Looking back on an amazing trip

I will be flying back to London today as there is no easy and affordable land transport back from where I am, and yes, I have considered someone's suggestion to buy a bicycle and peddle my way back from here - it is definitely the greenest way but I might not be able to make it back in one piece! John @Mapme updated my earlier legs (thanks John) and it presents a rough idea of where I was even though it is not at all very accurate in terms of the order (Dopplr tends to screw up the order when I go to more than one place in a day). Arriving in the Baltics seem so distant now and finding it difficult to remember it all at once.



Here are some stats that might be interesting:

- 26 nights;
- 11 countries;
- 31 places, including 10 capitals and 18 UNESCO listed sites;
- 1,482 photos (excluding hundreds that were deleted along the way)
- 2 flights;
- and endless trains and bus rides

Dopplr calculated that my carbon emission from transportation for this trip is 918kg from the main transports that I have taken, plus the use of my solar panels to recharge my phone, I think I am doing ok for my part.

It has been an amazing journey travelling alone, tired at times, lonely often but always encountering the least expected, with frustrations turning into life experiences. There are also plenty of lifetime memories, from the lovely hosts in Vilnius and Warsaw, to the people I meet at hostels and eateries along the way, to the once-in-a-lifetime sights in Šiauliai, Auschwitz and Birkenau, and so many more...Would I do it again? You bet I will, in fact, my next journey is to start in a week's time, 7 Apr to be exact. I will write more again in the coming days but I like to end this post and my gratitude to everyone who has been ever so nice to me during the journey, and your friendship will stay with me forever. You know where to find me, so contact me and stay in touch always! I'm getting lazy to tidy up my pictures, but a set of clean clothes and some soup noodles might get me going again...

My final leg to the end of Mediterranean

British Summer time officially starts this morning at 3am, and got me completely confused of the time. Instead of moving it forward by an hour, I end up moving it backwards, meaning I slept for an hour more today than norm. Was wondering why the folks in the room suddenly woke up so early today when I checked my phone as it was only showing 7am!

By the time I was ready, most of the hostelites have already left for the activities of the day and I've also missed the 0905hrs ferry to Capri. Might as well since the weather has not be the greatest - it was raining throughout the night and the winds are especially strong, with overcast sky. The owner of the hostel said it cost €34 for the return ferry but added that it was probably not the best day out in the island. Ended up spending the morning sorting out my itinerary to get back to London instead. Was particularly annoyed by Ryanair's code logic to check for the phone number entered. If you take this crap airlines, you will know what I mean (I had to as it was the only affordable flight leaving from the last city that I was heading). Also found out that my hotmail account has been hacked, probably during the time when I used the internet cafe in Venice to check my mails - If you have received a dodgy looking email sent from my hotmail, please do not click on any of the links and delete it immediately. Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Another last minute decision to take the overnight train to Palermo, on Sicily island, probably the southern most tip of Italy; in a way to complete the journey that I have set out to do from the onstart, as well as one of the places where I can get back to London in an affordably way. Apologised to the hostel owner as I had indicated on staying an additional night but is checking out now instead. As usual, left my bag in the hostel and headed out to explore Naples in the day.

Unfortunately most if not all the museums were closed on Sunday, similar to most shops as well, although the main street of via Toledo was closed from traffic for pedestrians. Had a local snack called "BaBa Rum", sold in a patisserie that seem busy by locals. The lady behind the counter took one, poured some liquid over it, before handing it to me for €1.30. Not cheap for a flour desert that is very moist and sweet, and the liquid seems to give it a strange taste initially. Visiting mainland Europe at this time is really bad for UK pound owners; even the typical Big Mac index shows that the burger cost a whopping €3.50 here, literally the same price as what you can get a meal for in London. I don't think it is suddenly become more expensive, it's just that the pounds has dropped so much that mainland Europe has become very poor value destination.

Has been quite a boring day as most shops were closed and just strolled down to the promenade where the waves were smashing against the breakwater from the howling winds. Did enjoy a good game of clay court tennis competition at the local tennis club though. The streets were quite deserted as I continued to wonder into the little lanes, often filled with rubbish by the side, ever so vigilant of any unusual activities - pickpockets and thefts are really very common here, although I have been wondering in the streets alone after dark for the past 2 nights. Was back to the hostel by 1600hrs and ended up watching the movie "Into the Wild" with the others as it started to rain. Left for Sorbillo at 1900hrs only to find out that it was closed for Sundays. Really craving for pasta but figured I really have to eat pizza in this city. Ended up having another Capricciosa at a another shop on the way to the train station.

Bought an overnight train to Palermo for €36 - it is a standard seat ticket, sleepers cost double the price. Hoping that it will be empty enough for me to lie down on the 3 seats and save the difference. A friendly Romanian sat opposite me in the cabin, constantly offering me his snacks in Italian which I kindly turned down using the few italian phrases I know and sign language. He soon fell asleep as the train sped towards the southern tip of the main island of Italy, where it will then be transferred to a ferry across the straits where it will then continue its journey across Sicily; something that I am definitely looking forward to.

Half 4 in the morning, with dreamy eyes, I checked the the time on my phone; the train was still moving, definitely not on the ferry. I went back to sleep. 6am, I looked out of the window - the sign displayed Messina, not sure where, but the train has stopped. I stayed awake for 10min and the train is still not moving; not sure why but I went back to sleep again. By the time I was up again, it was already 8 in the morning; darn...I missed the crossing - really gutted as I wanted to see this unusual transfer of the train and I literally slept through it. Really annoyed with myself!

10 to 10, the train arrived in Palermo Centrale and I hiked about 1.5km to the hostel A Casa di Amici along via Volturna. Cost was €22 for a bed in a 3 room dorm, one of the cheapest ones that I could find in the city. First impression looked ok and the owner, Claudia allowed me to washup and put my bags aside whilst the bed/room is been cleaned and tidied. Just before I began this trip, I read about the a story in National Geographic about mummified corpses in a small monastery in Palermo, and this was one of the main reasons why I decided to make this last minute trip here. Entrance costs only €1.50 and I paid an additional €1.50 for a pamphlet of the exhibit - it is a non-profit setup, all profits I understand are donated to the poor after the running costs. What I saw can only really described as astonishing - you have to see it to believe it. Rows of corpses lying in open coffins but most of them are just hanging by the walls. Some of the mummies have been there for the past 300 years, which were initally meant to preserve high monks but opened up to public after numerous requests from many to have their loved ones preserved. You can still see the clothings that they wore when they were alive and some even still have their hair intact! Probably the most amazing corpse has to be that of Rosalia Lombardo, a 2 year old girl who died in 1920 but still looked like she is sleeping in the glass coffin. A word of caution, it can get quite creepy especially if you are the one and only person walking in the underground passageway.

Strange places often have strange cultures - Palermo is no exception as they practice siesta too! Ended up the most of the museums and cathedrals that I wanted to visit were all closed till 3pm. Walked to the promenade by the Gulf of Palermo instead to enjoy a great day of lovely weather and sun as this part of the world is definitely enjoying an early spring if not summer-type weather. After walking for 4 hrs covering almost 15km, decided to head back to hostel for a rest before heading out again for a nice pasta dinner on my last night in Italy.

From Vatican to Neapolitan

Last day in Rome, tried to have an early start to jump the queues at the Vatican City. Woke up at 7am but only managed to leave the hostel at 8 as I had to pack my bag in the dark since the entire room was still asleep and did not want to wake the rest up.

Took the metro and switched to the other line at Termini. The morning working crowd was choking, the lack of ventilation in the carriages make you wonder how can any country be worse off than London Tube. Had my morning caffeine fix on way for my "session" with the Pope. By the time I passed strolled through the smallest country in the world, both in terms of size and population. St Peter Square immediately greets you and I become one of the thousands in the queues to get into St Peter's Basilica which I believe is the biggest basilica in the world. Entrance is free but paid €14 after for the Vatican Museum, which is fairly reasonable due to the size and the highlight has to be the Sistine Chapel, with its amazing tapestry and Michelangelo's greatest works, with the Last Judgement taking up 11 years of his last years, although I was annoyed that I missed the "Creation of Adam".

On my way back to the hostel, probably had the best gelato in Italy so far -- Il Gelato di San Crispino at Via della Panetteria 42, just 2 min walk away from Fontana di Trevi, or commonly known as the Trevi Fountain. Nothing comes any closer...

The 2.49pm regional train left on the dot with many people heading home for the weekend. Sometimes, the train will go by the mountain, sometimes it will edge along the Mediterranean, where it appears in the bluest colour in front of me as the train throttle along towards Napoli. This is the closest that I have come with the sea, and it has never felt better to be so close beside the blue ocean again. Didn't even encounter a train conductor throughout the entire 3 hour journey!

Spring definitely seem to arrive here; flowers are blooming and the whole place is basking under the lovely sunshine, or maybe this is what you expect of the Mediterranean region. Mount Vesuvius come into view as the train rolled into Napoli Centrale, with the sea on the other side. Napoli is so different from all the cities that I have come across so far, nothing pretentious - it is presented as what it is - messy, crowded, dirty and speeding scooters that do not stop for you. Sometimes it is the unstructured nature of the world that becomes natural to us. Especially living in a city for too long, we become too structured; and life loses its meaning.

After numerous turns and losing my way on multiple occasions, I finally got into Welcome Inn along Via Broggia, run by a family who is really warm and friendly - even offered me my first Napolitano caffe, sort of stronger than the others I have tasted so far, but spot on for my taste! Cost €11 a night for bed in 8pp dorm, toilets are limited but not really too much of a problem for me as I just wake up earlier than most to avoid the "crowd". Tasted one of the best pizza in Napoli if not entire Italy -- Gino Sorbillo -- you definitely have to try it if you are around this part of the world.

Next morning, bought a "Unicoverde 5" 24 hour pass for €5.30 that allows me to travel on all the transport for free till Amalfi. Caught the 8.40am Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii. The train ride takes about 40min and will be good to go early to avoid the crowds starting to build up after 10am. Entrance cost €11 and if you have a group or try to find a group, definitely worthwhile to share a guide. As I couldn't find a group to join, ended up renting an audio guide instead costing €6, which incidentally, ran out of battery halfway through my tour, crap! At the end, I think you definitely need someone to bring the historical facts to life rather than just walking through the ruins; even the audio guide doesn't give this ancient site enough credit.

Continued on the same train to Sorrento to catch the local SITA bus to Positano. The bus ride on the cliff hanging roads have to be one of the best experience in my life especially as the drivers drove like Jensen Button along the winding roads overlooking the deep blue Mediterranean sea below us. The route is comparable to the costal drive on the croatian coastline to Dubrovnik, maybe more exhilarating. Positano is such a small town, slightly touristy but still retains its charm with a small stretch of beach at the base. Just missed the bus to Amalfi by the time I was back at the bus stop on the top, ended up waiting for an hour for the next one. Make sure you check the schedules but even then, be there earlier as they can arrive earlier. The journey to Amalfi was quite funny as the first bus stopped at Praiano, and you have to get to the next bus about a kilometer away within 15min, and it will then take you to the seaside town - everyone on the bus were literally running for their lives, only to sit in the bus and wait for anther 10 min before the driver took his time to finish his cigarette!

Chanced upon a beautiful wedding in the church in Amalfi - wonder if signori Amatino will be having his there as well.

Took the bus back into Napoli and had my 2nd pizza again at Sorbillo - still as great although I had to do take away this time round as the crowds snaked around for more than 50m long! Loving the city's love for Pizza!

Rolling into the ancient Rome empire

26 March 09 -- It is really easy to lose track of the day in the week and realise that it is exactly 3 weeks since I left London. Riga feels so distant now and I can barely remember how to say hello in Latvian.

"Buongiorno signori, una caffe americano, and this please," as I pointed to the deliciously looking Frittata. Keeping the Italian tradition, I have not tasted anything bad so far, and coffee is especially top notch, no chains, only simple classic cafes serving the best.

Bought a €15.20 ticket at the train station leaving Firenza SNM to Roma Timburtina wrongly, and paid another €0.90 for the difference to get to the central station although it is totally unnecessary since the train will pass by Timburtina and end up at Termini anyway. Was told by the locals that it might be worth to go to the smaller stations secondary stations within a city for the cheapest train tickets and hop on to any train from the main station to get there for free as there the journey is too short for any conductors to check - apparently most locals don't pay!

After 3 hrs and 45 min, I arrived at Roma Termini, the main train station in the capital. Since Rome is the most populous city in the country, it can be slightly overwhelming to the first time visitor. I chose a hostel, YELLOW, which is 10 min walk from the station. Have also decided to plan my journeys such that I arrive at a new place when there is still light so that I will not spend too long having to find my way to the destination like a headless chicken.

Yellow is quite a big hostel with multiple floors of rooms on a really old building that is literally kept upright by steel bars that are acting like supports. Paid €11 in a 6 bed dorm, which was pretty good in this city as most of them easily charge €20 and more. Chatted with a guy with a accent that is so similar to a mate of mine from Hull, which was really funny as I keep imagining that it was him whenever he said something, spookily similar! Did not waste much time after and headed out to the explore main part of Rome, such as the Pantheon, the different Forums, the Palazzis, Capitoline Hill and lastly but most important of all, the Collesuem. It is the one of the highlights that I have been eagerly looking forward to for this entire trip. The scenes of the movie Gladiator, coming back to me everytime I think about it, and imagining how magnificent it once was during its glorious days.

It did not disappoint, although I have to admit I wasn't overwhelmed in the way I thought I might be. By the time I got there for the sunset, admission has closed which means I probably have missed the chance to go in and visit. The sight was quite breathtaking, especially as the setting sun cuts a golden shadow on its facades. The floating clouds and blue sky provided an ideal backdrop for postcard taking opportunities and in my opinion, it has been well worth the trip!

After covering 14 km in the day, decided to take the metro back to the hostel for a short rest and dinner. Craving for pasta and ended up in the restaurant beside the hostel recommended by the staff, which turned out to be a terrible experience. The restaurant was taking in bulk bookings from students and were struggling to cope with their orders. On top of that, they were still trying to get customers into the restaurant. My pasta was undercooked, but compared with the pizza that some of the kids had, I was lucky enough -- the pizza was barely cooked properly, it was pale white!

Took a slow stroll down to Piazza del Colosseo, always have the postcard image of the Colosseum on my mind and wondering how best to recreate the scene. Spent a good one hour and half walking around the Colosseum to find the ideal spot, timing, vehicles and lighting. Snapped a few shots, reasonably happy with them and headed back again on the metro; too lazy to walk. Slept soon after.

Medieval Tuscany at its best

Got down to the train station early in the morning, still trying to find out exactly where the autobus station is. Yesterday attempts to check the bus schedules only ended up going round and round the train station as the Italians seem to care less about my queries. Finally encountered a guide who was just about to set off for a Tuscany tour, who kindly pointed me to various distinctly blue buses marked with SITA turning round the corner behind the train station.

Got a ticket to Siena for €6.80 one way, same price as the trains but bus is advised as it goes all the way up to the top of the hill top city, compared to the train that stops at the foot and you either can walk up or take another bus to the top. The Rapido service is also 30 min faster than the Directta service, which stops at a few towns en-route to Siena.

The closest that I have come across Siena is probably the football team playing in Serie B? Looking up on the internet reveals a lot more about this UNESCO city famed for its medieval architecture and tiny walkways. Nestled in the middle of the Tuscany region, it is a city perched on the top of a hill, and every street is either uphill climb or downward straddle of every step. Most of the crowd head towards the square, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to explore the winding cobbled streets at your own pace.

After 3 hours of walking round in circles, I can say I really like the city, the streets are so alluring that you can go on for ages. Has been a top notch recommendation! Only complaint is probably the annoyingly messy bus terminal, where the station master seem to be interested in hiding in parked buses and chatting amongst themselves rather than helping passengers to find the right bus. There is no fixed bus bays so you will have check the schedules and wonder around, knocking on the doors of parked bus and looking up on the displays to catch the right one. Took the slower bus back to Firenza hoping for a feel of the towns and maybe stop by one of them for a stroll but decided against it as the closest indication to spring is the glorious sun, else every other living plants seem to be still hibernating away the winter. Did notice that there was a bus service from Siena to Roma (there isn't one from Florence), meaning you could do a half day trip to Siena before hoping on the bus to Roma after, all at a cheaper price, but not as comfortable journey on the bus.

My original plan of going to San Marino (3rd smallest country in the world after Monaco and Vatican City) via Rimini was hampered by the lack of cheap accommodations and the train prices were not particularly low as well. I have heard and read so much of the amazing views from that little area locked by Italian provinces but it was simply not worthwhile to make the trip if I was only going to spend up to a day max. Another twitter recommendation to see Ubino slightly south of San Marino is also shelved as a result but do let me know how they are if you do get a chance to go visit. Makes you feel that having a car will be so much more convenient to visit all these places in the country.

After having baguettes for both breakfast and lunch, decided to treat myself to a proper dinner as I was craving for pasta. The hostel staff recommended Trattori Guelfa, off Via Guelfa, just off the Palazzo del Congressi. You can have 2 mains, a glass of wine, desert and water, for €13. Had to choose the local Ribollita (which is a type of Tuscan minestrone soup, with vegetables and bread, but do not expect any soup at all -- usually it takes 3 days to make this dish as you have to re-cook the dish from day 1 and 2, which is what the word literally means I think) as my starter instead of pasta. Turned out to be excellent although the fried swordfish after reminds me more of fish and chips than anything Tuscan! Ended up with a nice Tiramisu complemented with gorgeous Italian red wine -- Life's a bliss when it comes to food..

Stayed on unexpectedly for 3 nights instead of the original 1 night but it has been well worth it. Next stop -- Roma, capital of the country, lots of expectations from various tweets, hopefully I will not be disappointed.

Florence, the centrepiece of Tuscany

Some consider Florence to be one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, if not the world. Located in the heart of Tuscany, this is Italy at its best, with stunning views, fields of sunflowers, miles of vineyards, rolling hills, and mountain-top castles. A Renaissance capital of the world with its celebrated sons like Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo, the Florence skyline is the number one attraction listed in just about every travel guide today -- the world famous Duomo (2nd Duomo of my trip!) with the Brunelleschi cupola, as well as Giotto's Bell Tower and the bronze sculpted doors of the marble-clad Baptistry. The streets can get scarily crowded but there are good enough areas to explore whilst staying away from the hustle and bustle of photo-snapping-mad tourists.

The sleep has been really useful, good to the point of rejuvenating me again for the day, because I was so exhausted from the previous day of travel. The battery on my shaver finally died on me after 3 weeks, maybe I can have a beard by the time I get back to London. Took out my last packet of instant coffee from the bag and relieved my body from another 1 gram of weight. Another Malaysian gal, who is running home (she is heading for Singapore instead of Sarawak as the jobs are better) after only 2 months job hopping in London, is staying in the same room. A brief chat and we headed out separately to see the city. Strolled down Via Santa Caterina D'Alessandria towards the main train station, Stazione di Santa Maria Novella or Firenza SMN for short. Turned to the Mercato Centrale to soak in the morning grocery shopping by the locals. Tuscan is famous for the dishes with beef tribe, and there is a one store at the end of the market that seems popular from the locals munching away. Since I wasn't into anything internal, I passed.

By noon, the Piazza del Duomo is overflowing with guides carrying either a flag or umbrella, shepherding groups and groups of tourists around Duomo and the Baptistry. Been a frugal traveler, I stayed close to an English speaking group to hear a bit about the history and all, before excusing myself into the alley ways, away from the population mass. Italians have told me that they can do many things wrong, but one thing that they will get it right for sure is, food! And so it seems, every cafe seems to serve more than normal quick bites, from brioche to gelatos, to espressos, I cannot find a fault with any! Prices may not be the cheapest (a gelato starts at €2.50) but what better way to experience Tuscan culture than stand by the counter, enjoy a nice coffee and watch the people going by the cobbled walkways, in the drizzle that has started to fall.

I passed by Galleria degli Ufizi as I wasn't really keen in that, and crossed the Fiume Arno river though the very touristy Ponte Vecchio bridge, which is a really unique architecture of houses/shops built into as part of the bridge. Italians never stray away too far from using yellow and green colour combinations on the buildings and window panes, but it works really well in an old city, giving it a rustic feel. Further up is the Piazza Pitti where one can stroll in the "supposedly nice" gardens of Boboli. Going along Lungarno Torrigiani, by the river, you will come across BRITTA selling hand made children clothes and toys. Very exquisite and nice to snoop about, but items are fairly pricey as one might expect.

If you are geared for some steep climbing, head up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city or take bus 12 which brings you all the way to the top if you're lazy. A trip to the toilets will cost you €0.60 so you might want to consider if you wish to save every single cent (not sure why I am advising you this as a mate once reminded me that one can never get rich by saving, and you probably lose more from the additional time and efforts spent to find those best deals, in this case, walking further to find another cheaper toilet or ending up with a bladder problem by holding on to it for too long).

For lunch, head to PUGI, on the south side of the Piazza San Marco square(also a major bus stop) and look around carefully for the tiny shop -- there maybe a line of people waiting to buy a slice of great pizza as you have to take a queue number before ordering. It was so good that I had 2! Followed up with more bingeing, this time a lemonada and melon gelato, yummy!!! As one might expect, the streets are filled with speed demons on their Vespas and Piaggios, and tiny buses that ply the narrow streets in the city. There is even a rumour that some drivers aim to knock people down on the streets so that you can call an emergency service at a huge costs which as you might expect, are in cahoots with them! So make sure you stop at traffic lights till the cars stop even if the green man shows up, and not cross the pedestrian crossings until all the vehicles stop for you.

Florence town is really not big, and I pretty much covered all in one day as my watch told me that it has been a good 15km workout again today. Popped back into the hostel for a quick rest before the Malaysian gal joined me for dinner at Il Parata, a cheap eat along Via Ginori, featuring a buffet of all you can eat of pasta, lasagna, salad and other usual italian fare, for €7, even comes with a bottle of water. Not fantastic but you get what you pay, although do ask for your food to be heated up in the microwave as it makes a good difference to the taste.

Feeling lazy again after food and stayed back in the hostel instead of venturing out to take any pictures. Planning to visit Siena and the Tuscan countryside from excellent recommendations from mates on Twitter.

Link to all photos from Italy. (In progress)

Reaching the Adriatic Sea

The day seems to bright up much earlier these days, partly also because I am very much south than before. Got up at 7am, washed up and headed for breakfast, which was literally bread, butter, jam and coffee! Walked back to the station only to find out that my plans were screwed again - there is an 1103hr train to Koper, with the next one only at 1723hrs; the earliest tour for Skocjan caves only start at 1000hrs!

Felt really disappointed but decided to hike 5km to the caves regardless hoping that the schedules might have changed from what the guidebook has written. If you prefer taking a bus, there is a service that runs from the train station to the caves at certain hours but check the timetables as it is very infrequent during the low season. But I really encourage you to do the hike through little pockets of small towns and forest to be rewarded with an amazing view of the waterfall at the entrance of the caves. Do keep a lookout of the signs to the caves on your right after you exit Divača town, and ensure that you are on the right track by the little sign postings on the trees and street lighting as you head into the forest.

As expected, the earliest tour starts at 1000hrs and will last for an hour and half for the 3km walk inside the caves. As the bus was also nowhere to be seen, I hiked back to Divača, feeling very disappointed that I did not get a chance admire this natural UNESCO heritage site, which some say is like a walk into Jules Verne's "A journey to the Centre of the Earth". However, I have to say I really like the feeling of been back to the nature after so many days wondering around in cities.

Back in the town, was told by the train station master that the train to Koper was not running today, and I should take the replacement bus behind the station. An hour and half later, I was quite fortunate to get on the next bus to Piran at Koper after paying €4 (€1.20 was for my backpack in the luggage compartment). The bus left Koper along the Adriatic coast and made stops along the towns of Izola and Portoroz, which tries to be like the French Rivera, with rows of hotels and casinos by the promenade. On reaching Piran (or Pirano to the Italians across the borders) at 1230hrs, the bus driver pointed me to the adjacent bus to Trieste, which was leaving at 1325hrs, leaving me with less than an hour in this town. It is no wonder that this town remains the locals' favourite seaside town along the Slovenian coast with its pretty Venetian architecture, tiny winding streets and harbour of little boats lines up in the glistering water. Ended up with a whirlwind tour of the town due to the limited time before paying €5.40 to cross the border into the Italian city of Trieste.

An hour and half later, I arrived at the Autobus station in Trieste before paying €9.20 for a train to Venice, that was leaving in 5min! There are no buses from Trieste to Venice as the trains are not expensive and this is probably why no bus companies want to do this route. Even though the travel timings today seem crazy, I find that it was quite ideal for me to cover the various towns, transiting through the various places without wasting too much waiting time. The train left on the dot of 1444hrs and sped up the hills behind the city, perched on the cliffs clinging by the Adriatic coastline, occasionally tunneling through the mountains.

The journey took about 2 hours before Venezia comes into view - has to be ranked as one of the key "oooh...ahhhhh..." feeling as I finally see Venice in getting closer with every passing second that the train inches towards the islands. However, the moment I got off the train station, I was slightly overwhelmed by the "crowds" of people, besides Prague, wasn't really expecting anywhere to be filled with so many people again. First to admit that I already made up my mind at the time to move on to my next destination, as I didn't want to stay on in the crowd. The information counter wasn't very helpful and I ended up finding a internet cafe to check for hostel at my next place, which was Bologna or Firenze. Did take the opportunity to walk through the narrow walkways and bridges connecting the islands before I finally found a toy shop cum mini supermarket cum internet cafe, with the most eloborate dressed shop keeper, who won't feel out of place in the movie "Eyes Wide Shut". Ended up paying €2 + €2 after I just exceeded the initial 20 min limit when I was keying in my card details on hostelworld. The repercusions of this resulted in me missing my train to Florence as I got slightly lost (is an understatement in the labyrith of streets in Venice) on my way back to the train station, without a map and next to zero of Italiano.

Decided to take the next train to Bologna instead as I have missed the last Florence bound train from Venice, hoping to catch another onward train from there. If you want to save money like me, go for the "Regional" trains listed on the excellent Trenitalia website. They might take longer to reach your destinations but the savings (I paid €8.20) are usually half of what you might pay for the Eurostar or Intercity trains. Of course, you need to have the time like me! :)

3 hours later, the train rolled into Bologna Central and I was quite glad to pick up a regional train heading to Firenza in an hour's time. Paid €7.50 for the ticket and just have enough time to pop by the adjacent restuarant owned by Mr Ronald for a quick bite, only to find out that the train was delayed by 40 min when I got back to the station. By the time I got into Firenza Campo de Marte, it was almost midnight and since it was not the main train station of Firenza Santa Maria Novella, my instructions to the hostel was completely useless. Called up the hostel in the end and was advised to either take a train to Firenza SMN or wait 50 min for the last bus to the hostel. Chose the latter as there was no more trains till 1am but was quite glad that the bus driver understood me and drove me all the way in front of the hostel!

Even got told off by the hostel staff that I should have called them to tell them of my delay in future when I am so tired from the day of travelling and running around missing trains. It did remind me again that I should avoid arriving in a new city late in the night as it usually spells more trouble than anything else.

Link to all photos in Slovenia and fresh album of Italy.

Lake Bled, cakes and more last minute travel changes

Woken up by the sounds of someone opening the door to the dorm. Checked my phone - it's 3am. Turned around and saw a gal carrying a huge backpack pushing the door open. Figured she probably just got in from somewhere, I continued to go back to slumber land.

The Germans woke me up at 7am with their chatting first thing in the morning, slightly annoying me after one of the guys was snoring so loudly before I managed to get to bed. Continued to lie in bed till my alarm sounded after 30min since there was only 1 toilet shared amongst all of us. After a quick freshening up, packed everything and brought it down to the reception to check out. Tried to access the internet which prompted me for a user name and password only to remember that I only have 30min of free access. Got the connection through after I managed to find the information handed to me in a piece of paper yesterday which I crumbled inside my pocket full of paper rubbish. Connection was painfully slow - meaning I was unable to check for an available hostel in Piran, and also impossible to upload post 2 days back! :(

By this time, Nicolle has arrived with her mini day pack with everything that she would have need for a weekend trip. Breakfast was included and consisted of simple cereal, bread, some juice and coffee/tea. In the meantime, the hostel staff managed to book me to a hostel in Piran for €20 a night in a dorm which was good news. Hurried off to the station shortly after to catch the 9am bus to Lake Bled. The ticket for the 1h 20min journey cost €6.30 per person each way which I thought was quite expensive, although the ride was quite refreshing as it snaked around more hills and small towns towards the snow cap mountains. It's quite strange all of a sudden that I have a companion with me whom I can chat and joke about after more than 2 weeks, but a very welcoming change as I had to resort to talking to myself at times during the past weeks to keep my sanity in check.

Located in the center of the town is Lake Bled, a picture postcard setting of the snow capped Julian Alps in the background, a church in the middle of an islet in the lake and a medieval castle clinging dangerously off the cliff by the edge. The first sign of spring already meant that there are plenty of rowing activities in the lake and locals bringing their kids and dogs out for a walk around the 6km lake. If this wasn't magical enough, the sun and blue sky was almost trying to complete the puzzle to been a perfect day out. We took a short hike up to Bled castle for a view of the entire lake but stop short of paying €5 for entry. Nicholle thought we should definitely have a feel of the water after going all the way here and there were a few moments where either of us could have easily fell into the chilly waters! We had wanted to take the 1230hrs bus back into Ljubljana but since it was a Sunday, the next available one was an hour later. Decided to chill out in one of the cafes whilst Nicholle went into a postcard writing frenzy.

Found out later that it is a very short distance to the ski resorts from Bled, and apparently today as the finals of the world ski jump championships or something like that...

By the time we got back into the capital, I had just missed the 1500hrs bus to Piran. Got myself a 1810hr train ticket to Koper instead, whilst Nicholle decided on the 1710hr bus to the airport to catch her 2050hr Easyjet flight back to Standsted. As there was still 2 hours to spare, we went back to the hostel to collect our bags and headed into the town center to grab some food. Ended up in Kavarna Zvezda, an excellent cafe with their own cakes and pastries. Try the Rafaello cake, something of a mix between cheese cake and some almond stuff. We also had a slice of blackforest which were really excellent.

After the "refuel", we hurried back to the train station, passing by the colourful Art Nouveau Co-operative bank, just in time for Nicholle to get on the bus! I have to admit that I felt a sudden loneliness sitting at the train station after Nicholle left as she has been a terrific travel companion in the last 24hrs and a fantastic subject in my photos as well. Did make me realise how human I am even though I love to freedom and fun of a solo traveller.

Changed my plans in the last minute to go to Divaca instead as it was 5km away from the Skocjan caves that I had planned to go, rather than having to travel to and fro from Koper. Sat in a cabin with a Slovenian guy who was doing his MBA in the university in Koper - learnt that there are only 3 universities in the whole of Slovenia! We had such a good chat along the way as he was telling me about his travels around the world, his Trans-Siberian trip, the Balkans, and even gave me tips on how to get a free train ride to Koper tomorrow (I need to get to Koper, before taking a 30min bus to Piran) by telling the train station attendant that I have a Koper ticket and that I will make the remaining journey tomorrow (Divača was an hour before Koper). He also gave me tips on the best way to get into Italy through Trieste and the dos/donts when in Italy. The hour and half journey just flew by with the chat and laughter and before long, the train has arrived at Divaca. We did agree to go for a beer if we happen to bump into each other when I get into Koper tomorrow!

The town of Divača was almost pitch black when I got off the train. As I had to find somewhere to stay for the night, I asked the station attendant after she stamped and signed my train ticket to allow me to continue my journey to Koper tomorrow, and she directed me to a nearby hotel 100 metres down a road in complete darkness before I came upon Gostilna Malovec, a restaurant cum hotel, the former seem very popular with the locals. Was quoted €25 for the night for a room to myself and breakfast included. Stepping into the room, it felt like a luxury compared to the dorms that I have been staying - a room all to myself although it was fairly basic, no tv, no internet, just a bed and en-suite bathroom. I was even able catch up on the BBC iPlayer without annoying anyone! I have probably made the most impromptu travel decision in the past 2 weeks, guess that is some of the advantages of solo travelling - you just make decisions as you go along, to the best of your plans!

Link to all photos in Slovenia.

From Croatia to the biggest hideout in Europe - Slovenia

An early start for me. Strolled down the Lower Zagreb in the direction of the train station, trying to grab some breakfast along the way, only to find out that Croatians don't tend to have breakfast outside! A quick detour to the train station and managed to get a 1pm train to Ljubljana for 90.20 KN. On my way back to Trg Jelacica Square, bought some bread from a local pastry shop and a coffee at the trusty Mcdonalds when I feel that I am in a risk-adverse mode for my caffeine fix.

Headed straight for the Dolac vegetable market in Upper Zagreb and was not disappointed by the hustle and bustle of a local market. Scores of stalls hawking their freshest produce, from apples to cauliflower to reddish. It was an explosion of colors with a infuse of bargaining everywhere, and goods exchanging hands. Very interesting to see that all the stalls were still using traditional weighing scales. I bought couple of pears and bananas before continuing my journey.

Think I am getting stale with the Old towns and cathedrals as I did not spend much time after before whisking back to the hostel, took my bag and headed towards the train station. Exchanged remaining 100 KN back to Euros (with a terrible rate) before probing a few locals if the train on platform 1 was to Ljubljana.

Got 2 other stamps at the border crossing in Dobova - Yay! I will really recommend anyone to take the train from Zagreb to the Slovenian capital - it twist and turn with the river and along with it, magnificent views of snow capped mountains and deep ravines across tiny pots of villages. Some of them are quite nice although I won't day that they are magical, but definitely a good change from the cityscape that I have been getting used to.

Hostel Celica is quite famous in Ljubljana (so much so that there is road signs directing drivers to the hostel!) as it was converted from a prison building and the rooms in the first level are constructed in such a way that they retain the prison cell feel - with the steel bar gates still intact. I booked the cheaper option of a 5 bed dorm which is on the 2nd level and has its own ensuite toilet/bathroom, although it feels quite claustrophobic as 3 single beds and 1 double deck bed was squeezed into it with a sloping roof on one end. 3 other German guys were my dorm mates and they seem happy to be just drinking around all day. Paid €15 for a night which included breakfast but I felt some of its other services could definitely been better, i.e. Wifi or internet is only free for 30 min, after which it is chargeable, the lady-in-charge at the reception refused to give me the keys to the room until I gave €10 as deposit even though I assured to pass her the amount later when I come back from tonight as I have run out of Euros. Ended up I had to walk out to the main road, withdraw more cash and come back again for the deposit!

As usual, headed to the Old Town, pass the dragon bridge where it was rumored that Jason and the Argonauts were rowing up the river trying to escape from enemies before he met and killed a dragon at that very spot! There were quite a lot of cafes lined at along the banks of the river and cafes seem to be part of the local culture. The town is quite small and the highlight has to be the climb up the castle which overlook the entire city, right across to the not-too-distant snow capped mountains. Bumped into Nicholle along the way, a Malaysian who is also working in London (we met at the reception in the hostel) and strolled around her Italian dorm buddy who has been staying in the city for 1 week, which meant he literally knew the place by the back of his head. Even chanced upon a Slovenian wedding that was taking pictures in and around the castle.

It turned out that we got along very well as she was also the same dialect group as I and was chatting about the food that we miss from home. She even related a past travel experience which turned out to be one of the one of the stories with the most wonderful ending that I have ever heard; long story short - she was in Bratislava, accidentally left her bag with money, cards, passport and everything important in the tram just before she was leaving for Wien, met a guy who offered to host her for the night, and happened to have a sister who has a policeman boyfriend, did his internal connections thing and voila, got her handbag back the next day with everything intact while the brother was showing her around in the city! Frankly I find it hard to believe but goes to show that there are really nice people in this world! :)

We went to a Slovenian restaurant, Sokol for dinner and almost ordered their specialty dish - Deep fried bull testicles with tartar sauce, but both of us chickened out in the end and ordered some other more subtle Slovenian dish. The restaurant is quite famous as they have waiters dressed in the traditional Slovenian costumes coming around to take your orders and serve the food. Nicholle's Italian mate did not join us as he wanted to have a romantic dinner with her, which she got me as an excuse to avoid! We headed back to the hostel to rest for an early morning bus ride to Bled the next morning.

Link to all photos in Zagreb and Slovenia.