Switzerland - The Land we are madly and deeply in love with!

WHERE TO START?

We are in love! Our hearts skip beats at the word Switzerland. It is so picturesque. Grass is green and lucsious, trees are green and lucious, the sky is bright blue and the top of the mountains are covered in snow and bright white and the rivers flowing rapidly as cold as ice. Just picture Heidi up in the hills with her goats Yodelling! Thats Switzerland.

I dont know how to describe how much we love switzerland apart from the only negative being how expensive it is. Ill give you an example of the prices. A 390ml Coke costs $8 aussie dollars here. Hmm yes not a backpackers price thats for sure. But every dollar spent here is well worth it!

Night one we had to rug up. We forgot what long pants and tops were as we have only been wearing short shorts and singlets. So after searching through our bags we found long tights and a jacket so we were heading out in what looked like our pjs! ha ATTRACTIVE! So we headed out after guzzling down 2 bottles of white wine that costed 5Swiss franks ha CHEAP AS! Then we headed to the bombshelter aka the bunker. We had a few more wines and a few jagerbombs and then a few vodka shots and then we were on the dancefloor paying out all the young contiki people dirty dancing each other. GROSS! The club then closed and we started the walk home in the freezing cold weather. We had a few laughs along the way such as Dean almost throwing Sally into the freezing cold river and us screaming not to . After passing out we wake up the next morning to begin our day of adventures.

By adventures I mean Sally and I are going Canyoning! Yes Canyoning. For those of you who dont know what canyoning is, its highly dangerous and not recommended by busabout or contiki as 21 people died attempting this in 1999 due to a flash flood. But YES we are dare devils and we will conquer canyoning. We get picked up by bus and headed to Interlaken Outdoor Adventures and get geared up into a 5mm wetsuit, a jacket, a life jacket, shoes and a helmet where Sallys name is Frodo and My name is Straber which in german means NERD. Ha They clearly dont know me.

We head up in the van to the top or the gorge where we begin with jumping into ice cold water. By ice cold I mean this is melted snow flowing down this river so you can imagine the temperature of it. We absail down a 5 metre rock into the water, we cannonball off a 4m rock into 1m or less water, we slide on our backs down rapids and we jump of a 4m rock onto our backs. It was intense and lots of fun but Freezing cold! 3.5 hours later we are back on the bus after finishing off 2 gorges and surviving canyoning! GO TEAM MOOSAL!

A hot shower is in need then we head to the local pie shop with our guide Tim to demolish all the pies in the shop!
You'll get to see a dvd of us canyoning when we are home!

In the afternoon we head up to trummelbachfalle which is a huge waterfall that looks like a washing machine. The water is either 2 or -2 deg celcius and it said on the sign a child would instantly die if falling in. We went all the way to the top and watched how the water rapidly washed down this waterfall. Would hate to fall in . After we walked back to the camping ground and as we were walking we could here cheering and as we looked up there were 2 guys base jumping right above us and they only pulled there parachutes about 400m above us! Was so crazy . SCARY!

That night we played drinking games and cooked dinner then headed to bed as we were getting up at 6am the following day.

Day 2 we go up and got the first train to Jungfraujoch the top of europe where we would get to be in the snow! Awesome. The train has to stop 3 times so the people can adjust to the altitude it was crazy. It took 2.5 hours to get to the top and then once we hit the top we got to walk all over the snow and see the amazing view from the top of the mountain. 11,333feet high! We went into an ice palace where there was carvings of penguins and polar bears and a big ice cave that we could walk through so that was fun and our fingers felt like they were frost bited by the end. Then we headed back down the mountain and got some more pies! After we spent the afternoon in Interlaken and then we headed back to camp site for dinner and drinking games with the crew.

Top of Europe. Jungfraujoch

The next morning we sadly left Switzerland but knew this wouldnt be the last time we'd be back. We miss Switzerland already :(

Cinque Terre - The 5 villages

After leaving Florence we had a photo stop at Leaning tower of Pisa. Leaning tower of Pisa was rather disappointing as it hardly leans anymore. And because it broke my only pair of Havianas/shower shoes so I had to buy a pair of bright purple sandals that are 1 size too small. Nice! After trying to take photos of us holding the Tower up we give up and leave for Cinque Terre.

We arrived in the Cinque Terre and checked into our hostel which was Hostel Mar Mar in Riagimorre. Our booking was stuffed up somewhere along the lines and we had 2 people booked for one night and 1 person booked for another night. So I happily slept on the 2 seater couch on the second night as I was not hiking up 1000 stairs with my backpack to the spare bed in some randoms house.

Day 1 we hiked lovers lane which was from the first village (Riagimorre) to Manarola. It was a nice coastal stroll and had padlocks with couples names written all over them attached to the fences the entire way. It was nice to end the day with some sort of exercise. Then we headed to our hostel and sat on the verandah and had a Cheddar Bicky Party and then headed down to the beach and enjoyed the view for awhile then headed back to make pasta for dinner which was delicious!
After showering and realising that our toilet does not have a toilet seat we hit the hay after a long day of travelling.

CHEDDAR BICKY PARTY

Pebble beach

We got up at 7am and got in our hiking gear and started the 12km hike to the last village Monterosso. Took us 20min to hike Lovers lane. Then we had to catch the train from Manarola to Corneglia as there had been a landslide. When we arrived at Corneglia we had to hike up 382 stairs to the town then from there we hiked to Vernazza which took us 1 1/2 hours and was up and down hill so our legs were killing and by this stage the sun was coming out in full force. Along this road some random guy from Germany comes out of the bush and follows us trying ot make conversation the entire time and we feel as though we are in a horror movie where he is about to kidnap us or kill us. After faking we are meeting our friends and slying hanging around a random man like we know him he got the hint and left us alone. Marnie and Sally 1pt German 0pts.

The hike from Vernazza to Monterosso took us around 2 hours and was very hilly and hard as we new how close to the end we were. After arriving in Monterosso we chilled on the beach and ate our homemade sandwiches and cleaned Sals bag out as her Sunscreen decided to empty itself through her bag. After laying on the beach for a few hours we sit up and realise our German stalker is sitting on the beach not far from us. So we pull our hats down and pack up and head for a much deserved Gelato. YUM!

Vernazza

Vernazza Beach

Then we catch the train back home and sit on the beach for the afternoon before heading back to our hostel for a shower and an exciting sleep on a lounge!

Florence - 'Theres never too many wines'

Our first night in Florence consisted of a walking tour through town with our busabout crew then went to a Leather shop where we were taught the difference in fake and real leather. After we headed to dinner at the 'House of Sizzle' where we had a 4 course meal and a glass of wine or two. Then we headed to the 'Red Garter' for some Karaoke and a few jugs of strawberry dacquiri. The night was going to be a quiet sensible one but ended up being a huge night with way to many shots and dacquiris Thanks to our new mate Dean. Our quiet night turned into getting home at 3am and forgetting where our hostel was. Was a good night.

Next morning we toured the city seeing Statue of David, Strolled through markets, saw the largest church which was 150m long and also saw the oldest bridge in Florence that hitler didnt destroy during the War.

 Then headed home for a nap as we were heading out for a nice dinner for Sals mums birthday. We wore green and frollicked through the park on the way home to take a photo in our green in the greenery.

Happy Birthday Linda!!

After a glorious dinner of Potato Ravioli and Pizza we headed home for a good nights sleep which was well needed.

For our last day in Florence we headed on a Chianti Wine Tour through the Tuscan region. What amazing views we had all day. While all you people we at home working we were off sipping wine, tasting cheeses and cold meats and different types of olive oils in a little farmhouse in Chianti, Tuscany. After a few jugs of Red and White wine we headed to the Chianti Classico Winery where we got to walk throught the vineyards and were shown how to make wine and how long it took and even got to end the tour with a few more glasses of wine. After not too many wines we headed back on the bus to a medievil town where we took photos of the views of Tuscany and had Gelato and then back on the bus to head back to Florence. It was an Awesome day.

White wine

White Wine

Delicious grapes

You know what grapes turn into...? WINE!

Onto The Reds

Too many wines

Good Bye Friedchickeneesha

On our last day in Rome we had to say a sad Goodbye to Courtney who travelled with me from the beginning in Turkey. We met as randoms and I now speak slighty american using such words as flip flops and crop dusting, but I think after spending a few weeks with Sally and I she now speaks alot more Australian saying Gday mate and Hows it going cobber? . Well maybe not exactly these words but maybe more like 'Heaps' and 'Cozzies' and 'Thongs' and any word you can think of thats been shortened to end in 'y' or 'ie' eg Sunnies, Breaky , Dunny you know all those. haha

Anyways just want to dedicate a spot on our blog to say have a safe trip home Miss Keister and we hope your pre-schooling nightmares settle down and you dont sleep scream at anyone else about them. We will miss you and hope you enjoy working while we travel the rest of Europe !

ENJOY GIRLFRIEND!

Rome

We arrived in Rome from the Amalfi Coast in the night time where we were supposed to be booked into a tent but HELL NO were we staying in that again. I think growing up in nice hotels is much better then camping. We'll never winge about never going camping again! So smart idea we have is to upgrade our accomodation to a Chalet with Amie and Abbe . Yes we got a little cabin with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a dining room , a kitchen and even our own little patio!! That is the life!

So to make use of our lovely room we decide to have a home cooked meal which was Burritos . Yes we had mexican in Italy and it was so dam good! For the next few nights we have good meals such as sweet and sour stir fry and pasta with napolitana sauce! So good.

Family dinner

After a good nights sleep we wake up early to begin the next two days of full on touring Rome.
We begin the day with catching the train and bus to the Colosseum, we walk around and learn about the history of the gladiators fighting in this stadium. After the Colosseum we walk to The Pantheon which is a church that no architect can remake or knows how it was made still to this day. The dome on top of the church had a 10m diameter hole cut in the roof, was amazing how big it was.
After the pantheon we walked to the Trevi Fountain where we kissed a coin and made a wish and threw it in the fountain. After Trevi Fountain we walked to the Spanish steps where we sat on the stairs and ate homemade sandwiches. After all of this we had to catch a train back to Palantine Hill where we met our tour guide for a walking tour.

Inside Colosseum

Colosseum

The Pantheon

Sal Kissing her coin

Apparently seens i threw 2 coins in means ill be back to Rome.

Amie, Abbe , Courtney and Sally and I at Trevi Fountain.

Spanish Steps. (Sals the blue wheres wally?)

Our tour guide was Justin he was Canadian and really into his Rome history. We thought he was really good as he described everything so it wasnt boring and his favourite words were Badass and WTF and he wasnt too bad to look at for the next 3.5 hours. After the tour we headed home for our family dinner then off to bed for yet another early start.

Today we went to the Vatican City after missing the bus there and having to get a taxi and being stuck in traffic the entire way we made it to our meeting point to meet our tour guide Monica who was also Canadian and very into the Badass history of Rome. The Vatican is huge and even has its own currency of money. We went inside the Sistine Chapel and were amazed at the paintings on the roof by Michaelangelo. After visiting the Sistine Chapel we left the tour and went to St Peters Cathedral which is huge and has 9tonne of gold through out the church. After a long day we headed home for our last family dinner and to wash our clothes . We played Uno and stayed up late chit chatting then said our goodbyes where we sadly said Good bye to Courtney (aka Friedchickeneesha) and the girls but we will probably meet up with them later in our trip.

Vatican City

Vatican City

Sipping on Lemoncello on the west coast of Italy!

After having a night in Rome  which was by far the worst experience of sleeping in a tent EVER. We woke up on many of occasions to people vomiting out there tent, people wheeling there suitcases at 3am up the drive way behind us and even to a guy who clearly couldnt sing screaming at the top of his lungs 'like a virgin' by madonna. We woke up at 7am to have a shower in the communal showers where our feet were in a bath of water that wouldnt drain... why we wore thongs in there I dont even know.

After finally meeting our tour guide Simone or Simona in italian we got on the bus to head down to Sorrento for 2 nights.
We met a few people on the bus that were going to be on our tour for the next few days. We met Amie and Abby who became part of our family for the next few days and who we hope to meet up with further down the track. After driving down the coast for 3 hours we arrived in Pompeii where we had a walking tour through the ruins. It was unbelievable the size of the ruins and really sad to think of the amount of people that would have died from burning alive with volcanic ash. We even got to see the remains of a little boy, a dog and a pregnant lady which after years of technology they could make moulds around there bones and in between the ash where it had solidified around there bodies to make a cast and you could even see there facial expressions and bones.  We got to walk through the largest Brothel in Pompeii ruins which still had intact the paintings on the wall of what you could choose to do with your lady . Was urm.... different.

Little Boy

Pregnant lady found trying to cover her face and protect her baby

Lemoncello shop with Antonio

After visiting Pompeii we stopped to have some Pizza then headed back onto the bus to our home for the next two nights in a Tent. YAY!

Our tents werent as bad as Rome as the camping ground was quiet and everybody respected the 'being quiet' at night. We went out for a group dinner and stopped by a lemoncello shop where we were told how they make lemoncello and Antonio the man who owns the shop who is a true Italian, (short, fat, hairy, funny, nice and Very loud) sung us Italian songs and gave us all a taste of the different types of lemoncello and the lollies. Was lots of fun.

After we had a few cocktails at a bar and then headed home for a big day the next day.

Day 2 in Sorrento we caught a boat over to the Island of Capri. We were supposed to get a boat to the Blue Grotto (the one thing we have wanted to do our whole life and the only reason we chose to tour down in Sorrento) but ofcourse with our luck the swell was too big and it was closed so nobody could enter. We were very disappointed. After we caught a convertible taxi up to Ana Capri and then caught a chair lift up a really steep hill to the top of the mountain where you had a panoramic view of the island. The view was incredible and was rather romantic when Sal and I got photos on the Love seat . After heading back down the chairlift we caught the local bus down to Capri and had a look at some expensive shops and then walked down to the beach where we had lunch and a swim and then got back onto the boat to head back to Sorrento.

The blue grotto that we never got to see

Courtney, Amie, Abby , Sally and I heading up in the converitble taxi with a shade cloth.

By the beach of Island of Capri

On the boat to Capri

Love is in the air. Doo doo doo doo doo doo

When we got to Sorrento we had a group dinner at our campsite which was huge and rather delicious. It was 4 course and Sally and I had Gnocci for the first time which was to die for! so good! (I think by the time we leave Italy we will be masterchefs of Italian food) After dinner we had an early night.

Day 3 we woke up had breaky and was on the bus by 730am. Today we were driving down the Amalfi coast. How exciting!! Something you always hear about and wonder what its really like. At the entrance to the drive along the Amalfi coast was a fresh fruit stall which had the most amazing tasting fruit we've ever had. The flavours were so much fresher then at home and the fruit was HUGE. Good start to our day.

YUM peach

Sal trying to choose which fruit she wants

After having a group photo we got back onto the bus and headed along the coast which was a long windy road (similar to the coastal road to wollongong ) with amazing views of the little towns on the water. The roads are so narrow that only a small bus and small cars can fit on and there was definately a few times we didnt think we'd fit through. After we stoppped at a little town for breaky at a bakery where we got croissants and chocolate pastries and had a drink then we had a look around the shops and headed out on a boat for a tour down the Amalfi coast.

We got back on the bus and then headed to a town on the top of the hill for a homemade lunch. We had lasagne and these little deep fried balls of potato and rice they were delicious! We got a Gelato and had a stroll through the town and then headed back to Rome. The tour was lots of fun and Sorrento was everything I pictured Italy to be like.

Did I mention the size of the lemons they grow down here?

Huge lemons