We got through the border with no problem and immediately saw the economical differences between Albania and Montenegro, Montenegro reminding me more of the Algarve in Portugal, there were far more "real" buildings than there were in Albania and a damn sight more shiny cars. We were dumped on the side of the road and after counting up our left over euros from italy (7.70) we hopped into a taxi to take us to our hostel as we had no idea where we were.... ... apparently the taxi driver didn't either as he left us, up the right road, and said [View Full Entry]

---

---

We woke early to head up to Montenegro by early afternoon, after a disagreement about how we should get to the bus stop at 6 am (cat won) we walked up to the top of town, then sat backpacker hobo style on the side of the road hopping we were at the right place. A few wanders later to see if the stop was elsewhere a swanky new mini bus and some kiwis arrived and before long we were on our way up to Budva. We arrived in the north of Albania with a bump as the driver slammed on the [View Full Entry]

---

---

We got into Durres at about 7 am and joined the mob trying to push throught he one door to customs. Pushing did not help the situation at all, it was hot and sweaty and everyone was frustrated. I did feel like giving a lecture on appropriate ways to queue, as their system is all shove if some one gets in your way, floor them so as they are merely something to trample on. Marvelling at the begging children who could tell a foreigner at 50 paces we edged our way towards customs, where eventually a stressed sweaty bloke stamped my [View Full Entry]

---

---

we woke up in our lovely air conditioned private room, much to Cats happiness as she is heat sensative and likes to sleep in an igloo.... We got a Taxi to the station with Joe and Matt (the back packs) and a huuuge box of excess stuff to be sent back to Cats. After posting the box which wasn't that hard after locating the post office which was somewhat more complicated, we got onto a train and heard an announement in Italian, to which all the Italians looked a bit peeved with and started to move, deciding it was nothing to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Having heard mixed reviews about Naples, I was intrigued at what would greet us as we go off the train. The graffiti covered industrial station was bz far the most un attractive in italy. We wandered out of the station to find the bus station with the sign posts being bloody confusing, and me getting told that i was to beautiful to some thing by a strange old bloke who followed us for a while. Eventually we found the R2 bus, and dispite the trollies best efforts to foil our no back pack carrying plan we all made it on to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Rome part 2. Having explored the Vatican we met up with Kat and Lucy to go out for dinner and then on to the Trevi fountain, with the plan of having a swim in it in the middle of the night, foiled by the herds of like minded tourists and the police. We had dinner at a lovely little bistro about 10 mins away from the Trev, where happy hour was every hour so long as you said "happy hour" which we did, pina coladas yum yum! Then it was off for a swim with the four bottles of 2 euro [View Full Entry]

---

---

Vatican. Our first morning in Rome started with an exciting trip on the Rome subway, far far better, though not as extensive, as the London one (and Joe, I can use it, on my own!! (there are only two lines though, so its pretty easy to do but....)) and it has air conditioning! Magic. We got off the tube at the Vatican and wandered towards St Peter's Cathederal. Being English and seeing a queue I felt it was my duty to join this queue (never mind the minor issue that I had no idea what I was queuing for....) much to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Rome. Hot and sweaty from Pisa we boarded an over crowed bus and played my favourite "knock out a local" game (10 points if you get a local, 12 for a child, -15 if you hit a fellow traveller. Incidently this game was modified for the pedal boats, but that is another story.) Once on board the train we found our carriage, with 4 other English women travelling together, far far more prepared than either Cat or I who had remembered to bring some water between us, these ladies had it all: crisps, sarnis, juices (complete with cups), fruit, biscuits. They [View Full Entry]

---

---

Pisa We got off the bus outside the tower wall and began a back pack shuffle to the campsite, (cats choice of camp site was largly better than mine) passing some american girls who's dorm we had been in in Florence, in true american form they were so self obsorbed they had no idea about this and looked mildly confused when we greated them like we knew them, which we did, sort of. We checked into our mobile home and popped down to the shop to buy food since we realised that venice had made a significant dent in our budgets, [View Full Entry]

---

---

The final leg of our journey was to Florence where we stayed in Plus Florence the same company as Venice but what a difference!!! Practically a hotel! Met a nice girl called Kat who is in our room, had some dinner and eventually went to bed. We started ouir first full day with coffee and breakfast at the hostel, then wandered dowm to the Duomo and cathedral covering shoulders to go inside. Lovely and cool as always with a stunning painted dome and a skeleton in a casket. From the Duomo we walked around and found ourselves at a Leonardo Da [View Full Entry]

---

---