My Little Skyrian Break

It's been quite a while since I last posted, partly due to me being pretty busy but mainly as a result of my non existent internet connection!

So, I've just arrived in the city of Thessaloniki after spending the past six weeks living and working on the tiny Greek Island of Skyros. 

With its tiny whitewashed buildings ordained with vibrant blue doors and shutters, the village looks like something straight out of Mama Mia. I however have been living in the minuscule farming town of Trachi, home to one taverna, a couple of farms and us. Which I must admit has been testing at times. 

Skyros is home to a rare breed of pony, and the farm where I've been staying is all about preserving and reestablishing the breed. The work it's self was simple enough, feed, muck and water three times a day. I can do that. Having been around horses back in England since I was small theses things were a breeze.

I was also fortunate enough to have some other fantastic volunteers staying with me, from spending my lunch breaks kayaking with Lucia, Spanish, and Iris, Austrian, to failing to make a beach bonfire with Elia, German, and Davide, Italian, it's safe to say I've had a pretty fun time and met some really lovely people. What I struggled with personally was the isolation that being on a mountainous island brings. 

Although the main village was only a stones throw away, the several large mountains in between prove to be somewhat of a hazard. Many people love this side of life though, the lack of wifi and people can be a real lure for the more reclusive type.

What I have learnt about myself is that I am not this type of person. I am a people person. I need constant social interaction with a host of new faces. I must admit this is news to me, at home I had my group of friends whom I adore and was more than content with keeping it just us. Not in a selective way, more as a result of the comfort that comes with a tight knit group. Since I've been travelling however, my eyes have been opened to the fact that there is an entire world of people out there with the same travel/life ethic, and it's wonderful! 

I can meet people from the other side of the world with whom I have so much in common, and for the past few weeks I haven't been meeting the constant flow of these guys, and I've missed it. I remember leaving the first group of strangers I made friends with in Venice, I was adamant that I'd been really lucky and wouldn't meet anyone else that I got on with. 

Of course I did, immediately.

Although I have had a really nice time having somewhere to call home, and learning about a whole new style of horsemanship, for me it was time to say goodbye. I'm more than a little excited to get my backpack on again and head off into Central Europe. Just in time for the cold weather of course... 

Arrivederci Roma... and Italy

After two blissful months I have finally left Italy and moved onto the next stage of my journey, Greece.

I really couldn't have asked for more from my last few weeks in Italy. The hostels in Rome and Naples were pretty much perfect, and I had the pleasure of meeting some of the most genuine people I could imagine.

Initially I was a little dubious about stopping in a hostel a short train journey outside of central Rome, but it worked out to be a perfect base. In 20 minutes I was in the centre of bustling Rome, mingling in with The Colloseum and The Vatican, keeping up with the pace of the capital in over 35 degrees heat. Yet on a day when I really just needed to rest the peaceful old town of Zagarolo was waiting with open arms, and more importantly, an open pool.

Of course I managed to fit in a decent amount of 'touristy' activities between the pool sessions, The Colleseum and the Roman Forum being particular favourites of mine. The Spanish Steps were more than a little underwhelming I'm not going to lie. It's literally just some steps.

I also have a confession to make, I kind of skipped The Vatican a little bit... It was a friend's last day and the queue was three hours long so we just left. In all honesty though I feel like it's something I should see, but not neccessarily something I really wanted to see.

After hearing a general consensus of horrid reveiews of Naples, and being only recently reuinited with my cards, I decided to yet again stay just outside of the city. Unforutnaly after some slight travel issues I ended up with only two full days to do everything! Day one was spent with one of the seemingly endless supply of Australians staying at my hostel, visiting Vesuvius and Pompeii. The views from Vesuvius's sumit are phemominal, and the sight of misinformed tourists attempting to climb it in flip flops and jeans is even better! At Pompeii we deceided to save some money and skip the audio tour. Terrible idea. I still have no idea of the things we saw...

Day two and yet another of the Australians had suggested renting a Vespa. Yes! We caught the train to Sorrento and from there rode down the length of the Amalfi coast. That has to be up there with one of the best experiences I've had so far.

After 35 hours travel via several busses, trains and one ludicrously long ferry journey I arrived in Athens. Here I met my parents and am now spending the week in Naxos, an island which my mum lived on when she was my age!

Day 49

As a child the thought of the six weeks summer holiday seemed like a lifetime, yet here I am, seven weeks into my trip and it has passed at an unbelievable rate!

To keep you up to speed here's a list of where I've been so far!

Venice - Bologna - Chianti - Florence - Pisa - Grosseto - Siena - Venice - Milan - Venice - Rimini - Perugia

I thought I'd do a slightly different post today, and share with you some misconceptions that I had prior to traveling, and the truths about these that I have learnt so far.

What I Thought
Keep all of your money and cards in one safe place, this way you won't lose track of anything.
What I Know
If/when you lose this holy grail of money, you are stuck. SPREAD IT OUT. Most backpacks have several different internal pockets, utilise these, hopefully this will prevent you being completely without cash or cards. 

What I Thought
I'll need a new outfit for everyday. Just because I'm backpacking doesn't mean this can't be a glamorous European adventure.
What I Know
It means exactly that. If I had but one word to sum up the trip so far it definitely wouldn't be glamorous. It would probably be sweaty. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means that wearing a freshly washed and pressed ensemble everyday would bankrupt me in laundry fees. Also, the weight of carting around all of this stuff would no doubt cripple you.

What I Thought
Hostels are dirty and have terrible facilities, but they're cheap.
What I Know
Currently, I'm sitting with my legs dangling in a pool, in a hostel with the most stunning panoramic views of Perugia, for €15 a night. That's £10, less than what I'd spend on my lunch break back at home. Majority of the places I've stayed have been really lovely, granted there have been a couple which have left a great deal to the imagination, but to me a hostel means social. Yes you share a bathroom, a kitchen, and more often than not a bedroom, but it also means that you share your experience. I have met so many interesting and wonderful people who I would have missed had I stayed in a solitary room in a hotel. No its not the height of luxury, but what you lose in tiny shampoos and mints on the pillows, you more than gain in friendship. 

What I Thought
You need loads of money to travel for an extended period of time.
What I Know
In the past three days I've had nine delicious, filling meals and it has cost me €8.24 (£5.79). A bag of pasta that lasts five days costs me €1.20 and anything else is a treat. If you truly want to travel and experience as much as you can, for as long as you can, you simply can't afford to be picky about it! 

Unfortunatley I find myself yet again without a computer, meaning that a whole host of my photos are currently trapped inside my camera. As soon as I can I'll be sure to bombard the blog with them! 

Heading off to Rome tomorrow, and will post about all the wonderful, ancient sites just as soon as I can get my hands on an SD port!

Ciao.

What Grace Did

As I write this post I sit aboard the Frecciarossa train bound for Rimini, leaving the perfect serenity of Venice, where I have called home for the past month, behind me. 

Much like the first time I left Venice, I do so with a bitter sweet feeling in my stomach. I have heard nothing but good things about Rimini; sun, beaches and bars, yet I am still hopelessly in love with Venice and all it means for me. The start of my adventure, my first group of friends, my first job overseas, the first time it really hit me that I could actually go the distance with my travel plans. But I am leaving.

In addition to feeling a little low about moving on, this morning I waved my older brother, Jake, off after having him visit for the past week, and what a week it's been!  

I met him and four of his friends last Friday in Milan for a Libertines gig, and I was beyond excited. For them it was a music trip, for me it was a Jake one.
Back at home we worked within a two minutes walk from each other, so I would see him most days for lunch or just a chat, so five weeks without seeing him was a little odd to say the least! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased with the reaction I got, being told that I looked like a "proper traveller" and how he hardly recognised me, made me realise just how much I have changed so far. 

I have always been a very dependent person, always having someone in my life who would pander to my demands of handbag carrying or lift giving. Although these things are initially done through love, it has meant that I had absolutely zero idea of what I am capable of. Although the change into a perfectly capable young woman has been a gradual one, all Jake saw was his helpless, insecure, little sister wandering across a busy train station carrying an enormous 70l bag wearing "sunglasses bigger than your shorts". 

The initial blissfulness of the reunion was cut short however, due to me discovering that during a quick hop on the metro my purse had been taken from my bag. I can't quite sum up the feeling I had, it was a mix of panic, anger and disappointment in myself. The confident backpacker of the past hour had been stripped back, and there stood the useless girl of before. To say I felt like a fool would be an enormous understatement. 

Putting the incident behind me, the rest of Friday passed quickly in anticipation of Saturday's concert. I know the Libertines, not to the extent of travelling to Milan just to see them like my brother and co. however I was not disappointed. The crowd sung passionately along to all the classics, with their Italian twang reminding us exactly where we were, while only the truly dedicated managed to keep up with the new releases. Watching Carl Barât and Pete Doherty perform together live there is no doubt as to how the band broke up previously. The performance is a constant battle between Carl attempting to lead and remain centre stage (literally) and Pete nipping at his heels, trying anything to steal focus, throwing guitars and microphones whenever possible. Despite the Lovers' tiffs it was still a thoroughly brilliant set, the new material slotted in nicely between the well loved oldies. 

After a weekend of over indulgence and over spending I was lookin forward to being able to spend a few days showing Jake my Venice. I showed him all my favourite places and managed to convey the image that I knew exactly what I was doing and where I was going most of the time. I'm glad to report that he loved it almost as much as me! 

So now I'm back on my own, after a month of knowing the town, people and places to go, I'm back to being a backpacker again, and honestly I'm not sure how I feel about this. I know that it's just a matter of time before I find my feet again but currently I feel like I'm starting all over again! Will hopefully have some photos to upload soon. 

Next stop Perugia. 

Ciao.

Settling In

Evening!

Sorry that I've been a little absent! The past few weeks have been really busy for me, finding my feet in this new job, moving into an apartment and still managing to explore Venice in any free time I get!

I haven't managed to write as much as I'd have liked, which has probably been a good thing seeing as I got pretty home sick for the first time last week. I know it's really ridiculous, especially considering how long I intend to be gone for, but it happened. I think it was a result of me actually stopping. Until now I've been moving so frequently, meeting so many people and just being constantly occupied. To then find myself actually living somewhere, without constant distractions and without any long term friends was a pretty big shock. A ludicrously long Skype session with my mum managed to reassure me that what I was doing was in fact quite amazing and I should just suck it up and realise where I am. I was also fortunate to have kept in touch with some people from my first trip to Venice so having people to meet up with has helped no end, making me fall in love with the city all over again!

Another sizable development for me has been moving to somewhere semi-permanently, bringing with it the ability to unpack! Such simple delights as being able to actually select what I'm going to wear for the day, rather than a lucky-dipesque way to dressing has improved my days ten fold. Having somewhere to go that I know is just for me is really lovely as well, and being two minutes away from where I work means I don't lose out on any valuable sleep. The apartment itself is what we call a 'work in progress' but it's free and in the centre of Venice, so I can deal with some peeling paint!

It's been so nice knowing that I'm here for more than just a couple of days, up until now I've felt the need to cram as much sight seeing into as little time as possible and it has really worn me out. Being able to take my time and enjoy the city at my own pace has been a real blessing. This past week I've spent my days off visiting the islands; Lido, San Michele, Murano and Burano.

Lido has a beach! Coming from somewhere where the nearest sea is 2 hours away, brown and cold this is by far one of the best developments. It's June and I can not only sunbathe but actually swim in a sea that won't give my hypothermia. Such wonders do not exist in England and I have a feeling I'll be spending a decent amount of time there over the next few weeks.

Murano and Burano come as a sort of pair, famous for it's glass, Murano fully embraces this. Every shop is packed full of stunning hand made pieces, most of which with a price tag staggering enough to make you to choke on your gelato (of which I am consuming an inordinate amount). I visited here and Burano with a really lovely guest from the Hostel where I work. We stood for at least half an hour watching an ornament being created from scratch which was really amazing, It was interesting to see the mundanity with which the tasks were performed, I suppose that even the most elaborate of jobs become routine when done enough.

Burano has somehow managed to create tourism purely through painting their houses. There is literally nothing else there. Don't get me wrong, it clearly works, that's why we went there, and why we stayed all day! It looks like it was designed by a child, each house a brighter, more vibrant version of the last, the colours complimented perfectly by the clear blue sky. Eating a picnic surrounded by all of this gorgeous scenery I realised I couldn't be further from homesick!

So that's what I've been up to. I'd be lying if I said it isn't strange having to work again, but I get every other day off to go and explore more of this wonderful place, and I can genuinely say that I lived in Venice now (even if it was only a month!)

There are worse views to have whilst waiting for the bus!

From the top of San Marco tower.

Glass crafting in Murano.

Glass crafting in Murano.

Perfectly blue sky and sculptures.

Even the walls are decorated in glass!

Shop front in Murano. 

Burano in all it's colourful glory.

Burano.

Possibly the best gelato in all the world!

Day 14

I've survived two whole weeks! A little part of me doubted I'd even get on the plane, so 14 days really is an achievement!

What have I been up to then? After leaving Venice, with a very heavy heart, I travelled down to Bologna for the night. Personally, it wasn't my favourite place in the world. Such a massive contrast between the easy going pace of Venice and the rather "in your face" atmosphere of Bologna was a bit much. After then I headed (by accident) to a small town in Tuscany called Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, I thought I'd booked into a hostel in Florence but I was mistaken. This was however a very happy accident and what was supposed to be just a one night stop turned into three. My days were spent cycling around the Tuscan hills, having barbecues, picnicking in fields and wine tasting.
From there I actually managed to make it to Florence, where I met up with some of the people I'd met in Tuscany. Florence was utterly breath taking. The scorching heat certainly helped, but the historical surroundings would look stunning in any weather. Watching the sun set from Piazzale Michelangelo is an experience not to be missed. On my last day some girls from my hostel and I visited the top of the Duomo. A LOT of stairs, but you can see all of Florence and then some.
After four days there I moved slightly west to Pisa, purely for the tower, as there isn't a lot else there. It really is something to behold, it's slightly disorientating and I have absolutely zero idea how it's still standing!
With the intention of heading further south to Rome I decided to stop off in a hostel in Grosseto for a couple of nights. This hostel in Grosseto turned out to in fact be a tent in Le Marze. Le Marze was lovely, and the beach was a much appreciated bonus, the tent however was not very Grace friendly! For anyone who doesn't know me, camping isn't really my thing, and having to walk through woods just to go to the toilet is my personal idea of hell! I somehow managed to survive (despite the spiders and mozzies) and this is when my plans changed rather drastically. After firing off a quick email to a Workaway host in Venice about a possible vacancy in July, I was told that I could start as soon as I could get there! So that's exactly what I've done.
Two weeks to the day that I first started my adventure and arrived in Venice I'm back, and really couldn't be happier about it! In exchange for some cleaning and looking after guests, I get to stop and eat for free in a stunning boutique B&B right in San Marco square.
So overall life's going pretty well! I will still hopefully go down to Rome and Naples, but for the time being, the ability to stay rent free in my favourite city really is an opportunity I couldn't afford to pass up. Fortunately for me there is a computer here so I can share with you some of the photos of my trip so far.

Ciao!

The view whilst wine tasting in Tuscany.

Outside the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Giardini Boboli, Florence.

Giardini Boboli, Florence.

Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence.

View from the top of the Duomo , Florence.

Leaning tower of Pisa.

A Venice Fish

Well, I am totally and completely in love with Venice. I love the city, the people, the hostel, the food, everything. Part of me is unsure if it's just a result of it being my first stop, but then there is also a massive part of me that knows it's jut because it's fabulous! 

It is amazing how quickly you get used to there being no cars, and noting associated with them. The traffic, noise, polution, and just the general sense of haste that all of these things bring. Day to day life seems so wonderfully relaxed and leisurely. 

The scenery is of course spectacular, canals flowing freely through the city adorned with beautifully ornate gondolas, the sound of street music everywhere you turn, vast historic buildings, sheer bliss. 

My stay was improved vastly through the hospitality of the hostel I was lucky enough to be staying in, A Venice Fish. With it being my first location I was more nervous than I'd care to admit about not meeting people and ending up on my own. However both the guests and staff were so keen to help, making dinner for everyone, taking us out at night and showing me some of the sights. I think if it weren't for this imediate warm welcome I received it would have been difficult for me to persevere with doing this trip solo. 

So thank you Venice for such a truly   wonderful first experience. Unfortunately I am yet to find a computer to transfer my photos onto, but as soon as I do rest assured you will be inundated with shots of this beautiful city! 

Ciao.