Roma, a city of contrasts ...

Feeling much better this morning, and having made a list (I'm good at them! Just cos I'm on holiday doesn't mean I can't get some control!) started on my day. I am feeling accomplished in manner of hunter-gatherer and all little baby-steps are to be counted. There are the basics (find place to sleep - done; find food - breakfast, coffee and chocolate croissant, included at hostel - done) I then moved onto bigger things: find food for day of sight-seeing at supermercati, done! Buy Metrebus ticket, done! Try calling Liliana again, which also involves finding telephone without someone sleeping in it or no suspicious puddles near it, done! done! done! Buy ticket for the train to Latina, and try doing it all in Italian, done! (Vorrei comprare una biglietto per il treno a Latina, domani mattina ...) Catch Metro Linea B to begin sightseeing, done! The Rome subway is so much worse than New York, maybe it seems so because I was warned so much about NY tho. And Zandra, the Rome subway DOESN'T HAVE ANY AIRCONDITIONING!
I don't want to bore you with all my sightseeing tales, but will give a list of what I saw: Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps, Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain), Pantheon, Bocca della Verita (The Mouth of Truth), the Roman Forum, Palatine and il Colesseo. Everything is so huge and amazing! It doesn't matter that my little camera doesn't have a zoom, it still won't fit everything in. And besides all these sights, I'm constantly looking around and up at everything amazed. All of the buildings must be older than the oldest buildings in Australia. My love of the New York apartment fire escapes has been overtaken by the Italian apartment shutters, and the colours! Greens and blues and those beautiful yellow-oranges!
There are thousands of other tourists (ok, well maybe only hundreds at a time) at all of the landmarks listed above. All taking there own photo of it, and who am I to complain, I did the same thing at most. There are souvenier stalls at all places, and beggars, and people dressed in old costumes offering to pose in people's photos (for a price of course, everything for a price ...)
So along with everything else I tried to take in that little bit more - people watching to try and pick the locals from the tourists, the Italian tourists from the other tourists. And then laughing at a restaurant owner, trying to get all the stall holders and buskers away from his alfresco dining area and diners. A small boy (looked about 8 years old) wanted to play his piano accordian, near them and the restaurant man was so red in the face, pleading: capito me! capito me! The boy defiantly played the first few notes of the Godfather theme before running off smiling!
By a city of contrasts, I mean it has some of the most beautiful landmarks, buildings, artefacts, art etc, yet is really dirty. It has this amazing wealth of history yet poor people begging on nearly every street, homeless people and many souvenier stall holders trying to cash in on it all.
Its incredible tho. I still can't believe I am really here.
Heading south to Latina tomorrow (yes, just like the pasta!) to stay with Liliana and her daughters, before going a bit further to Sorrento, on the Amalfi coast. Here I plan to celebrate my birthday next week.
Love to you all, I don't feel so lonely anymore, I just read your emails and am so glad the internet exists! I accidently deleted the last two emails I had received tho, before reading them or even seeing who they were from (I could try blaming the keyboard ...?) I did get the ones from Francesca, Vanessa, Belinda, Lauren and Tim. So if you've emailed and I haven't replied and you're not one of them, sorry! Could you try sending it again ... Ciao! E x

When in Rome ...

... initial excitement of being in Rome soon wore off when I arrived in the city at the Stazione Termini. It was huge and bustling and busy and hot and people shoving and being rude and streets not well named, and streets running in strange directions to each other and my backpack being really heavy and me still being tired and me getting confused and lost and people trying to sell my knock-off designer bags and when finally finding my hostel me having to wait for an hour and a half before I could actually go to my room and all I wanted to do was have a shower and sleep.
Eventually got my shower and sleep, but mood still not good. Decided to wander around. Had some people ask me questions, but I didn't understand. Then tried to call family friend Liliana who I will be staying with for a few days. She wasn't answering but the phone kept giving me a recorded message in Italian, and I didn't understand. And whilst in the phone box this woman just stops right outside and pulls down her pants and does the longest wee imaginable and I'm feeling like WHAT IS GOING ON?! WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!
Ended up walking back to my hostel and must have looked awful, cos this waiter at a restaurant I passed asked me what was wrong "you shouldn't be sad, you're in Rome!" And I'm all like: "I know! It's my first day in Rome and I was so excited and now I'm just tired and frustrated and sad and lonely!" Anyway, he's taken pity on me, brought me a glass of champagne to celebrate my first night in Rome, tissues (I must have looked like I was about to cry), found me a table and chair, a cigarette (yeah, I don't smoke, but I was lonely and sad in Rome, why the hell not!?) and a delicious serve of Tiramisu. However, the best thing Mimo (yeah, seriously) gave me was this advice: it is better to be alone, that to be in bad company.
After this, I felt a bit better, declined his offer to accompany him to a club after he finished work (kindly), went back to my hostel and slept very very well. Dare il benvenuto a Roma!

Auf weidersen Muchen!

My last full day in Munich (or Muchen, now that I'm practically a local ...) was busy. I added two new phrases to my repetoire: Sprecken sie English? and Ikh ferstaye nihkt! (I don't understand). Please don't mind the atroscious spelling, but I've since buried my phrasebook at the bottom of my backpack and am still trying to stop saying Ja instead of Si, now that I'm in Rome ...
I did the Dachau concentration camp memorial tour and not sure what to say really. Its pretty overwhelming. This year marks 50 years since the camp was liberated, and that still seems really recent to me. I'm glad I went, I'm glad I know, but not sure what I can do with this knowledge now.
From there I visited Lenbachaus. Its a mock-Etruscan villa (I only found out what that meant when I went there too, it means that orange-yellow style Tuscan villa) its a gallery filled with some old German art I've never heard of, a few new artists/exhibitions and one area filled with the work of Blaue Rieter group, which includes the work of Wasily Kandinsky who I studied in Year 12 Art. Had similar feelings as when viewing famous art pieces at the Met. Also strange as all descriptions in German! Was good experience in the universal language of art! But with the new work and work unfamiliar to me, it was a bit frustrating. I guess its the designer in me wanting to know the 'brief' to understand the 'concept'.
Munich was pretty amazing. Being my first European city, I couldn't get over all the huge old buildings and historical stuff. All the information I had was about 5 pages I'ld printed from the Lonely Planet website before I left, but it was great just to wander around, looking. There's one square, Koningsplatz with 3 huge Roman-style buildings with columns and everything on 3 sides. Grass in the centre and cars (all small, not like NY) and bikes zooming through. It still feels surreal. I was sitting there with this amazing view in front of me, old German men playing chess on massive boards in a park next to me and I could hear someone singing opera from a nearby music and art school (also in a massive old building).
Was getting a bit lonely tho, so decided to give in and speak to one of the many many Americans staying at my hostel. Ended up with a small group, we got some food, watched the soccer (Australia v Germany, no comment), tried to find a beer hall, all closed, tried to find an Irish pub, not very busy, so ended up in all places A BLOODY AUSTRALIAN PUB! Glad to find a couple of other Aussies tho. Comforting to hear a normal accent!
Early start the next day on the train back to the airport. Also experienced the universal language of getting-frustrated-with-bloody-ticket-machines! This woman explained to me (in German) that the machine didn't accept 20 euro notes, but somehow I understood.
Was v v tired on plane due to only averaging 3 hours sleep for past few nights, but now due to actually being out and doing stuff (oh, and hostel dorm snorers) rather than my usual insomnia. Was too excited to sleep tho, and amazing view of the Alps and my first glimpse of Italy etc

When in Munich ... eat pizza?

Have arrived safe and well in Munich. Strange German keyboard, so excuse any mistakes please! Short night (so v v tired) as overnight backward from NY. Had quick walk around city and made plans for tomorrow (only full day in Munich). City is beautiful and old, my first taste of Europe! Airport is 40min out of Munich so nice view of countryside, paddocks (sorry, fields!) trees etc on way in. Unfortunately not much green in city, but definately smaller than Cycling v v popular in Munich, even special lanes for cyclists, also trains, trams and many lions! Everywhere recreated in all types. Walked to Marienplatz this afternoon to see Glockenspiel and its special chime and puppet routine. It onlz occurs about 4 times a day. Building is huge, took some pics, hope they work.#
Ja! Have had bier! Meant to order small, but combination of Happz Hour and language barrier I ended up with half a litre! Hostel is verz busz and noisz. Too manz Americans! (Sorry Z!) Probablz more to write, but too tired to think right now! Prost! to you all! Missing zou more each day, but each day new experiences and closer to home ... am happz to be here, but yzou know me! hugs etc E xo

Self-indulgent city building photo

Self-indulgent city building photo
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Not sure what building this is, but will endeavour to find out. Said a quick 'see you later!' to New York City, before disappearing again into Grand Central. This building was visible from that block.

Anna's apartment

Anna's apartment
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

The four girls, before going out on Friday night. Zandra's school friend Anna in centre, with her dog Peanut (Jack Russell terrier). Can't remember if I mentioned, but all dogs in New York are either big or small, and all pure bred. They also tend to serve as an introductory tool between people. It is a general stereotype that city people (and especially New Yorkers) keep to themselves. Yet people (with or without dogs) will often stop to talk to and compliment an owner of a dog. Zandra and I took Peanut for a walk while Anna was getting showered and ready, and in 15 minutes, had conversations (about dogs of course) with about 4 people. They are also very docile, would like to find out if bred or trained to be this way, or just result of growing up in big, noisy city and small apartments.

Little Italy

Little Italy
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Chinatown 3

Chinatown 3
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Chinatown 2

Chinatown 2
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Chinatown 1

Chinatown 1
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Canal Street stalls, Chinatown

Canal Street stalls, Chinatown
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Bag shopping on Canal Street

Bag shopping on Canal Street
Originally uploaded by Miss-E.

Just a few quick pics from the last few days. Prob won't be adding any more, but will try and keep it brief and interesting. The titles should explain.
PS. Did I mention I found a place with 75 cent large coffees!??!! America - land of the (practically) free (coffee!)