June 28, 2007
Venice
The journey to Venice was one filled with sweet nostalgic memories of years past. Upon arrival in Venice we were greeted by the welcoming arms at Camping Fusina (the same campground I stayed at six years ago!) From the quaint bungalos to the notorious bar table/dance floor, nothing had changed =)
Representing "TEAM CANADA" at Camping Fusina Bar
Pretty girls!
For Jess (and me also) the arrival in Venice was received with childish grins and rapid clapping gestures (no we hadn't been drinking...surprisingly). Venice, complemented with Venetian jewels and stripped-shirted Italians singing their sweet songs filled the air. The overwhelming feeling of Venice was felt through St. Marcs Square, the Rialto Bridge and the Bridge of Sighs (just a minority of the beautiful sights we saw).
Pigeon attack!!
Parking lot
Rialto Bridge
Bridge of Sighs
And now to the good stuff...The food was next to none. On a lavish night on the town we treated ourself to a dinner of wine, cheese, pasta and yes...tiramisu...I have a sneaking suspicion that they may actually inject endorphines into the chocolate..and gelato..and wine..and all else we sampled. A favorite quote both Jess and I were fond of came from our waiter who stated, "Venice already has too much water, you must drink wine!" And so we did...=)
Jess loves her vino!
Mmm..Tiramisu!
The men of course were also a treat. With the sweet greeting of, "chow bella!" echoing through our ears we were also invited on private boat ridess and cocktails on the grand canal which we met with sheepish grins and agreement.
But our stay in Venice had to come to an end. Although we promised the second generation camp owner that we would return to dance on the tables, we couldn't help feel a tinge of sadness as we bid goodbye to our 117 islands of amore =)
June 26, 2007
Vienna
A short flight to the city of Vienna was indeed met with bitter-sweet memories of our fabulous stay in Croatia. Those thoughts however soon passed with the realization that we had just flown into the city hosting the largest open air concert in all of Europe. With dozens of stages, free pouring beer and copious stands of delicious dishes to choose from, it was not difficult to dance our way into the night.
Although the massive party stole a lot of our attention, we did manage to make it to the palace (or Jess's summer home as she put it) for a quick visit. We also had a strole through the Labyrinth (where we got lost and had to cheat our way out), followed by a lesson in struddle making and champagne on the Palace terrace...
Struddle lessons
The Palace
The blondes behind a waterfall in the Palace
On that note, I would like to share with you a question that I asked Jess over cocktails last night:
"Is it still considered backpacking if we jet-set to different cities, stay in resorts, drive around in Lexus cars and drink champagne while getting massages at spas?"
Her response:
"HELL YA! All you need is A backpack...The rest is just details =)"
-It's a hard life being a backpacker =)
Dubrovnik
Croatia...Go there, just go!!! If not for the transparent Adriatic Sea, the seemingly endless beaches and the cheap beer, then the beautiful Croatian people should be enough.
To paint a mental picture for all suffering throught the rain and 'summer' in Canada, I should probably tell you that our first step on Croatian soil was met by a 27 degree breeze...did I mention it was 7:30...AM!!! The weather was absolutely amazing for our entire stay. Although it was hot on some days, our oceanview pool and poolside bar kept us content as we worked on our tans =)
The Pool..oh yeah!
But staying at our picturesque resort was not all we had on our agenda. A fabulous evening in Dubrovnik with some energenic Australian boys kepts us enteratained at night while cruises to the surrounding Islands kepts us occupied by day. Croatia is certainly a sailor's paradise!! It is not hard to see why yachts from around the world gather in the harbours...the beauty of Croatia is intoxicating!!
New Friends
Dubrovnik from the boat
The people were also just as lovely as the land. Although somewhat straightforward and bossy, many were eager to help and met you with a smile. The men of course were in a category of their own. With Jess and I sticking out like sore thumbs, we were often followed by little dark men in tiny Speedos with big grins. Needless to say, a quick smile or a wink would bring them to their knees...literally.
Now I don't mean to brag, but my increasingly white looking bum and I are in simultaneous agreement when we say that returning to this country is a must! All of those able to experience such a paradise would be a fool to give it up.
Croatia 2008 anyone?
Prague
When arriving into a city at 2am, many things go through your mind such as:
1. Why did I choose to spend an extra day suckling on the spout of a bottle when I could have arrived here at a decent hour and not hungover?
2. Why is that strange/creepy man staring at me?
3. Why am I handing him my only belongings and stepping into his car?
Ok...so maybe we learned that lesson, but the end result was undoubtedly worth it. The city of Prague held an enchanting beauty unsurpassible by any city I have been to. From the gothic design of Prague Castle, to the fairytale reflections of Old Town Square, our entire stay was magical. The history within the city was apparent everywhere you turned...the architecture, the people, the whole atmosphere engulfed you by simply being within its presence.
Although the siteseeing in Prague took up the majority of our time, we were no strangers to sipping a few pints of local beer on occassion (how could you not when it's FAR cheaper than water). These decisions undoubtedly brung us good fortune as we managed to meet some amazing people, including *drumroll please* a member of the 80's hit band HEART!!!
Sending some love to a guard outside Prague Castle
Pretty Girls
View of Prague
With 80's tunes ringing in our ears and a city where night and day blended together in a drunken haze, our stay in the historic city was unbeatable. From our horse drawn carriage ride to our paddle boat adventure and foot massage, we couldn't have asked for more.
Chilling in our paddle boat
Jess in front of Charles Bridge
The city at night
Paris!
Ah Paris, city of love...or is it? if Websters were to have defined love in terms of inappropriate pick-up lines, cheesy proposals and unexpected compliments from boarder guards, then I guess the saying is correct. Fortunately, dirty European men and their lack of class couldn't stop us two Canadian gals from living the quintisential Parisian experience. From the top of the Eiffel Tower to the deep tunnels fo the Catacoombs, we managed to sneak in all of the sites the city had to offer.
On top of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower at night
Notre Dame
But honestly now, many of you know the real reason why you travel to France...the WINE!!! With a seemingly endless supply of Bordeaux at our side it is no wonder we felt it necessary to devour a small colony of escargot and sample dozens of fine French cheeses and pastries (or culinary orgasms as we were informed). I have to admit, even with our distaste for dirty French men, it was hard to ignore their fine palate. Now, if only they could learn to keep it shut!
Yum!
French men aside, the Parisian experience was better then ever. I think Jess summed it up best over a bottle of wine stating, "I've got wine, I've got cheese, I've got PARIS! What more could I ask for?"
Well shit...
Sorry all...enough with the hate-mail. Jess and I are officially starting our Europe Blog 2007. Please be patient as alcohol and supreme funness (yes that's a word) have officially taken over all internet surfing time. I must send out a thanks to our Blog provider and all those who have read and commentted on our trip. Happy travels everyone! Bex and Jess