound of someone walking by knocking on doors to tell us all to get up. Then there was a rather violent and noisy shuddering signaling we were docking. It was a good thing we had set the alarm clock though because this docking was half an hour ahead of schedule. Apparently there was an intercom announcement waking everyone up and telling drivers to head to their cars but we didn’t get one in our room. No bother, we returned our room key to get my passport back and we quickly found the exit, back through the car level onto land. We had to line up to go through passport control which didn’t take too long and then we were officially on Croatian soil, in the bright sunshine of Split harbor.

 

It wasn’t hard to find our boat, all of the cruise companies and people with private yachts moor up and dock just up from the ferry terminal. We were really, really early though so we had to store our back packs with a guy on the street (he had a shed set up along side all the tourist vendors) for 15 kuna each. That’s equivalent to about $2. We set off in search of breakfast next and eventually found bread stuffed with a feta-like cheese that were really good. We climbed a staircase back out onto the street and found ourselves in the middle of a bustling market filled with just about anything you could ask for. Which was great considering this is where we found Brandon’s much, much needed pair of sandals. But there was fruit and veggies and meat and cheese alongside clothing, dishes, underwear and shoes. It was great.

 

We just kept walking for a while but without our guidebook which I so helpfully left in my backpack, we didn’t really know what we should be looking for. We wound our way through dirty and rough looking residential streets before we finally stopped to take a break in a park. From there we kind of headed towards a bell tower which turned out to be in the centre of the old town, exactly what you’re supposed to see in Split. Bright, sunlit, skinny streets full of tourists being ferried in from the massive cruise ship sitting just outside the harbor were lined with cafes and little shops. We climbed a load of steps up to the top of the bell tower to get a good view of the red and orange rooftops and sea down below. Then we slowly made our way back through the crowd and sat for a while at the harbor front before making out way to our boat to see if we could get checked in.

 

Our boat is called Eos and there were already quite a few people onboard. We were a little worried at the beginning since everyone sitting there looked about 65 years old! But then as more people boarded the average age started to drop. There’s a good mix of nationalities, mostly Aussies though, and about half a dozen people in our age range that will be fun to hang around with.

 

After a briefing by the cruise line rep and introductions to our crew, we soon set sail on our way south. We had lunch, which was salad, soup, pork with potatoes and tomato sauce, and banana splits for dessert. Then we stopped to swim in the sea which was cold, really salty, but so, so much fun. No one jumped from the top of the boat but I’m pretty sure that is to come!

 

Our cabin is a lot more spacious that I expected it to be. We didn’t luck out and get a double bed but we’re below deck and I think only the above deck rooms have the doubles. We have our own bathroom complete with a shower that’s bigger than ours was in the Edinburgh flat and though not very big or bright, we have two porthole windows.

 

We got to know each other, traded names and travel stories and made plans for what to do for dinner. By the time we docked for the night we were feeling pretty comfy on the boat. So far the water’s been smooth and the sun was nice and warm. We went with the group for dinner tonight, starting in one place for a drink and pizzas to share and then made our way to another restaurant for main courses. The food’s been great and there’s nothing too out of the ordinary on the menus. Not much was going on in town, other than a wedding just ending as our boat pulled into port. We thought about going to find it and crash the party but thought that might not be the best idea. After ice cream and a short walk around the main part of town we decided to head back to the boat. Brandon and I climbed up to the top-most deck and lounged on the sun beds to watch the stars for a little while before going to bed. It was a great first day.

October 12 - A train and a boat

Right now I’m sitting on the built in chair in the cabin Brandon and I are sharing on the ferry to Split, Croatia. He’s already claimed the top bunk and we’re winding down, ready to sleep away most of the voyage.

 

Yesterday, we arrived in Ancona after a four hour train journey from Rome. There was supposed to be someone from our B&B there to meet us, but we couldn’t find anyone. We tried calling, there was no answer. We eventually ended up taking a 25 Euro taxi there and were met by a very apologetic owner who promised to pay us back because she’d gone to bed with a headache and forgot to come get us. She spoke very good English which is a treat lately and she was crazy helpful and really, really nice. She let us go down and eat in the breakfast room from the little buffet since all the restaurants wouldn’t start serving dinner for another three hours, and she offered that we could stay till 5:30 the next morning instead of checking out at 11 and having to take our back packs with us all day. She also promised us a free ride to the ferry terminal which was all so, so welcoming. Up in our room we were met with the best accommodations we’d seen yet on this adventure. Our room would easily rent for 350 - 400 Pounds back in Edinburgh. It had a kitchenette complete with a fridge, gas stove and all the pots and dishes we’d need for a stay at least a week long. We kind of regretted not coming here a day or so earlier!

 

We napped, got cleaned up and then went up the road to where the lady recommended we go for a real Italian dinner. And holy crap, what a dinner we had. There were no menus, just a little old man telling us with absolutely no English the types of pasta we could have. We kind of repeated back what we though would be good but we think he kind of just told us no, he’d bring us this instead. It’s okay though, because what he brought was a bowl full of tortellini for us to share that was filled with ricotta and spinach in a creamy, buttery sauce with fresh green peas and mushrooms. It was ridiculously good. Next he brought us a pizza that had prosccuto, mushrooms and capers on it that though not totally to Brandon’s taste, it was fabulous to me. We drank a liter of red wine along with this all and he offered to bring us more food but we politely declined since there was no way we were going to be able to eat more. We went to the counter to pay and somehow ended up getting a shot of espresso to drink before he wrote our our bill, but it he was so happy and so nice we just didn’t fight anything. It was by far one of the best experiences in Italy.

 

This morning we slept in a bit and had breakfast downstairs before heading first to the little grocery store up the street to buy some food to take on the ferry with us. Then we decided to walk down to the beach even though it was kind of rainy and not very nice today. We walked along in the sand for a bit and out on a pier before venturing on to find some lunch. We walked for what seemed like miles before we eventually found a much larger grocery store and bought some pizza to eat while we walked back and some other provisions to make supper in our room. Almost an hour later we were home and after we both showered and packed our back packs yet again Brandon made us some pasta before we had to leave for the port.

 

We went downstairs and had to ring the outside buzzer to get someone to come to the desk. Unfortunately it was the cleaning lady who speaks no English at all who came and she had to call someone to come and pick us up, who also didn’t speak any English. We eventually gestured and pointed enough to tell him where we wanted to go and we loaded into his car headed for the terminal. We got there but of course he wanted paid and we had no way to tell him that the lady told us it would be a free ride. We ended up paying him 10 Euros grudgingly but what else could we do? We got checked in at the ticket counter and then on a shuttle bus that took us to our pier. A little confusion, the strangest way to get onto a ferry ever (no gangway - you walk up the ramp that the cars drive on) and we were on our boat. I’m annoyed that they’ve kept my passport for the night until we give the key for our cabin back in the morning, but I’m trying to keep calm about that. We ate the snacks we packed and sat outside watching as Italy slowly sank away into the blackness around us. The lights on the decks are almost too bright to see any stars which is a bit disappointing, but it’s still quite warm outside so we sat out there for quite a while before heading in for what will probably be an early night. The bunks are small but we’re both really glad that we sprung for the cabin instead of just seats in one of the lounges. They don’t look terribly comfy. I’m feeling a little dizzy being inside the boat with all the motion so I’m hopeful I’ll sleep okay, but I guess this is good practice for the week to come!

 

Country number 3 of 5 for this vacation will be on the horizon when the sun comes up tomorrow!

October 10 - Dry socks and a fountain

Today was kind of a lower key day. We did some catching up on things, first of which was to go up the block to Termini Station to buy our train tickets to Ancona, where we catch our ferry to Split, Croatia. Second, we stopped in at McDonald’s for brunch and were quite surprised to see a completely separate counter for ordering lattes, cappuccinos and baked goodies. It was kind of cool to order a cup of tiramisu at mickey d’s. Next, and most importantly, we made our way to the Laundromat up down from our hotel to get some washing done. It was pricey, 3.50 for a wash and 2.00 for a dry, but at least everything was clean and oh man! How I have missed a tumble drier! This one was pretty high powered since it only took 20 minutes to get the whole load dried. But folding socks together without having to hope the damp spots would just work themselves out was fabulous.

 

While I was waiting on the laundry Brandon ventured out in search of a bank machine. The Rome hotel was the only place we couldn’t pay for on online in advance and they would only take cash. We had kind of forgotten about this and didn’t plan for it when we exchanged money back in Edinburgh when we left. He tried three different bank machines and none of them would allow the transaction. A bit worried, he went back to the hotel to check the balances and do some research on how we could access our money. The website for our UK account stated that we could go into a bank branch and using our passport as proof of identity they would be able to give us cash using our card. Once we dropped the (dry!) laundry back at the hotel, we set off in search of a bank branch. Found one quite easily but had to wait for the staff to come back from lunch so we sat at a nearby café for a glass of wine. When in Rome and all that… Anyway, they came back, we went in, asked if they could help us because the machine wouldn’t work. All the lady said was, “use machine outside”. I asked if she had any ideas what we could do and she said, “no” and turned away. Nice! (As a side note, this is pretty much the level of friendliness we’ve experienced from all but a precious few Italians so far.) We eventually got the problem sorted out by getting the money from a Western Union place who charged us a 6% handling fee, but at least we could pay for the hotel room.

 

After that was all done and settled, we hopped onto a bus tour. It was only 10 Euros each because by this time it was after 3, but it was nice to see some sights without sore feet. We were technically supposed to stay on until we were back at Temini again but I wanted to go back to Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain so we jumped off at the Navona stop. Only problem was, we’d lost our map in the process of the day and had no idea where to go. We stopped in at a little shop and asked if they had one to which he replied, “Four Euros!” Um, no thanks. Only then, as we were walking out, did he offer us one for one Euro. Taking that, somehow we still got all turned around and ended up walking in a big circle back to where the bus let us off and still no nearer the Piazza Navona. Finally on the right track though, we did eventually make our way and took a bunch of photos and bought two little water colour paintings.

 

Next we went in search of dinner and eventually decided on a little side street place. We shared a huge plate of caprese salad, a proscutto and mushroom pizza, and then each had a bowl of pasta. It was a really nice dinner and we were both totally stuffed when we left to visit the Trevi Fountain. Along the way we stopped back in at the Pantheon which was lovely lit up in the twilight but we didn’t stay long because some super annoying American tourists with their loud southern accents were bugging us.

 

The fountain tonight was much different that we found it yesterday morning. It was literally crawling with people and little brown guys trying to take Polaroid photos of everyone for a charge. We did eventually find a spot to sit and drink our tiny bottle of Lemoncello, and we did eventually give in and do the silly pictures of each other throwing a coin into the fountain, but the best was going around the right side where there was a place to drink from the fountain and stretch out on the stone. We stayed there for about an hour before making our way back to the hotel. It felt like a great way to spend our last day in Rome.

October 9 - Do you get a stamp in your passport at the Vatican?

This was our Vatican day and it started early. The ticket office to the museums opens at 9 and we planned to be there early enough to not have to stand in line for hours and hours. We left the hotel just after 7 and started our long walk there. We probably should’ve tried to take a bus or the metro because our feet were absolutely dead by mid day, but oh well. It was a good walk. Not too many people out yet and we stumbled upon the Trevi Fountain with absolutely no visitors which was kind of cool. We stopped in at a little café for panninis and lattes before continuing on the way.

 

There was very little line when we joined everyone else waiting for the doors to open. There were so, so many people trying to sell tours and postcards and avoiding eye contact with them was quite the challenge. But even though it makes you feel like kind of jerk you just have to be rude to them. We only had to wait about 35 minutes in what was thankfully the correct line since there was no signage at all. Once past the guard controlling the crowd we entered what we like to think was the customs line up for a bag search and trip through a metal detector. We were entering the smallest country in the world after all. Another quick line up for tickets and then up the stairs we went to start the long journey through the endless galleries of the museum. The ultimate goal of course is to make you way to the Sistine Chapel but every possible surface is painted, carved, filled with statues…it’s amazing.

 

We were herded along like sheep with the rest of the thousands of people (estimated 5 million in a year) until we finally reached the Michelangelo’s chapel. It really is beautiful, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but it’s kind of a let down. There were so, so many people in there that you could barely move and you’re pushed and pulled in various directions by everyone vying for a better spot to look up at the ceiling. The atmosphere is made ever worse by the security guards at the door shushing the crowd when the noise of 1500 people whispering started to get a little too high. It probably would’ve been worth it to get onto the tour that Scottish buy from the day before was selling that offered an hour in the chapel before the museums opened. We didn’t spend a whole lot of time there but made our way out into a couple more galleries and eventually to the café where we ate pizza before finding the exit.

 

Next stop was around the corner into St. Peter’s Square. The line snaking around the square to get into the Basilica looked terribly daunting, but we joined it and it moved quite quickly. Once inside our breath was taken away. We’ve seen a lot of churches this year but this one really does win as the most grandiose. Marble covering every surface, domes so tall you can barely see the top, monuments and statues so big you almost can’t fit them into a photo. The centre altar with the remains of St. Peter himself underneath is massive and ornately decorated to the point of overkill, but it is stunningly beautiful. We also saw the tomb of Pope John Paul II in front of which many people were stopped to pray.

 

We stumbled upon a staircase going down below a statue of St. Andrew which is an entrance into the grottoes, the lower floor beneath the church where the tombs of many popes are placed. This was kind of a blessing because there were many fewer people down there and it felt like we were in a very secluded and much more sacred place.

 

Back up the stairs took us to the area where we could line up to take the 500 or so steps to the top of the dome. We were ready to do it, but then were told that’s it, the dome is closed. No other reason, just that it’s closed. It was only just after 2 so maybe there were too many people already up there…not sure. It was disappointing though.

 

We sat on the steps in the square for quite a while resting our feet and planning to attack the walk back to the hotel. We’d stopped to talk to a lady on a Segway before we went into St. Peter’s about taking a tour and she gave us a business card with a number on it to call for booking. Brandon decided that he for sure wanted to do the tour but I was scared. Not knowing how hard it would be to ride one, I didn’t want to pay the money and then not be able to do it or hold up a whole tour group by going too slow. We finally figured out how to use a payphone and got the company on the line but were told we had to go to the office to buy the tickets. The office was close to the hotel so that was fine, but the tour took place closer to where we were which was kind of annoying. We started the long, long walk back and had to stop for a break along the way because I was absolutely done. My feet were burning, I was hot, I was tired…not a happy camper. Gelato made it better.

 

Ticket booked, we spent about an hour in the hotel taking naps and showers and then back out we ventured. I decided to go along with Brandon to at least see what it was like and then I was going to wait for him to do the tour in a restaurant. We finally, finally found the place where we were able to catch a bus to where we needed to be after getting very little help from an information booth. And when bus H finally got there, Brandon tried to ask the driver if we were in the right place and how long it would take but he just brushed us off and told us to hurry up and get on. People here are not that nice. There are very few seats on the buses so we had to hang on for dear life and sway back and forth as the bus sped away through traffic. We finally got out where we hoped was where we needed to be and tried to find the place where the tour started. We got horribly lost. Brandon got directions from a guy in the grocery store and that got us closer, but were still lost. Finally, 6 minutes late we ran into the office where a guy sat at a desk but there were no other people around. He quickly calmed us saying there was no one else on the tour! He let me try out the segway first and explained all the ins and outs so I decided I would do it too. And oh man that was fun! We had about an hour following Mario through the little streets and alleys of Trastevere which is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Rome. Sidewalk cafes, churches, balconies covered with vines…it was perfect. And riding the Segways was so, so much fun. Totally worth the money and not at all worth all the worry.

 

We asked Mario where to get some good but inexpensive dinner in the area and he took us around the corner to a local place where he told the waiter to speak English to us, which he didn’t. As he put it, it’s good food for cheap, but service - they don’t know what it is. We really felt like we were eating like locals for that meal. We had a liter of wine poured out of a jug into what we would use for juice glasses, pasta and a rolled beef dish each with a side of chicory (because that’s what everyone else was ordering and I wanted to try it) for 33 Euros. A really good deal, trust me.

 

It was a long walk home but filled with good, good food and wine, it didn’t seem to take nearly as long this time. It was a long, but really good day.