Nice is nice....

So Nice is more touristy...as I pointed out before. We were very comfortable there, though they are quick to scam a jacket that is left behind, as we unfortunately found out. They are also early to bed...that city shuts down at 9pm. Not big partiers I guess, at least not where we were.

This is Castle Hill where we spent the morning. It's an old Castle (duh) that has been made into a park...still has some Roman ruins. Very nice view's of the city.


From the hill you can look down into the Cemetery where we spent some time. Unbelievable the tributes and displays that they do for their dead. Huge and expensive.

On the Jewish side many of the tombs had rocks on them...in what I've read this may have many reasons and symbols, both simple and relative to religion. But the basic idea is obvious, that is shows that you visited.

We did most of the planning for our trip from the Rick Steeves' travel books. Excellent info and planning guides. In Nice we tried to find one of the restaurants that he had recommended, and ran into other people, book in hand, that were trying to do the same. We didn't get to eat where we had planned, but wandered down to find a different place. If it's full of locals and tourists, it's a good place. Go to walk in and an American couple are doing the same. They say they ate there last night and are back it was so good. It was funny, at the end of our meal the same guy came to find me and make sure we had enjoyed it. Didn't want to made a recommendation that didn't fulfill.

Dinner in Europe is a serious affair. It starts around 8, and they look at you funny if you show up before that. Menu's are posted on the outside so you know the basic plan and prices...when you're seated, it's right next to another couple. Like right next to them. They pack everyone in, to what usually is a very small restaurant, and once it's full...they don't take any more for the evening. There is no waiting list, they do take reservations...once you start you're in it for a couple hours. They don't bring the bill until you ask for it, and are very surprised if you take less than 2 hours...and don't order dessert. This particular night we were seated by a Finish and Swedish couple. It's a bit uncomfortable trying to keep a conversation going with strangers, but also interesting. We had a very nice meal and headed home for the slow walk in France air.

It's now Thursday...I think, we have a very early train 5:22am to start our all day journey to Rome. We have been very impressed with the transportation systems of Europe. Always on time, always fast...we've used them all. Wouldn't you know, the one day we're up at 4:30 to catch the train...all goes to hell. Train station is five minutes away, and we've ridden them enough to know you don't need to check in, you don't need to have bags checked...you just get on. Even so, we are 20 minutes early. We knew there was a France train strike, but we had checked our train the night before...it was still running. Today however, they decided to leave early...we missed the train by 3 minutes. Now have to wait 3 hours for the next one, and will mean us missing two more connections. Lovely. Nice is no longer nice. It's no 6am. We decide to hop on the tram and head down to the bus station. We're transferring in Ventimile Italy, which is only a 40 min train ride. Waiting for 3 hours for a 40 minute ride. Dumb. There are lots of people at the bus depot,  which isn't actually open...so even if we had been able to see a schedule that showed buses to Italy,  we wouldn't have been able to buy a ticket.  Casey did ask a bus driver, with limited English,  if there were buses to Italy.  We said,  maybe...but maybe not.  We decided to stay with the trains.  Took the tram back,  and waited.  Now,  the problem with missing a train is other people miss the train too...lots of them.  We discovered that this particular train is used for travel and commuting.  The platform was full,  only to discover that the train was already full.  Imagine the C-Train in rush hour...now add in people with luggage, and a guy who keeps trying to fall over from a hang over (oh wait,  that IS what the C-Train is like) So we didn't get a seat for about 1/2 hr.  Standing in the stair well...cause lucky us,  this packed packed packed train is also a double decker.  Good thing they all got off in Monaco.

 Even the train stations are fancy.

We arrive in Ventimile,  which is now in Italy.  We check the schedule and there is a train we can take.  We double check that we can use our existing tickets.  Sorta.  We can use the Ventimile to Genoa ticket, but have to get a new Genoa to Rome ticket.  Why?  Because we will miss that train, and if we wanted to get a new ticket we had to do that in France,  not here,  cause now you're in Italy.  Of course,  no one mentioned that while we were still in France.  Fortunately there is a travel agency in the train station....103 Euro later we're set.  

Next adventure, something to eat.  We have no Italian.....NONE.  We have a nice Italian/English dictionary,  somewhere in one of our backpacks.  Casey send me to get some breakfast.  Casey is always sending me to ask the strangers questions,  get directions....chicken.  I find out,  in a stern manner,  that you don't order then pay....you pay then order.  Customer Service is not high on their priorities.

We finally work it out.  Euro is a good motivator.

A further discovery in Italy,  toilet seats are not necessary.  And in the boys....toilets are not necessary.  Hole in the ground is good enough.  And flushing mechanisms are not necessary either....pull the string.  Welcome to Italy.

Onto the next train,  which is a couple hours.  Though I don't get motion sickness,  I discover I don't like the feeling of riding backwards in a train.  Note to self.  Can't help it this time as our seats are assigned and it's a full house.  This is not my photo,  but yup...that's it.  Good thing trek taught me to be a good squatter.  (too much info?!)

Transfer trains in Genoa for the final part,  but a six hour ride.  Fortunately it's not too full, and we take up a whole seat section.  Which is two seats facing each other with a table situation in the middle.  Not enough room to stretch out,  but enough to uncomfortably set up a sorta sleeping situation and I zonk out.  Casey stayed awake to be more and more irritated with the lady across the aisle who did a gross snorty throat clearing thing after every sentence.  You know,  like the one's boys do to clear their nose out and the swallow it.  Hee hee...you're welcome.

I sleep for a bit,  soundly I'm told as there were train stops and people bonking into my head as they walked by, and I didn't wake up.  Give a girl a break...we've been up since 4:45.  I awake from my beauty sleep and we spend a while reading up on Rome courtesy of Mr. Steeve's.  As we're lumbering on our way through the Italy country side,  we notice a definite change in scenery.  Very green,  very lush.  Lots of vineyards and ocean almost always in site.  We also decide that Italy is generally more affluent than France.  I personally found that as we saw nicer buildings,  there was less laundry hanging out to dry on the balconies.  True or not,  it was my observation.

Pictures?  No...but here's  video of what it looks like to ride a train...be careful...it's overwhelming!!  (okay,  no)

Riding the Train

So,  the big arrival in Rome.  First impression....freak there are A LOT of people there.  Termini is the central station for trains, buses, taxi's and subway.   Good thing we warmed up to European public transportation in Barcelona,  cause otherwise we'd have been in trouble.  In fact it has an entire shopping center above,  it reminds us way more of an airport than a train station.  Next good thing,  unlike France....Italy is more like Barcelona and has a lot of English.  In face all announcements and signage is in Italian and English.  We'll be okay.  We find our subway,  and get going.  As we're waiting a mohawked girl passes by and say's hi.  I guess we look North American.  She's a backpacker like us,  though looks far more experienced,  and is getting on our train.

 All ticket centres are automated,  not our pic as there was no way we were taking out our camera in this pickpocket gold mine.  It's very user friendly.

We love Termini!

We arrive at our stop,  head up to ground level,  run into the same girl again.  Get talking to her,  she's headed to the same hostel as us.  Her name is Emily,  she's from New Hamshire and is on a 1 year travel experience in Europe.  She's been travelling for 10 months,  5 of those she's just spent in Greece.  This is the first time she's been totally on her own, so she's feeling a bit overwhelmed by the size and complexity of Rome,  as are we...and can she walk with us.  Sure doodle.   It's a bit of a walk, but we find the place.

Unlike our last Hostel experience,  this is the real deal.  3 single beds,  one already inhabited by a 17 year old boy from North Dakota.  And a bunk bed,  guess what was ours?  I don't remember the last time I actually slept in a bunk bed.  And lucky me,  I get the top...it can't actually be categorized as a bed...more like a mattress hammock.    Seriously,  I couldn't even use a pillow as my head was already up so high that it would kill my neck.

So I'm in the boys room,  cause the other is an all girls room.  And registering as a couple means you get boys room I guess.  It's an odd situation.  We sorta feel like parents that have crashed the party.  Casey heads to take a shower,  where the door doesn't close,  the water never gets hot...there's cold and colder...and the stall isn't big enough to change in so you have to go out into the main bathroom area.  Lucky lucky boy.  I choose to wait.

Time for sleeping,  except it's like 9pm....whatever,  we're tired and there's clearly nothing to do.  You can hang out in the main area where there's a TV and 10 teenage girls.  Or get out our books.  We chose the later.  Mr. North Dakota decided it was time to sleep and put the blanket over his head.  One room,  one light,  last guy asleep turns it off....the rest have to suffer.  Upon sleep there were three of us in the room.  During the night two more arrived,  as quietly as possible they went to bed.  I feared an episode of 4 men snoring but it wasn't too bad.  I can't make a single move on my mattress hammock without an obscene amount of screeching and squeaking.  Something tells me WD40 is not a European invention.  Sometime in the night I awake and need to use the facilities....so I lay there for at least 20 minutes figuring out how to remove myself from this mattress hammock.  Not only am I encased like a butterfly,  but it's super squeeky,  and it's a fair ways down...and I'm not as agile as you may thing.  Nothing to be done about,  just take the plunge and sorta half fall half climb out.  Likely it wasn't as loud as I thought,  but still.  Why did we choose to stay here?  The experience for one...but also because I had miss booked our B&B by one day.  They couldn't take us the extra night,  and the thing about hostels...they're cheap.  And if you book in advance,  they're very cheap.  Emily found out that if you don't have a reservation...not so cheap.  We asked if she wanted to go for dinner with us...she said no, because she had just paid more to stay the night than she had planned.  So we took her for dinner anyway,  on us.

Hostel Photo's....not ours.