http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Bekz-and-Cat/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Bekz and Cat en-us Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:03:09 +0000 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:03:09 +0000 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Montenegro/Budva/blog-304829.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Albania/North/Shkod-r/blog-302183.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Albania/West/Tirana/blog-299955.html 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 hea http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Puglie/Bari/blog-299945.html 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. Eve http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Campania/Naples/blog-299931.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-297916.html 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 fe http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Vatican-City/Vatican-City/blog-297700.html 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 eith http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-296459.html PisaWe 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 ou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Pisa/blog-296454.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-293971.html Hot and hungry we headed off on a bus into Bologna to find ourselves a bolognese forgetting that restaurants close between 3 and 7. We tried in vain to find ourselves some food grumpily i followed cat down road after road after road after road ... looking for a trattoria biting my tongue so as not to start our first argument. Beer set me in a much better mood. Thats about all we have to say for http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Emilia-Romagna/Bologna/blog-291565.html VeronaWe woke up early 5am and attempted a backpack reshuffle trying to make them appear to weigh less and far more comfortable mine is sorted Cats is still attempting to break her shoulders Once on the bus we played knock out the locals with the back packs as the bus verged around corners and we wobbled about as Cat tried to balance no handed complete with back pack full of small children http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-291560.html We landed in Venice Treviso at 9.35 Local time in the drizzling rain and headed through customs having experienced Europeans that do not understand queuing did a bag reshuffle and headed out to the buses. Not realising we had to buy a ticket before hand we put our bags into the luggage compartment and attempted to board. The conducter gave us a funny look abnd then proceeded to say something in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-289382.html How on earth do you fit 12 weeks of stuff into a measly rucksack....I'm sitting surrounded by clothes flip flops guide books phrase books sun cream and bug spray looking that this little 70lt backpack thinking there is noway in hell thats all going to fit in there. I gave it my best shot and gave up I might just hire a donkey or something to help me carry stuff around.... There's two days http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Kent/Tunbridge-Wells/blog-287130.html