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.