Italia

Again a week has gone really fast. And i haven't had much of energy to write cause we've been travelling almost everyday.

After leaving Plitvice behind we had some nice time in Zagreb. We took a bus from Plitvicka to Zagreb. We were there about ten o'clock in the saturday morning. We tried to find our way from the busstation to the trainstation without a map. When travelling with the train in Kroatia be aware that the people there don't use a train much so they might not know the location of the trainstation. O_o We spended whole day in Zagreb by looking around, visiting at the museum and seating in the caffeterias.The museum that we visited was called "Museum of broken relationships". It was very touching exhibit of the belongings and stories that people all over the world has sended for the museum concerning their own failed relationships. Zagreb was such a nice city and there would have been blenty of things to see and do. But we had to keep going and head to the Italy in the evening.

We had another long night in train and by waiting in the station. Or more precisely my mother had. I was sleeping three hours at platform in my sleepingbag and after that few hours in the train when one Austrian gentleman gave his seat for me and loaned his headrest. :D He also backed my sleepingbag. :D Maybe it seemed like i couldn't handle it.

Italy

We spended only three days in Italy cause we wanted to take the whole last week in España, so we could spend more time with my brother. Cause we have no idea when we would have a chance to meet him again. That's why we also need to skip Switzerland.

Our first stop in Italy was Venice. Venice is such an beautiful city with all the canals and narrow streets But to be said, it was kind of dissapointment too. Maybe i found it to be littlebit overrated. I think the place have seen its better days. Now i found it a bit worn out and populous. Not all bad though i loved Venice souvenirs. Those were about the same in every shop, but still unique and handmade and kind of gave its own part for the effigy of the city.

In Venice it would have bee nice to have a local guide cause the streets and the places looked really similar and we got lost few times. Certainly you can ask some help from the citizen and they usually will be pleasant to help you. But in Italy you can't be really sure that their advices or your interpretations will be correct if you don't know Italy. Well they don't really speak English and Italian language is different in many ways. For example in Italy caldo, wich is really similar with the English word cold, means hot.

After Venice we took a train to Bergamo. The trip was quite an interesting cause on that sunday evening the train was whole full and we had to stand at first like sardines in the can.

We thought that Bergamo would be nice small city but clearly we made a mistake on that. Well it was nice though but not small. (Comparing to my hometown Turku wich has just over 180 thousand people and in Bergamo about 120 thousand people.)

In Bergamo some of the people were unwilling to help us to find our B&B that we had booked from agoda. But it was late and we were tired after our day in Venice and night without good sleep, so we called a taxi to take us there.

Our last stop was Genova wich i liked the most. Probably the best city we have visited so far during our trip. There was something in the athmosphere of the city that i loved. Ofcourse you can't say a lot by staying one day at the city but to us Genova showed it's best sides.

We arrived to Genova at monday night about eleven so we had no urge to look up the opportunities to spend a night in the city. We practically took the first room that came to us. So it was hotelroom, 60 euros per night for two persons, breakfast included. Not bad, but still out of our budget. Anyhow we spended two nights at this hotel cause on next day we realized that the prices were quite same in every where at the city except some youthhostels in the outskirt. And our hotel was also near the railwaystation so we didn't have to carry our backbags all around the city.

Despite the prices of the hotelrooms Genova was quite affortable city. And there is plenty of supply when it comes to food, clothes or souvenirs.

In tuesday morning after our breakfast we were about to have a look at the city. We got a map from our reception and we were standing in the street trying to find our selfs from the map. We asked some help from one Italian woman who didn't quite understand what we were trying to find out. So she asked help from the man that walked forward us. This smiling older man didn't understand our needs either but he was willing to show us the way too the heart of the city. Well we walked after him around the city and he was telling us some things about Genova. He didn't seem to be busy, wich was probably right cause he told us that he's retired. Well all morning he showed us the city and got us to visit to the churches and even get us for coffee. And all just because we didn't find ourselfes from the map. Magnifico!

The next day we got the train from Genova aiming to direct towards Marseille. We had to take the train first to the Ventimiglia. As i got it right, there were some technical issues on the way so for that reason the train was 80 minutes late. After all we still managed to get to the train to Nice and from there to Marseille just a bit late from the schedule, but we had no rush.

We were in Marseille about nine o'clock in the evening and we had to get to the first train 5:56 in the morning cause other trains were full. So we didn't have much time to get to know the city. But in few hours that we were spending near the station, looking for the room for the night we found that kind of relief that our visit in Marseille would last only this short time.

Well the trainstation was quite beautiful and clean. But after we had walked the stairs down to the street the city looked dirty and untidy. And when we tried to find a place to stay the night we realized that the so called "hotel rooms" where kind of overpriced. From 40 to 60 euros of the room that was filthy and old. But well, it's not stupid who asks. Most of the hotels were full anyway.

The effigy of the city was kind of oppressive. The people act rude and i felt like i had to watch back my belongings all the time. There were also some poor families sleeping on the street wich made me feel clueless and sad. I'm sure there is blenty of good things in the city and it could be true that when you're tired you feel everything unfamiliar to be possible threat, but to us Marseille didn't show it best sides.

(I'll add the pictures later)

Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera

Such amazing place, such amazing people.

 

 

When we were arriving to the Plitvize we had no idea where to spend a night. But immediately when we jumped out of the bus one old lady came to ask if we would need a room. Well we got lucky cause this old couple lived very close to national park and were the friendliest people i have ever met. :)

Vis island

I was too tired to write yesterday but now i'm gonna continue about our passed four days in Kroatia.

Our traintrip from Vienna to Zagreb was quite productive. We had some amazing views on the way and also quite interesting company. Well there was this one Amish looking old man in the same wagon with us. He had a big beard and his clothes looked old and dirty. He had crucifix on her neck and he were reading and marking something in the book using loupe to see better. In some point the old man started to talk to me. Though he looked shabby i found it really nice to talk with this old man. He spoke really wisely and i it was quite confusing cause he somehow reminded me about the king in Paulo Coelhos book Alchemist that i was reading at the moment.

We ended up to Zagreb in saturday evening half past ten. And we had to find somewhere to sleep cause our train to Split was supposed to depart in the morning. So we asked from the nearest hotel, but the price was too high for us so the man in the reception told us to go to the nearest hostel wich was just around the corner. So we took two beds from the dormitory and slept about 6 hours and moved on in the morning.

Our trip to Split went quite easy by reading books and looking the views, wich has begun even more beautiful. When we arrived to Split there were many people asking around if we needed some place to stay the night. And there were only few tourists on that train so there were definetly oversupply. But this time we had already booked a room from Agoda. The city was nice the sea was turquoise but there were much more expensive than we had expected and the place was so crushed. That didn't really respond to our expectations of Kroatia so we spended just one night in there and then 11 am got the ferryboat to the Vis island.

On our way to Vis one woman came to ask if we needed a room. So the THING was working on there too. So the woman offered us one room with shared bathroom for only 160 kunas (21 euros) per night so we agreed. The woman was really nice and when we were arriving to the island she started to tell us about the history of Vis. So our fledgling image about the Kroatian kindness got stronger.

Our accomodation was great. We also had an opportunity to cook in there wich was nice cause we soon found out that the prices in restaurants were the same than in Split. So it was out of our budget.

The water was more clear and there where no death rats floating like back in Split. I was alonging to get diving but to be my bad there were too windy for that. But instead of diving we spended our few days in there by riding with bicycles, swimming, taking sun baths and doing some extremetrecking.

So in our first whole day in Vis we rented bikes and rode to the beautiful bluelagoon called Stivina. It was about 8km from the town of Vis but well the landform was quite different than in home. There were lots of uphill roads and our legs where exhausted when we get to the end of the road where we left our bikes. Then we only had to hike down to the beach. Sounds easy? Well we soon found out that it was quite rough and also dangerous if you wouldn't be carefull with your every step. There were only slight footpath filled with rocks and all sharp downhill so it was quite slippery. But well we are still alive and the lagoon was beautiful. The water was crystal clear and the beach was full of spherical white stones. And there were nobody out there at first except us and the Australian girl who lived in the room next to us. And one man in a little house on the beach who selled expensive beverages. After swimming and spending some time there we had to climb and ride ourselfes back to the village. So we did lots of sports on that day.

In our last day at Vis we experienced a great adventure when we were trying to find one beach but got lost. We wondered around the sandy roads acrossing the wineyards about two and half hours with only one liter of water. Then we gave up and tried to find our way back to village but found out that we were even more lost. We found some small footpath that runned in the hills but wasn't really in use cause there were many spiderwebs acrossing it and every time we conflict with one we were shivering. Just because in some webs we saw big spiders and we didn't really know would those be poisonous. Footpath ended in the middle of the field and we had do walk across it. And after that we had some really sharp spikes in our sneakers. And it took a while to take those all off.

It took one and half hours to find a road that had even some traffic and we'd been out off water for a while. Along that road we found a big house. So we desited to go and ask for help cause we were still lost. There were Kroatian man and German woman living in that house and kindly they offered us some juice and cookies and told us where we are and that there will be 10 kilometers between us and the village. We got back to road.And after half an hour of hitchhiking someone picked us on his way. After getting back to the village we just took a shower made some food and had a taste of local wine and relaxed the rest of the day that has actually turning to an end.

Today we moved on first two hours with the ferry to the Split and from there with the train via Knin to Zadar and from Zadar to Plitvice. And now we are here and i'm so exited about tomorrow cause we are getting to the Nationalpark. :)

Wien

Our first thoughts about Vienna was that it seemed very occidental place. I mean the architecture, people and even the German language felt so homely. Again we were in a whole different city.

So we were at Vienna about seven o'clock in the morning and we were extremely tired after we'd slept few hours in train, spent a day in Auschwitz and so on..

We desited to leave our backpack's into the locker at trainstation and get some breakfast at first. There were not many places open so early but happily McDonalds never let's you down. :D We had got a map from the infopoint of the trainstation and we were looking for the things to see in Vienna. The map was full of artmuseums, view points and many kinds of attractments. So there is lot's of things to do when visiting in Vienna.

We took a walk to the place called Haus des Meeres and i'm glad we did. :) There were 9 floors of many kinds of seacreatures all over the world. Besides there were lots of different insects and snakes and in one big glass palace there were different kinds of tropical birds and monkeys running and flying around us. In the same room there were alligatos and big turtles on their own enclosures. It was guite amazement, but i was little worried about the conditions of the snakes. Concerning that there were four or five big pythons in the same terrarium (the size of about 4*3*4m) and those really didn't have any place to hide. :( On the top of the building there were viewpoint where you can see all around the city.

We also walked to the Maria Theresias square wich was beautiful park area surrouded by two historical buildings from the end of the 19th century. Definetly must go when you visit in Vienna. :) We were supposed to go to the Natural history museum, wich was one of the buildings, but we were too tired for walking. We were also supposed to try again in the other day but our plan changed a little bit in the afternoon when we got to the trainstation to ask the tickets for a nighttrain from Vienna to Split (Kroatia). The whole train was full. So we had to change our plans. And after few minutes of thinking and negotiating with the officer we desited to pick a train to the Zagreb at 16.05 and have a night there and then head in the morning from there to Split. It was quite intresting to realize that when you get a nighttrain from Vienna to Split you need to switch the train three times and it tooks over 20 hours to get there. But when you go with two different trains at day time there is only 13 hours travelling time. Weird.

I'm gonna write more tomorrow, but now i have to go to sleep cause tomorrow i'm going for diving. Exited! :P

I have lots of catching up to do altough it's been only few days since my last posting. Many things have happened during that time.

Now we are in the train departed from Vienna, heading to Zagreb (Kroatia) It will take about six and half hours to get there, so we have a long way to go. We are now one hour away from Vienna and the landscape, with one word, is AMAZING. It will take hours to write all the things that need to be said cause the magnificent scene is catching my eyes all the time. No words to explain how beautiful it is. Even if i would add the photo here (and i surely will) you cannot have the picture i have at the moment. This is the moment i have waited from this trip. :) <3

I will post this text as soon as i get a wifi connection. It may be this evening in Zagreb, or tomorrow in Split where we are heading in the morning. So we are only staying in Zagreb for the night. Anyways. To make you understand the timing: our train is  now stopping to Mürzzuschlag trainstation, it's 8th of June and the clock is 17:33 local time.

About two days ago we left Krakow behind and got a bus from local busstation to Oświęcim. Wich by the way was cheap and easy way to get there. The busstation was next to Krakow Glowny and there were many signs in the mall above. The cost was only 12 zlotys (3 euros) per person. We choose the bus cause there were many more options of time than when you travel with a train. I'm not sure, but i think there were at least two busses in hour. (One boy that didn't fit in our bus managed to the same guided tour with us in Auschwitz.)

Auschwitz was quite rough place to go but it was worth seeing. There's no many words to descripe the feeligs i got. But well.. i almost cried many times. Like i said before, i've read lots of things about the place, the cruel actions made there and the numbers of people who died there. But in many situations numbers can't be understood without visual touch. When you see hundreds of crushed buildings, seven tons of humanhair and you've been told how many persons lived in one building at the time and the fact that big part of the people were pushed straight to the gascells, you can have a bitter clear picture of the brutality.

After Auschwitz we thought there were enough suspense for the day, but it turned out  that we thought wrong. We walked to the trainstation of Oświęcim to make the reservation for the train to Bratislava like we had planned by basing on the information of the PKP's(Polish railways company)website. But the officer didn't agree with us. Like in many times before during our stay in Poland, the officer wasn't able to speak English, but she was quite polite. She quided us to get a train to Czechowice and from there to some other place wich name i can't remember and from there we probably could get a train to Bratislava. That kind of service wouldn't be accepted in Finland. I mean, if you're not sure about something, you should confirm it somehow. But well.. When in Rome. :D

We took the train to Czechowice and there we tried to confirm our trail to Bratislava. But again the officer told us wrong. One conductor, that was ending his day, was also really kind and tried to suggest some other way for us to get there. So we thought we should change our plan and head to place, wich name (again) i can't remember, like they told us. But fortunately we got to the one restaurant towards the station named Pizzeria Pigallo. Lovely young Polish girl Magdalena, who surprisely spoke very good English, helped us to order some pizzas from Polish menu. It was srange to realize how people in the countryside was much more polite than the citisens. It shouldn't be generalised, but one sample that comes to me is that one young officer in busstation of Krakow who got nuts when i didn't guite understand what she was telling me.  In my point of view it isn't really allowed to lose your nerves when you're working in service industry.

I'm losing my point.. So Magdalena offered her helpping hand and we told her how we tried to get to Bratislava but no one really speaks English. Without any provocating Magda called to the phoneservice of PKP and after her call she came to tell us the information about the train that goes from Czechowice to Bratislava. I was really confused cause everybody told different things and we were already talked with my mom about chancing our trail. But i trusted her cause i'd red the same from the internet. We spended our time in the restaurant till it got closed at ten. Our train left 00.34 so we had to wait outside. Ofcource the trainstation was open, but there were no chairs in there so we waited on platform.

Czechowize trainstation at night.

 And we were so stressed up cause we were tired, there were dark and the station was ghostly.Trainpipes screamed all the time cause this station was extremely active and i get scared everytime. I was claiming the Aucshwitz that i was so sensitive and my mom was afraid that the train would be full and not taking us in, cause we had no reservation. We desited to pass Bratislava and head straight to the Vienna cause there were the nighttrain to there too. Well the train came and after the night we were in Vienna at seven something.

I will continue about Vienna later. :)

Railing for the first time :)

Our trip to Krakow lasted 13,5 hours with night train. We were sleeping in our couchette most of the time so it went kind of easy. We had to pay for the couchette about 100 zlotys (25euros) for two person but luckily no one else wasn't in the same cabin with us so we had our own peace for sleeping. Train falled behind. I thought it was because there where some water on the  rails. At least it's not floating in here Krakow. Although it is raining. After tree hot summer days in Gdansk, rain feels kind of refreshing. But there is some drizzle in here all the time so it feels kind of depressing too.

Our last day in Gdansk we spended by walking around the city and sitting in the parks. At the evening we ate some creps in one caffeteria wich was specialized in that. I can't remember the name but it was on some tiny sidestreet on the South side of the main street and the creps were delicious. So after our meal we spended some time just sitting there and enjoying our non alcoholic mojitos (i know it sounds stupid but it was good though :D). And all the sudden people were rushing to the street and screaming loudly. After few minutes we heard sirens and we went  to the street to look what's going on and we realized that one apartment in the next building was on fire. Fortunately no one was in there.

My brother suggested Krakow for us as an beautiful city but the main reason why i wanted to come here was the Auschwitz wich is near the city. I just wanna know how will it affect me after all the stories i've been told and all the things i've read about the brutal actions towards Jewish in World War Two. So we are going to Oświecim tomorrow and heading to Auschwitz and after that we will get a train to the Bratislava instead of Praha cause there is an massive float at the moment.

Tomorrow will be tuff i guess.
http://www.praguepost.com/news/16403-tuesday-news-briefing.html

2nd day at Gdansk

This morning after our breakfast we headed to the trainstation and took the train to Sopot. It was 3,80 zlotys per person per way, so about one euro. Cheap as soap, as we Finns tend to say. Seriously. You can't go anywhere having one euro in your pocket in Finland if you don't have a bicycle.

Well the beach was great. I wasn't really thrilled to get swimming, cause the water was cold, but after few weeks the circumstances would be great for that. I think the effigy of streets were more satisfying in Sopot than here in centrum of Gdansk. There were more trees and parks and houses with colorful gardens and some of the buildings were screaming for  reparation. It's funny i listed that in a good way but it gave an unique impression for that place. I'm not saying that Gdansk wouldn't be beautiful in it's own way. All the redbrick buildings, green canyon, numerous cafeterias and historical monuments. But personally Sopot made me a bigger impression.

After our hours of walk we decited to get something to eat. We were looking for an Polish restaurant to find some traditional stuff. But naturally, when your looking for something you find everything else than that, right? So we founded: Spanish tavern, Intian restaurant, Italian, Chinese, Thai and of cource Mexican. I really enjoy Intian and Thai food but seriously in Poland i want to eat Polish dishes! :D

Greasy dinner at our hostel and a lovely eveningwalk around the old town was an great end for the day. I was full of feeling when i crossed the Chlebowy bridge, the one full of padlocks of love, when the church bells started their concert. Ah, life feels magical sometimes.

Gdansk here we come!

Our flight landed at saturday afternoon and our first challenge was to get to the center. I found it hard to read the busschedule so after a while waiting for the bus. We asked some Finnish backpackers to share the taxi with us. So we went to the hostel that we had booked beforehand. Based on my slight experience of European hostels i would say that the "3city hostel" is quite OK. We have our own room but shared kitchen, toilets and bathrooms. Officer is also great, smiling person called Jeremi. Refreshing decoration makes me also pleasant. :)

We spended our first day at Gdansk walking around the city, eating tasty polish foods and discussing about what's gonna happen during these four weeks.

To be said. If i make a mistake correct me in all matter. This is my first blog in English so my tongue can be clumsy. :)

Basis

Long, dark winter day in Finland after Holidays. Snow has suddenly turned to black of trafficfumes and the sun wasn't really shining at all, but i got a plan. I was littlebit down on that day as many others during those long months between New Year and Easter. I was lost by wondering on the dessert of my lonely mind and i decited that i had to get away from this town, this country and these small circles. I need to feel free i thought. I need to see the world.

So my trip, that suddenly turned to be also my moms first interrail, starts from Poland and ends to Spain, where we go to see my brother who lives there. Our plan was to fly to Gdansk in first of June and roll with the rails to Krakov-Praha-Wien and then to Kroatia to see some amazing national parks. Then Italy-Switzerland-Spain by passing France. All this in one month so we'll see if we can make it. I hope the weather will be fortunate though the floats have claimed Central Europe and parts of our trail at the moment. Jaiks!