Well here I am, 6 days into my year(ish) long adventure around this place we call earth and I have decided that a blog is most likely the best way to inform all interested parties of my travels. Furthermore it should also serve to prevent worried/annoyed texts from my parents,”where are you, news? Email? Phone call?” Anyway, a bit of news of my current location: at 14:45 Italian time I am sitting on a train from Milan to Venice after being kicked off a previous one at Brescia for failing to have a seat reservation. No biggy but the ticket inspector was a bit of a dick and tried to charge me and George Bellshaw (my travelling companion for the month long European leg of my trip) €36 for the pleasure of his “rapido e cleano” train and after I protested I had no cash he offered to take us to an ATM at Venice and pay him there. We politely told him to “jog on” and quickly disembarked the train at the next station, and now we are on a free train (with our Interrail passes) on the way to Venice, albeit at a slightly more sedate pace. But that’s probably more desirable as the scenery, whilst largely obscured by cloud and mist on a fairly crappy Italian day is truly stunning. A place to bring the wife/girlfriend!
Where have you been though? Well we flew into Koln and met our friend Alistair Eggo, who is working for a gold company (buying precious gold family treasures, in times of economic hardship, off elderly widows then melting it down and selling it for double to China). Anyway luckily we arrived for Carnival. Little bit nervous though, we had it in our mind that it was some sort of Neo-Nazi festival as it was starting on Thursday 11th November at 11 o clock (aka 2 minute silence on Armistice Day)! Anyway turned out it was a complete coincidence, and the idea was that it was meant to kick off at 11/11/10 11:11 and 11, phewwww!! Anyway it was a massive German folk music/fancy dress party (a pic is provided of our costumes)! So after spending 4 days with our friend living with him and his boss dining exclusively on pot noodles and local Bratwurst we departed on an overnight train to Milan. Anyway upon arriving in Milan we discovered that it was only one of the biggest derby games in the world, AC vs. Inter! Que George and I scrambling down to the San Siro. However again que disappointment of the fact it was a) a sell-out and b) €150 a ticket from touts! Wounded, we watched it in a pub (Italians really haven’t got the concept of a pub with coffee and antipasti featuring heavily). Anyway Milan is a really beautiful city in the centre, but only in the centre. A few hundred metres down from classy shopping malls near the cathedral with Pianists playing open air Chopin, you see almost abject poverty and filth. Another gripe about Milan is the transport system. Whilst cheap at the €3 for 24 hours, nobody seems to have a clue where they are going, for example we jumped on the tram from the San Siro heading back into the centre of town having been told by some local women to follow them as they were heading back that way. Well after about 10 minutes we arrived exactly back at the same point, anyway in typical Italian flare and dramatization a huge argument kicked off between the Italian passengers and driver. Eventually we made it back. Anyway this morning we headed off to Venice and well that’s just about it. Will post next update when I get chance!
Hope you enjoy reading these blogs and hopefully they become better reads overtime. If not, cope!
No comments:
Post a Comment