Video Throwback Thursday

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Lessons Learned

Now that the jet lag has worn off - how did it go, what did we learn and what can we do better next time? Here is a data dump of things we learned in our first time backpacking in Europe.

Language – Pack a list of common phrases, particularly transportation (train station, gate, seat), common signs (open, closed, entrance, exit), destinations, food and drinks. Instead of printing, we saved a list to my phone so we could update it as needed.  Also, study with www.duolingo.com. I studied Spanish for years and Jason only a few months on Duolingo and he nailed it in Spain.

Toilets – If you don't have to pay to pee, you probably don't want to. The difference between a pay toilet and a public toilet is noticeable, to put it politely. We stopped for plenty of drinks just to use a restaurant bathroom.

Rain gear – Tote garbage bags or waterproof sacks to cover your packs. Thanks for that lesson, San Sebastian. We live in the desert so we did need some learning in this area. My waterproof, hooded jacket was perfect. We considered an umbrella but fortunately most of our hotels loaned them out.

Printing – Electronic tickets save a lot of time at the train station and museum kiosks. Ask the hotel first if they can help you print. Some may print a page or two for free. Otherwise we found most shops cost about 0.15 Euro per page. If we couldn’t spot one on the street, we searched on Yelp for printing and internet services.  

Transportation – You usually have to validate your ticket but it is not always clear how or when.  Also, it helps to know the name of the final stop of the bus or train you are boarding as that is often all that is listed.  Often the train number is the easiest piece of information to use to find your train. Read your tickets in advance – our tickets for Germany and Budapest were almost indecipherable in another language. Also, there may be no seat listed because it is open seating in some trains’ second class.  

Payment – Pay in cash. Our Charles Schwab debit card, with no international or ATM fees, was also excellent. My Chase Sapphire preferred credit card with a chip was only OK. Europe uses the chip-and-pin system; the Sapphire card is a chip and signature. Some machines wouldn't take it, and it confused some vendors, which meant in most countries we rarely bothered with it.

Laundry – We did small items by hand with a Tide packet or bar of soap. (Note: Girl undies dry faster than dudes'.)  Don't do pants or heavy shirts unless you have days to dry or heated drying rack. And the rumor is true, you will sniff your clothes and shrug off washing them much more than you’d like to admit.

Hotels/hostels – Unless you are staying at major hotels, read the fine print and call or email ahead of time. In Budapest, we would've been stranded had we not. While it was frustrating at first (since we didn’t have cell service), these types of places turned out to be our favorite.

Smartphone – You can buy phones or phone cards. We happened to have a Motorola Xprt that is unlocked for international service. Check with your carrier for phones with that capability. Theoretically we could have purchased an international SIM card or purchased an international plan from Sprint. However, we opted for wifi and Skype. The Skype app allows you to make phone calls for approximately 2 cents per minute (varies by country). This worked but we were occasionally stuck without access to the internet when we were out on the town and needed to look something up (i.e., happy hour).

Security – Wherever you are, just assume you will get mugged. This means separating money and cards and passports so if one bag gets stolen, not everything goes at once. I carry a small wallet in my front pocket clipped to my belt loop or clipped to a pocket I had sewn inside my jacket. Jason carries his wallet in his front pocket and just keeps his hand in his pocket in crowded/sketchy places. We always lock our passports and laptop in our packs or safe in the hotel. On trains or busses, we hook our bags together so if someone did try to snatch them, they have to snatch a clumsy 50-pound mass. 

Locks – These add a layer of security to deter thieves. Unfortunately our Kelty Redwing packs do not have lockable zippers and we had to manufacture our own. Jason did so using his quality chainmail skills. Our packs are now medieval meets backpacker chic.

Down time – We appreciate the idea of going off the grid, but with our inability to plan ahead, there is always down time when we huddle behind our laptop and smartphone screens. It takes a joint effort to Yelp, Tripadvisor and Google all at the same time. We just tried to do it during rainy days or at pubs. Research (and blogging) will eat up some of your time but consider that time to rest your feet.

Lastly, and most importantly: S--t happens. All of our best laid plans got messed up. Our debit card was late in the mail. My chip came off my credit card. Jason lost his allen wrench for his camera gun. I dropped my phone in a glass of water. Our train tickets did not arrive by email. Jason's camera bag is now tied and safety pinned together. I wore a hole through my Converses and our day bag. It rained every time we planned outdoorsy stuff. The list goes on . . .

Whatever happens, remember you are on vacation and you volunteered for the adventure. (i.e., no one will sympathize because XYZ happened while you were backpacking through Europe).  Things will go wrong, get lost and/or break.  Traveling is not always easy but in some ways that is part of its charm.  Remember that time you missed your ferry and got stuck in a weird little town in Wales?  It might be easy to get upset and frustrated but if you roll with it, you might find it is one of the most unique experiences of your trip.  You might also discover the best happy hour in Great Britain.

Next up? Photos, behind the scenes and the final tally on what this trip really cost.

Time to rally

Italy: So many museums, so little time. Ditto for delicious eats. With just a few hours left we had to choose wisely. Our hotel was across the street from the Palazzo Pitti that tempted us with some illustrious garden behind its walls, but we went with the Uffizi Gallery. And there went half a day . . .
We are not art smart but it was still a worthwhile stop. With two full stories and four main corridors, there is a lot to see and all for 11 Euros per person. We could spend a day just staring at the magnificent ceiling art. Of course, our weird sense of humor drew us to the paintings with things like sea monster attacks.

http://www.sciencemusings.com/blog/uploaded_images/perseus-773234.jpg

For lunch, we struggled between the popular Nebone in the central market or I Trippaio di San Frediano. We ate at both earlier in the week. It was Trippaio for the win - there was still a weird cut of meat Jason had his eye on. The lampredotto alla cacciatora (3 Euros). We also grabbed a final gelato (of course!).

We walked the city for some last views of the river (which was packed with rowers), the bridges and the markets, where for once we did not blow our final coins on trinkets. In four weeks, we bought almost zero souvenirs. I bought a scarf and Jason bought a t-shirt from the Archea bar. The bar had beer from the Northwest, their own brew was good and the shirt has a minotaur on it - how can you not like that.

For our last meal, we took advice from Twitter (Thanks @writewayaround!) and went to I Tarocchi, a restaurant with rave reviews about its pear ravioli and gorgonzola gnocchi. We got the gnocchi and roasted pork and potatoes. It was an excellent meal to close out our month-long menu. Walking home, we also hit a convenient store to stock up on European candy.  Jason has a serious thing for Kinder Buenos and foreign Kit Kat bars. We always look like candy smugglers when traveling abroad.

We ended the night, and our European shenanigans, at the Palazzo Pitti. And probably just in time, as there is another austerity rally scheduled for April 12^th and we have seen our share of marches on this trip. It has been an adventure-filled four weeks, and we are grateful for all the support from our family, friends and readers, not to mention our employers and coworkers who let us take this trip.

Next up, 18+ hours of travel to the Tri-Cities. But we are not done yet – stay tuned for behind the scenes, lessons learned and many more photos! 

To the Duomo!

Two things we learned this week: 1)  get up early to visit the dome and tower in Florence and 2) get tickets first. The line was long at 8, although the exhibit doesn't open until 8:30. We also watched numerous people get in line without knowing tickets are only sold at certain exhibits or a machine down the street.

For 10 Euros per person, you get into all the exhibits; however, some are under construction. The whole museum includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry of San Giovanni, the Crypt of Santa Reparata and the Historical Museum.

 

We climbed the duomo first. It is 463 steps to the top. We recently watched the PBS special which was helpful to better understand how Brunelleschi built it. It is a slow climb with a few stops to see the interior of the dome. The stairs are steep and the ceilings low. At the top, you can see all of Florence and an early climb means you can see the sun flooding over the city as well.

Next, we went to the tower, which has a 414-step climb with wider, easier passages (best for those who do not like confined spaces). At the top, you get a beautiful view of the duomo. As often happens when we travel, Jason got stopped by a family who thought he looked like Zach Galifianakis. The son was wearing a Hangover t-shirt and, per his mom's request, Jason was kind enough to take a photo with him.

Next we visited the inside of the cathedral.  It was easily the least impressive of the three - the architecture is neat but probably best viewed from the outside and the coolest thing about the inside is the painting inside the dome and tourists aren't allowed to go up to the front where the dome is.  There was also a small museum about the excavation of early churches/crypts under the cathedral in the lower level, where Jason was excited we got to see some saints' bones.

We had been looking forward to the duomo all month and it did not disappoint. But it did tire us out. We spent the afternoon wandering lazily and hanging out by the river.  Although the maps show parks, it was hard to find one available to the public! In the evening, we found a pub with Rogue beer and a Seahawks sign - a little taste of home!

Next up, a few more museums and the central market.

Benvenuti in Italia

We took the "bus" (turned out to be a passenger van) to "Venice (turned out to be Mestre). Our first steps onto Italian soil were into a fist fight breaking out at the bus stop. We found wifi for advice about Venice/Mestre, which was "Whatever you do, do not get off at Mestre." So, we boarded a 10-minute train to actual Venice. (Trains are easy here; just learn the Italian name for your city and validate your ticket in the little machine before you board.)

 

We spent a few hours in Venice. It was packed and stuff was expensive. The canals were riddled with gondolas. While sitting at a cafe, a group of Hash House Harriers (a self-declared drinking club with a running problem) paraded through, singing and apparently ready to start/continue drinking.  For 7 Euros a person we could have ridden a boat taxi back to the train but we opted to walk and see more of the city.

 

 

 

 

On Monday, lines for the cathedral were exhausting so instead we explored the city, including a pit stop at a well reviewed gelato place, La Carraia. The line was nearly as long. The day's menu also included Jason getting a lampredotto panino at Trippaio di San Frediano. He spotted one when we first arrived. That is cow stomach, in case you are curious and eww is right. (ok, it isn't that bad. Just tasted like a sandwich to me.) 

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, we took a train to Cinque Terre, a collection of five coastal villages built on steep cliffs. Unfortunately, the main coastal trail was closed so we could only hike to the second city before catching the train to the rest. It was 2.4 Euro per ticket per person or you can buy one ticket to all the cities. It was the best hike and the best view yet. I wish we had more time to hike between all of the cities. (More trails are open but took 3+ hours.) Below are several shots from the afternoon (before the rain set in).

 

Next up, climbing the duomo!

  

 

 

 

alternative transportation!