Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Europe trip 2012

Rome, Capri, Florence, Venice, Paris, Madrid, Malaga, Granada and BarcelonaEurope is beautiful. We travelled across 9 locations in 16 days, and made the most of each day by being outdoors, walking or in tour buses, seeing as much as we could in 12-15 hours a day. Our itinerary was tight and prepaid for; so we had to be on time at all places.Europe’s gracious people, landscape, public administration and our travel agency- ezeego1, have made it a fantastic trip. This is a day-by-day account of whatever I could recall, along with small, random observations, which I scribbled in my sketchbook. ‘E’ followed by a number means Euros and the cost of things, as trivial as a bottle of water. All photos and videos are self-clicked. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNB374wFVsM&w=560&h=315] 20th September Up at 2 am and all set for our Europe trip. We have a Turkish Airline flight to catch. All the inflight movies happen to be the ones I had missed, so did some catching up. Reading on planes can give me a headache so skipped the idea of carrying a book. Connecting flight at Istanbul airport meant killing time at the duty free shops. Looked around for stuff to gift like chocolates and local sweets, which we could carry on the way back. Not now, because we had to watch our weight. Meant the luggage. 21st September – Rome, Italy We reached Rome and our agency cab, a black Mercedes Viano picked us up. These appear to be the biggest vehicles here since rest of the traffic has hatchbacks. The driver was bald and suited up. Everyone is well dressed and smokes a lot. ‘Fumere’ all day! The trash cans have ash trays attached. We were tired and exhausted already but still walked around our hotel via Vittorio Bachalet.People prefer eating outside Most buildings have outdoor cafes or Pizzerias on the ground floor.  Ground floors are typically taken up by shops of major brands, stores and cafes; and hardly have any residences opening to the streets. With pastas and pizzas there’s house wine, with water if you want to mix. Pets appear to be well-behaved. Some were walking without a leash besides their owners who were carrying poop bags. This is pet paradise. 22nd September We headed for the Colosseum by 10 am in the hop-on-and-off buses. The buses provide the maps of the route and earphones to plug into the audio guide, which is synced with our arrival at the monuments and plazas. We just had to retain the tickets to show it every time we boarded a bus.A Roman at the ColosseumThe weather was great. What a day. September is surely the best time to be here. We chose to sit on the upper deck all day. For the Colosseum we opted for the detailed tour which cost us E(Euros)34 for both of us. Here the arched ceiling insides appeared to be crumbling because there were overhead grills to shield the mortar and pieces from falling on people’s heads.Overhead grills installed to protect people from a crumbling ceilingThe area appeared overcrowded with serpentine queues for the cheaper tickets, and without a guide. Or you can skip the line, pay almost double and get a guide to show you around, and they will give you some basic history on the Romans and their definition of entertainment, which was pretty gory. On the way back we grabbed a sandwich and burger, which is typically made of lettuce, cheese and bacon. From there we headed for St. Peter’s Basilica.You can click pictures with the props at the Vatican museum 18 years back I spent 4 years in Art school, of which 3 years were spent studying art history, much of which went into looking at slide shows of Renaissance and Baroque works. Our faculty would recommend that we go and look at the real stuff. Back then, it sounded like a dream, so all this was fantasy come true. Here I was, a 100 meters from the Sistine Chapel, worked on by Michelangelo. The entry ticket was E20 and it was that long queue again. The guided trip cost us E40 each. Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica Our guide was Indian, and Malyalee. Since she was in Rome for the last 9 years, and married in the Vatican, she had enough dope on the whole Vatican city, which was here backyard now. The memorized information she gave us must have run into at least 50 sheets, had it been transcribed.The Holy Door opens once in 25 yearsWe had a running clock since we entered the museum at 4 pm and had just 2 hours to see whatever we could. Then came the Raphael rugs, which were just before the holy grail- the Sistine chapel. Then I saw the most heart-breaking signage of all time- ‘Photography no allowed in the Sistine Chapel’. A part of me wanted to sneak click. But looking at the extent of work gone into the restoration- which included controlling the amount of light that enters the chapel, I decided to respect the instructions.St. Peter's Basilica is a glorious sight, wether you are Christian or not All of it is one man’s work, and to think he was not even paid for it. The Sistine Chapel was supposed to be painted by Raphael back then, but since his health was failing, the mammoth project went to a lesser known 20-something novice from Florence. The entire floor area was no bigger that a basketball court, the ceiling being 3 floors high. The chapel was crowded, and nobody wanted to leave because this was clearly a once-in-a-lifetimer. I soaked up as much as I could of that moment and became a fan of Michelangelo all over again. He was, and is the only master of all time. My reverence was shared later for Gaudi as well, but that comes later when we reach Barcelona. Raphael rugsAfter we finished with the Chapel we exited the Vatican museum and saw other works, including the holy door, which opens once in 25 years. Then we entered St. Peter’s Basilica, and the colossal amount of work made me cry. Here was Pieta on the right, behind a glass cover, protected after the hammer attack in the '70s that destroyed much of the statue, and was restored again. The entire Basilica was no less wonderful, which was designed by Michelangelo. I am a disciple now, in the house of God. No photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel, with or without flash. Ouch!After we finished with the tour we went on to collect our bags from the security counter along with two other American gentlemen. We were told that since its past 6 pm, we can only collect it from the main security office. What we went through to reach our bags could only be paralleled by some top security systems. 4 levels of checking and soldiers grilling us, and we were just tourists! Ok, the Pope lives here. Got it.The Swiss GuardsIt was dark now and we wanted to head for the hotel, but there was one thing we could still do- Trevi fountain. Wanting to catch the last tour bus to the hotel, we had to rush. We got off at the Plaza closest to the fountain, sprinted down lanes and underbelly of Rome till we reached the glorious work, designed with water flowing through it. We managed to get back to the same bus stop and got the last bus back to our hotel. At a nearby cafe, we had spaghetti bolognese and the most expensive Coke in a glass I have ever had for E3.50! We reached our hotel with aching feet. Spoke for a while with the receptionist who was a Malyalee from Kannur!Trevi fountain 23rd September The greatest thing about Rome is the clean air despite the roaring traffic. The streets are cleaned with water and a strong hose every morning, cigarette butts being the larger part of the garbage.  The cleanliness was the reason one could eat at outdoor cafes so much. This is a subway in Rome. Keep walking down and you go up the other side of the street. We checked out of the hotel and headed for the Termini, which was walking distance. Our train to Napoli (Naples) was at 11 am. Smart cars are everywhere. Smart Car is a two seater which was also featured in ‘The DaVinci Code’. Everyone has gone frugal here. Noticed that sports cars and SUVs were hardly seen in Rome city. All hatchbacks here- typically VW Polo, Hyundai i20, i10, Chevrolet Beat, Honda Jazz, Daewoo Matiz (yes, still running around). Even regular sedans were not around. Lots of Renault and Fiat hatches around. People really maintain their old cars. Quite a lot of  ‘60s Mini Coopers still running here. Space is at a premium alright.60's Mini Cooper stil maintained well, and running around All our train journeys were booked in first class coaches, a huge relief after all that walking. We averaged at at least 7 kilometers of walking a day per city. Our itinerary covered 9 locations- 2 nights in 8 cities.  At Naples port for our ferry to Capri We dozed off on the train to Napoli. When we reached it was hot, since we were closer to the ocean and clearly the weather was different here. Napoli was not as shiny as Rome. We bought our bus tickets for the port from where we had a ferry to catch to Capri. At 2 pm, our ferry lifted anchor and we reached Capri island. Language did not seem to be problem at all in Italy. Most people understood English and were very helpful. All we had to do was be nice, say Bonjourno and Grazzi (Hello and Thank you in Italian).All open top cabs in CapriAt Marina Grande we were a bit clueless as to what to do to reach our hotel. By sheer luck our hotel cab was seen dropping people off here. So that got taken care of. The way up to Vittoria just took our breath away. Mountain and ocean air! On the way up, our driver, who was also managing the reception at times, said something I will never hear again about any place. He said, “There is no crime in Capri. Everyone is a friend here. No one will steal from you. Your stuff is safe everywhere here.” Wow. I can never ever say that about my city. Not in this lifetime. Or the next.Heading for Mount Solaro on chairlift Since we were here for 2 nights only, we decided to make the most of it and started exploring the island after check-in. We took a bus to Marina Piccola. The buses are like small orange breadboxes, with 6 seats. Fare is E1.60 per person to the destination. Piccola was a nice secluded spot with seagulls landing in when people had left after 6. Sketched a bit here.Capri island- view of Marina Grande24th  September - Capri island We went jogging the next morning which gave us an idea of what was around the hotel and how far things were. Later we headed to Piazza Vittoria for the cable car and found that it was not a cable car but a chairlift. Each person sits on a chair connected to the cable, with protection of a single aluminum bar that stops you from falling. Your feet dangle above people’s vineyards and trees! This was fun, and I am sure it would not have been had we fidgeted too much on the way to the top, or had we dropped something. See the video for a clip of the ride.Grotto Azzurra in Capri From here we walked down to Marina Grande, the main port. This was a 10 km walk, and on the way we got that awesome view of Marina Grande. We bought tickets to the motor boat to the Grotto Azzuro, a cave where the sun lights up the water in light blue light. The entry to the small cave was E25 for both of us, which is separate from the motorboat ticket- which is E24. We had fruits for lunch and a light dinner. Train to Florence25th September - Florence We checked out and took the bus to Marina Grande. The weight of the rucksacks was beginning to eat into my shoulders now. Caught the 930am ferry back to Napoli in an hour. Got our bus number 151 to the train station heading for Florence.  4 hours later we reach Florence, and the hotel was walking distance from the station. When someone says everything here is well within walking distance, they mean it. A good runner can actually run across Florence in a few hours. One word on what we observed on the streets, in term of public administration- despite what we hear about recession hitting Europe, the infrastructure is top class. We did not lose any luggage or belongings in the entire journey, which was amazing, unreal. Punctuality, law and order, maintenance and the graciousness of Europeans all over Europe are only to be experienced and learnt from. DaVinci's inventions recreated in wood in this exhibition On arrival we checked in and headed out on the streets. We managed to see two exhibitions here- one was the recreation of Da Vinci’s innovations and mechanics in wood, and the other was Michelangelo’s David. The museum to David had a long queue and we had to buy tickets for the 6pm round. Though there were other works her, including Michelangelo’s other incomplete works, the biggest draw was by far the greatest statue of all time. It was indoor, protected with sensors and a stern security lady officer reminding everyone to keep their cameras inactive! No photography was allowed, so I sketched a bit, taking me back to my art school days. The in-house souvenir shop opened to a pink replica of David, where people were taking photos to their heart’s content. All statues in Italy are naked, unlike the ones in France, which had the private areas covered in stone itself, by the sculptors.Ponte Vecchio bridgeWe headed back to our hotel. Though we had trouble with our room’s air conditioner initially, it was fixed later. But our discussion with the hotel manager during that night shift revealed a behavior that was very similar to Indians, and a bit amusing. Italians are communicative, animated and very expressive, very unlike Americans and Britons. Although the ‘discussion’ got tense at times, it was later sorted out and we smiled a lot, with relief.26th September For the city tour we reached the designated spot at 9 am. This city is rich in historic art and it seems to be the main reason for visitors. There are some amazing works here in terms of art and architecture, around which all the shops, public offices and banks are situated. Our guide tells us that central Florence is so expensive that it does not make sense for residence for average citizens. We got a load of a history lesson from our guide who was an ardent protector of Florence. Learnt a few things about the Medici families, the people’s obsession with status in society, which reflected in high towers built with a room on top. The higher your tower was visible from a distance, the more powerful you would be. We rubbed the nose of the bronze pig in the pig market, which meant that we would return here.Pig Market- rub the nose if you want to return to FlorenceWalked across Ponte Vecchio bridge which now has only jewelry shops and artists painting and selling watercolor paintings on the streets. Undoubtedly some of the most expensive streets were here. Now it was time to shop. Shopping in Florence was recommended, mainly for its leather. The genuine leather shops had a strong smell of leather, very unlike other shops, which obviously used synthetic material.Replica of Michelangelo's David. Photography of the original is prohibited.We had an afternoon train to catch to Venice so we hurried. We were famished. Since we couldn’t eat meat so much, we had to live on bread and Coke after all that walking. Whenever we bought water, we understood the economies of the place. A liter would cost us E2 or even 3 in touristy places, but at a supermarket it cost us 60 cents! The train journey was amazing. One never gets bored looking out. I was on a look-out for graffiti on the walls and shop’s shutters. Though street graffiti is looked upon as a menace, some showed exceptional talent. Sadly I could not click the best ones. You see it today, it’s gone tomorrow. The train served wine and champagne in the first class cabins. Traveling first class was a good decision alright. Cheers! Traveling first class in Euro rail26th September - Venice As the train entered Venice the first thing we noticed was the high water level and how close it was to the streets and doors of houses. The water surface was hardly a foot away from the steps. Gates had rusted in places and the doors had rotted at the bottom.In Venice. Water taxis and ferries only, no cars hereThe place was crowed but the weather was great. We walked around to the main square, where some restaurants had quartets playing classical music, entertaining the crowds and pulling them into the open cafes. It was a beautiful day. Venice is shaped like a fish, if you see it in the map. Colorful houses in Boreno island, also home for 5000 lacemakers27th September We were all set to go for the tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello Isands. There are no cars in Venice; all water taxis and ferries. We reached the meeting point on time and we decided to buy some water for the way. When we got back to the spot, the group had left. The ferry was gone too! We chased the ferry in the public ferry and caught up with our group in Morano island, known the world over for its glass works. Picked up 2 pieces here. Every piece is an artwork done by hand here so they differ. Murano glass factoryFrom here we drifted along to Burano island, known for its lace makers and colorful houses of the fishermen. There was a leaning bell tower, which was part of the Burano cathedral. Spotted a statue of Mother Teresa here.Since carbon emissions are least in Venice, this was one place where we could see the stars in the night sky. There was something strange about the hotel taxes we paid in hotels. The Rome hotel charged us E2 per person per night, no tax in Capri island, and it was E3 in Venice. We had dinner at an indoor café here, which cost us E24. Ok so Venice is expensive. Most shops house major brands. Gucci, Prada and Armani’s of the world have spent a fortune on doing up their stores and the opulence bleeds on the streets!Torcello island27th September- train to Paris This was one early morning. We had a 7 am train, which meant waking up at 4 am, taking the 530 ferry well before dawn. Venice was looking even better without all those people filling up the ancient cobbled streets. It was too early for the hotel café so we had stocked up on cheese, bread and Coke. By now we had bought a bigger strolley for our stuff, which was totally unavoidable. My 9 year-old trekking rucksack had to retire and be packed off.We took the train to Milano. At the local supermarket here called DESPAR, we realized how much we had paid extra for Coke and water all along. A 1.5 liter water bottle was for 66 cents only. We had been paying almost E3 at places.Train ride to Paris- areas of industrial activity had a well maintained green coverThe train journey from Milan to Paris was heavenly. The landscape was God-made. Despite so much industrial activity, the mountains were preserved in their natural state, cattle grazed in bliss and the sun brought out all the best colors in the view. Some of the villages on the way were Bussoleno, Meana with snow-capped mountains in the background, and it became more beautiful at Chiomente, Salberrtrand, Oulx, Cesana and Claviere-Sestriere. We changed trains at Modane for some reason. Then came Chamousset and Chambery. We reached Paris at 630pm. Though it was late and a Friday evening, people helped us all along. From helping us buy the Metro tickets for stations, which we learnt quickly in one day, to leading us to the streets in the night, the people of Paris were wonderful. There was this one time when my backpack got stuck in the Metro's double door, but thanks to the presence of mind of one person, he pulled hard on my bag and pulled me in. What lost travellers we looked like to everyone! The metro here is over a 100 years old. Some of the metro tunnels have small curved arches from the early 1900s.The Paris hotel was a good one, we got our news from the only English TV channel- BBC. For dinner, we found a Thai restaurant closeby which served rice and chicken for E14 for both of us. Just what we needed- a filling meal.View of The Seine river from the Eiffel Tower29th SeptemberBy 7am we were out of the hotel heading for Eiffel tower. Do the touristy thing full-on, I figured. In our next trip here we should have gotten over the popular stops. When we reached the tower, we had to get into this long queue which looked like it would take the day to reach the top. But the system was quick. We took tickets for the summit- E13 a ticket. It was cold up there and the view of Paris reminded me of the movie ‘Around the world in 80 days’ for some reason. We now had to catch our city tour bus. By the time we found the bus stop, we had missed the 1245pm bus, and so booked tickets for the 2 45pm bus.  You have to see the Galeries Lafayette... at least window shop! Since we had time, we then went to the Louvre, and all signage lead to the Mona Lisa. One insane, click-happy crowd obscured the view to the small painting. Anyway, had to see this. There were other Renaissance works here. It is impossible to see all the works here in one day. The gallery offers an extensive audio tours also. By the time we were done, we were ready for the city trip. We hopped on the bus near the CityRama office. After this we went to the Galeries Lafayette, a huge department store for premium brands. which apparently, receives the second highest visitors after the Louvre.  Later in the night, we did another city tour again, this time we saw the Eiffel tower all lit up. What a sight. The administration of Paris knows what to do with their treasures.We managed to catch the Lido show on Champs-Élysées. An awesome performance made of assorted skills blended with incredible stage engineering made it one of the greatest live shows on earth. The city tour bus dropped us to hotel at 2:30am. We are definitely visiting Paris again.The Mona Lisa is perhaps the most photographed painting of all time!30th September - Madrid Up at 6 am for our Madrid flight at 10am. Took the metro to the airport. Paris metro is by far the most extensive network I have seen. Something interesting about the people in Metros- I just felt that people are most alive and chatty in Paris and Madrid Metros and indulge in conversations even with total strangers. Whereas people in New York and London metros were quite and reserved, and would talk only as much as required.Reached Madrid airport which was internally connected with the Metro. As usual we got our metro map from an inquiry desk and found our way around. The metro station was 50 meters from our hotel, which happened to be on Gran Via. We checked in, changed our room for another with a better view and then went out walking. There is a department store chain called El Corte Inglés which happened to be within walking distance from all our hotels in Spain- in Madrid, Malaga and Barcelona. Either that was sheer chance or El Corte Inglés is actually all over the place. Well anyways, this store was very resourceful. I just felt the whole world was turning into one big department store. Shutters down on - its Siesta time People get a shuteye wherever they are1st October The next morning we caught the tour bus and went straight to the Sophia museum, which keeps the works of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. The Guernica was here! Language was not such a problem. We managed all over Madrid with Hola and Gracias. When it was siesta time, shops would close between 2-4pm and people would nap wherever they were. We found a couple with their heads on each other on a park bench, people snoozing in the sun near museums. I started feeling sleepy looking at all this.Pablo Picasso's Guernica in Sofia museum, MadridOn Gran Via, I met my role model; a 71 year-old man called Vladimir Yarets. Yarets is deaf and mute, and wants to enter the Guinness book of world records to travel around the world on his bike. He has a stronger handshake than someone half his age. More on his website yarets.comVladimir Yarets wants to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records2nd October - Malaga View of Malaga Cathedral from our hotel windowWoke up at 8am, had a full breakfast and headed for the plaza at Sol to pick up gifts. Got back, checked out. We took the train to Malaga and it went through Cuidad Real, Cordoba, Villanver, Puertollano, Puente Genil and Antequera- Santa Ana. This train had food served during breakfast and lunch, unlike the trains in Italy. The Italian trains’ tickets did not include the meals and we were asked to pay for what we liked in the menu. As a result, after that, we were carrying food for our train journeys. Spanish trains made things convenient that way. About the infrastructure, even the smallest villages in Spain had awesome train stations with well-designed seating and escalators. Spanish landscape is covered with olive plantations. Malaga was beautiful. It had its own charm and air altogether. After checking in, we walked about the bay area. Our hotel window opened to the Malaga cathedral. Malaga bay3rd October - Granada We woke up late at 815am, and the tour bus to Granada was leaving at 845am. Scrambling out of our room, we made it in time for the bus. It was a sunny landscape, olive trees planted in organized grids all over. Our guide spoke in 4 languages and translated even the jokes in English, Spanish, German and French. He was from Granada and was a die-heard Spaniard. He strongly stated that the olives produced in Spain are the best and better than the Italians’. He said that Spanish Olive oil is pure, whereas the Italians take oil from Spain and mix and sell as their own. Didn’t know what to believe! We stopped midway at Hotel Abades and we were all asked to get off and go into the hotel. No one was allowed to stay in the bus for ‘security’ reasons. When we got into the hotel, we saw that that’s where the stores were and people bought a lot of stuff like souvenirs and olive oil. It was a very pleasant 19 degrees Celsius.Cordoba Cathedral has the Mosque and Church in the same compoundWe reached Alambhra, a 1000 year old palace built by the Arabs. The green cover and restoration done have kept the palace in its pristine condition. Granada gets its name from the pomegranate fruit. When we reached a busy crossing, the guide pointed at a tree with its overgrown fruits and said that’s where the city gets its name from. The tree had full grown fruits in a busy crossing. No body plucked them or vandalized the tree. That was the most beautiful thing I saw.1000 year old Alambhra palace built by ArabsSpotted a street performer playing a musical instrument called a hand pan, that sounded amazing. Wish I knew how to play it. A clip of the performer is in the video. The guide then stopped for a toilet break in front of another department store. Looks like he has an agenda – to revive the economy of Granada! Spotted two talented people playing the Hand Pan in Granada4th October Watched a video of an awesome Spanish singer called Alenjandro Sanz. The song was 'No me compares' which I thought was amazing, even without knowing what it meant. Today we head for Barcelona. Waiting for train number 3993 at the train station.We are going through Antequera, Puente Genil, Cartama, Cuidad Real, Zaragoza Delicias, Lleida Pirineus, Camp de Tarragona. Finally reached Barca. Took the metro that took us straight to the hotel. We met Sameer Rawal at 5pm. Discussed the politics and people of Barcelona, Catalan people and general stuff over beer. From there we strolled down to the underbelly of the city and how things functioned there. Picked up art material- crow quill pens that cost much less that Florence. Barcelona had some amazing street graffiti. Spain is high in the happiness index and we can see why. Some serious talent happening on the streets. The best ones were not photographed.5th October - Barcelona Had breakfast from a hotel across our hotel. Seemed like a part of the same chain. It was time to check out more Picasso. The museum was walking distance from the hotel. Tickets cost us E22. But we saw Guernica in Madrid, and this was supposed to be Picasso’s main collection! Never mind, we saw all his earlier works here.Catalan flags were on most balconies, and the sentiments were high. A match between Madrid and Barca was scheduled for 7th.  Hopped onto our tour bus and then we saw the Pièce de résistance of Barcelona- Sagrada Família Basilica, designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí. Later, we took the tour bus to Park Guell, another public area designed by Gaudi. The final bit was taking the bus to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. Since we had totally run short of time, we let it go this time. Leave some for next time, maybe? Let’s see. For dinner we grabbed some chinese from 'Wok and walk'. Yes, good Chinese food for less. Ended the night with ice-cream. While we were hunting for food, a group of protestors on bicycles swarmed past us, heading for Plaça St Jaume, which seemed to be a place for protests for all and sundry reasons. The group was promoting the use of bicycles. Got chatting with a waiter outside an Indian restaurant. One of us was getting home sick, for sure!Catalan sentiment is high; people putting out Catalan flags outside their homesInteresting shops and names in Barcelona Sagrada Familia Basilica, designed by Gaudi is still under construction- almost a 130 years in the making Josep Maria Subirachs is one the talented artists who's work is featured in the yet to be finished Sagrada Familia BasilicaPark Guell designed by Gaudi6th October An amazing trip had ended. Our cab waited outside our hotel to drop us to the airport. Saw some amazing graffiti on the way. This is what me sketchbook looks like, since we did not access the internet in the entire trip, I went back to the good old days of spending quality time writing and drawing-

Europe trip 2012

Rome, Capri, Florence, Venice, Paris, Madrid, Malaga, Granada and Barcelona
Europe is beautiful. We travelled across 9 locations in 16 days, and made the most of each day by being outdoors, walking or in tour buses, seeing as much as we could in 12-15 hours a day. Our itinerary was tight and prepaid for; so we had to be on time at all places.
Europe’s gracious people, landscape, public administration and our travel agency- ezeego1, have made it a fantastic trip. This is a day-by-day account of whatever I could recall, along with small, random observations, which I scribbled in my sketchbook. ‘E’ followed by a number means Euros and the cost of things, as trivial as a bottle of water. All photos and videos are self-clicked.


20th September

Up at 2 am and all set for our Europe trip. We have a Turkish Airline flight to catch. All the inflight movies happen to be the ones I had missed, so did some catching up. Reading on planes can give me a headache so skipped the idea of carrying a book. Connecting flight at Istanbul airport meant killing time at the duty free shops. Looked around for stuff to gift like chocolates and local sweets, which we could carry on the way back. Not now, because we had to watch our weight. Meant the luggage.

21st September – Rome, Italy

We reached Rome and our agency cab, a black Mercedes Viano picked us up. These appear to be the biggest vehicles here since rest of the traffic has hatchbacks. The driver was bald and suited up. Everyone is well dressed and smokes a lot. ‘Fumere’ all day! The trash cans have ash trays attached. We were tired and exhausted already but still walked around our hotel via Vittorio Bachalet.


People prefer eating outside

Most buildings have outdoor cafes or Pizzerias on the ground floor.  Ground floors are typically taken up by shops of major brands, stores and cafes; and hardly have any residences opening to the streets. With pastas and pizzas there’s house wine, with water if you want to mix. Pets appear to be well-behaved. Some were walking without a leash besides their owners who were carrying poop bags. This is pet paradise.

22nd September

We headed for the Colosseum by 10 am in the hop-on-and-off buses. The buses provide the maps of the route and earphones to plug into the audio guide, which is synced with our arrival at the monuments and plazas. We just had to retain the tickets to show it every time we boarded a bus.

A Roman at the Colosseum

The weather was great. What a day. September is surely the best time to be here. We chose to sit on the upper deck all day. For the Colosseum we opted for the detailed tour which cost us E(Euros)34 for both of us. Here the arched ceiling insides appeared to be crumbling because there were overhead grills to shield the mortar and pieces from falling on people’s heads.

Overhead grills installed to protect people from a crumbling ceiling

The area appeared overcrowded with serpentine queues for the cheaper tickets, and without a guide. Or you can skip the line, pay almost double and get a guide to show you around, and they will give you some basic history on the Romans and their definition of entertainment, which was pretty gory. On the way back we grabbed a sandwich and burger, which is typically made of lettuce, cheese and bacon. From there we headed for St. Peter’s Basilica.

You can click pictures with the props at the Vatican museum

18 years back I spent 4 years in Art school, of which 3 years were spent studying art history, much of which went into looking at slide shows of Renaissance and Baroque works. Our faculty would recommend that we go and look at the real stuff. Back then, it sounded like a dream, so all this was fantasy come true. Here I was, a 100 meters from the Sistine Chapel, worked on by Michelangelo. The entry ticket was E20 and it was that long queue again. The guided trip cost us E40 each. 

Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica

Our guide was Indian, and Malyalee. Since she was in Rome for the last 9 years, and married in the Vatican, she had enough dope on the whole Vatican city, which was here backyard now. The memorized information she gave us must have run into at least 50 sheets, had it been transcribed.

The Holy Door opens once in 25 years

We had a running clock since we entered the museum at 4 pm and had just 2 hours to see whatever we could. Then came the Raphael rugs, which were just before the holy grail- the Sistine chapel. Then I saw the most heart-breaking signage of all time- ‘Photography no allowed in the Sistine Chapel’. A part of me wanted to sneak click. But looking at the extent of work gone into the restoration- which included controlling the amount of light that enters the chapel, I decided to respect the instructions.

St. Peter's Basilica is a glorious sight, wether you are Christian or not

All of it is one man’s work, and to think he was not even paid for it. The Sistine Chapel was supposed to be painted by Raphael back then, but since his health was failing, the mammoth project went to a lesser known 20-something novice from Florence. The entire floor area was no bigger that a basketball court, the ceiling being 3 floors high. The chapel was crowded, and nobody wanted to leave because this was clearly a once-in-a-lifetimer. I soaked up as much as I could of that moment and became a fan of Michelangelo all over again. He was, and is the only master of all time. My reverence was shared later for Gaudi as well, but that comes later when we reach Barcelona.

Raphael rugs

After we finished with the Chapel we exited the Vatican museum and saw other works, including the holy door, which opens once in 25 years. Then we entered St. Peter’s Basilica, and the colossal amount of work made me cry. Here was Pieta on the right, behind a glass cover, protected after the hammer attack in the '70s that destroyed much of the statue, and was restored again. The entire Basilica was no less wonderful, which was designed by Michelangelo. I am a disciple now, in the house of God.


No photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel, with or without flash. Ouch!

After we finished with the tour we went on to collect our bags from the security counter along with two other American gentlemen. We were told that since its past 6 pm, we can only collect it from the main security office. What we went through to reach our bags could only be paralleled by some top security systems. 4 levels of checking and soldiers grilling us, and we were just tourists! Ok, the Pope lives here. Got it.

The Swiss Guards

It was dark now and we wanted to head for the hotel, but there was one thing we could still do- Trevi fountain. Wanting to catch the last tour bus to the hotel, we had to rush. We got off at the Plaza closest to the fountain, sprinted down lanes and underbelly of Rome till we reached the glorious work, designed with water flowing through it. We managed to get back to the same bus stop and got the last bus back to our hotel. At a nearby cafe, we had spaghetti bolognese and the most expensive Coke in a glass I have ever had for E3.50! We reached our hotel with aching feet. Spoke for a while with the receptionist who was a Malyalee from Kannur!

Trevi fountain

23rd September

The greatest thing about Rome is the clean air despite the roaring traffic. The streets are cleaned with water and a strong hose every morning, cigarette butts being the larger part of the garbage.  The cleanliness was the reason one could eat at outdoor cafes so much.


This is a subway in Rome. Keep walking down and you go up the other side of the street.

We checked out of the hotel and headed for the Termini, which was walking distance. Our train to Napoli (Naples) was at 11 am. Smart cars are everywhere. Smart Car is a two seater which was also featured in ‘The DaVinci Code’. Everyone has gone frugal here. Noticed that sports cars and SUVs were hardly seen in Rome city. All hatchbacks here- typically VW Polo, Hyundai i20, i10, Chevrolet Beat, Honda Jazz, Daewoo Matiz (yes, still running around). Even regular sedans were not around. Lots of Renault and Fiat hatches around. People really maintain their old cars. Quite a lot of  ‘60s Mini Coopers still running here. Space is at a premium alright.

60's Mini Cooper stil maintained well, and running around

All our train journeys were booked in first class coaches, a huge relief after all that walking. We averaged at at least 7 kilometers of walking a day per city. Our itinerary covered 9 locations- 2 nights in 8 cities. 

At Naples port for our ferry to Capri

We dozed off on the train to Napoli. When we reached it was hot, since we were closer to the ocean and clearly the weather was different here. Napoli was not as shiny as Rome. We bought our bus tickets for the port from where we had a ferry to catch to Capri. At 2 pm, our ferry lifted anchor and we reached Capri island. Language did not seem to be problem at all in Italy. Most people understood English and were very helpful. All we had to do was be nice, say Bonjourno and Grazzi (Hello and Thank you in Italian).

All open top cabs in Capri

At Marina Grande we were a bit clueless as to what to do to reach our hotel. By sheer luck our hotel cab was seen dropping people off here. So that got taken care of. The way up to Vittoria just took our breath away. Mountain and ocean air! On the way up, our driver, who was also managing the reception at times, said something I will never hear again about any place. He said, “There is no crime in Capri. Everyone is a friend here. No one will steal from you. Your stuff is safe everywhere here.” Wow. I can never ever say that about my city. Not in this lifetime. Or the next.

Heading for Mount Solaro on chairlift

Since we were here for 2 nights only, we decided to make the most of it and started exploring the island after check-in. We took a bus to Marina Piccola. The buses are like small orange breadboxes, with 6 seats. Fare is E1.60 per person to the destination. Piccola was a nice secluded spot with seagulls landing in when people had left after 6. Sketched a bit here.

Capri island- view of Marina Grande

24th  September - Capri island

We went jogging the next morning which gave us an idea of what was around the hotel and how far things were. Later we headed to Piazza Vittoria for the cable car and found that it was not a cable car but a chairlift. Each person sits on a chair connected to the cable, with protection of a single aluminum bar that stops you from falling. Your feet dangle above people’s vineyards and trees! This was fun, and I am sure it would not have been had we fidgeted too much on the way to the top, or had we dropped something. See the video for a clip of the ride.

Grotto Azzurra in Capri

From here we walked down to Marina Grande, the main port. This was a 10 km walk, and on the way we got that awesome view of Marina Grande. We bought tickets to the motor boat to the Grotto Azzuro, a cave where the sun lights up the water in light blue light. The entry to the small cave was E25 for both of us, which is separate from the motorboat ticket- which is E24. We had fruits for lunch and a light dinner.



Train to Florence

25th September - Florence

We checked out and took the bus to Marina Grande. The weight of the rucksacks was beginning to eat into my shoulders now. Caught the 930am ferry back to Napoli in an hour. Got our bus number 151 to the train station heading for Florence.



4 hours later we reach Florence, and the hotel was walking distance from the station. When someone says everything here is well within walking distance, they mean it. A good runner can actually run across Florence in a few hours. One word on what we observed on the streets, in term of public administration- despite what we hear about recession hitting Europe, the infrastructure is top class. We did not lose any luggage or belongings in the entire journey, which was amazing, unreal. Punctuality, law and order, maintenance and the graciousness of Europeans all over Europe are only to be experienced and learnt from.

DaVinci's inventions recreated in wood in this exhibition

On arrival we checked in and headed out on the streets. We managed to see two exhibitions here- one was the recreation of Da Vinci’s innovations and mechanics in wood, and the other was Michelangelo’s David. The museum to David had a long queue and we had to buy tickets for the 6pm round. Though there were other works her, including Michelangelo’s other incomplete works, the biggest draw was by far the greatest statue of all time. It was indoor, protected with sensors and a stern security lady officer reminding everyone to keep their cameras inactive! No photography was allowed, so I sketched a bit, taking me back to my art school days. The in-house souvenir shop opened to a pink replica of David, where people were taking photos to their heart’s content. All statues in Italy are naked, unlike the ones in France, which had the private areas covered in stone itself, by the sculptors.

Ponte Vecchio bridge

We headed back to our hotel. Though we had trouble with our room’s air conditioner initially, it was fixed later. But our discussion with the hotel manager during that night shift revealed a behavior that was very similar to Indians, and a bit amusing. Italians are communicative, animated and very expressive, very unlike Americans and Britons. Although the ‘discussion’ got tense at times, it was later sorted out and we smiled a lot, with relief.

26th September

For the city tour we reached the designated spot at 9 am. This city is rich in historic art and it seems to be the main reason for visitors. There are some amazing works here in terms of art and architecture, around which all the shops, public offices and banks are situated. Our guide tells us that central Florence is so expensive that it does not make sense for residence for average citizens. We got a load of a history lesson from our guide who was an ardent protector of Florence. Learnt a few things about the Medici families, the people’s obsession with status in society, which reflected in high towers built with a room on top. The higher your tower was visible from a distance, the more powerful you would be. We rubbed the nose of the bronze pig in the pig market, which meant that we would return here.

Pig Market- rub the nose if you want to return to Florence

Walked across Ponte Vecchio bridge which now has only jewelry shops and artists painting and selling watercolor paintings on the streets. Undoubtedly some of the most expensive streets were here. Now it was time to shop. Shopping in Florence was recommended, mainly for its leather. The genuine leather shops had a strong smell of leather, very unlike other shops, which obviously used synthetic material.

Replica of Michelangelo's David. Photography of the original is prohibited.

We had an afternoon train to catch to Venice so we hurried. We were famished. Since we couldn’t eat meat so much, we had to live on bread and Coke after all that walking. Whenever we bought water, we understood the economies of the place. A liter would cost us E2 or even 3 in touristy places, but at a supermarket it cost us 60 cents! The train journey was amazing. One never gets bored looking out. I was on a look-out for graffiti on the walls and shop’s shutters. Though street graffiti is looked upon as a menace, some showed exceptional talent. Sadly I could not click the best ones. You see it today, it’s gone tomorrow. The train served wine and champagne in the first class cabins. Traveling first class was a good decision alright. Cheers!

Traveling first class in Euro rail

26th September - Venice

As the train entered Venice the first thing we noticed was the high water level and how close it was to the streets and doors of houses. The water surface was hardly a foot away from the steps. Gates had rusted in places and the doors had rotted at the bottom.

In Venice. Water taxis and ferries only, no cars here

The place was crowed but the weather was great. We walked around to the main square, where some restaurants had quartets playing classical music, entertaining the crowds and pulling them into the open cafes. It was a beautiful day. Venice is shaped like a fish, if you see it in the map.

Colorful houses in Boreno island, also home for 5000 lacemakers

27th September

We were all set to go for the tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello Isands. There are no cars in Venice; all water taxis and ferries. We reached the meeting point on time and we decided to buy some water for the way. When we got back to the spot, the group had left. The ferry was gone too! We chased the ferry in the public ferry and caught up with our group in Morano island, known the world over for its glass works. Picked up 2 pieces here. Every piece is an artwork done by hand here so they differ.

Murano glass factory

From here we drifted along to Burano island, known for its lace makers and colorful houses of the fishermen. There was a leaning bell tower, which was part of the Burano cathedral. Spotted a statue of Mother Teresa here.
Since carbon emissions are least in Venice, this was one place where we could see the stars in the night sky. There was something strange about the hotel taxes we paid in hotels. The Rome hotel charged us E2 per person per night, no tax in Capri island, and it was E3 in Venice. We had dinner at an indoor café here, which cost us E24. Ok so Venice is expensive. Most shops house major brands. Gucci, Prada and Armani’s of the world have spent a fortune on doing up their stores and the opulence bleeds on the streets!
Torcello island

27th September- train to Paris

This was one early morning. We had a 7 am train, which meant waking up at 4 am, taking the 530 ferry well before dawn. Venice was looking even better without all those people filling up the ancient cobbled streets. It was too early for the hotel café so we had stocked up on cheese, bread and Coke. By now we had bought a bigger strolley for our stuff, which was totally unavoidable. My 9 year-old trekking rucksack had to retire and be packed off.
We took the train to Milano. At the local supermarket here called DESPAR, we realized how much we had paid extra for Coke and water all along. A 1.5 liter water bottle was for 66 cents only. We had been paying almost E3 at places.

Train ride to Paris- areas of industrial activity had a well maintained green cover

The train journey from Milan to Paris was heavenly. The landscape was God-made. Despite so much industrial activity, the mountains were preserved in their natural state, cattle grazed in bliss and the sun brought out all the best colors in the view. Some of the villages on the way were Bussoleno, Meana with snow-capped mountains in the background, and it became more beautiful at Chiomente, Salberrtrand, Oulx, Cesana and Claviere-Sestriere. We changed trains at Modane for some reason. Then came Chamousset and Chambery.



We reached Paris at 630pm. Though it was late and a Friday evening, people helped us all along. From helping us buy the Metro tickets for stations, which we learnt quickly in one day, to leading us to the streets in the night, the people of Paris were wonderful. There was this one time when my backpack got stuck in the Metro's double door, but thanks to the presence of mind of one person, he pulled hard on my bag and pulled me in. What lost travellers we looked like to everyone! The metro here is over a 100 years old. Some of the metro tunnels have small curved arches from the early 1900s.
The Paris hotel was a good one, we got our news from the only English TV channel- BBC. For dinner, we found a Thai restaurant closeby which served rice and chicken for E14 for both of us. Just what we needed- a filling meal.

View of The Seine river from the Eiffel Tower


29th September

By 7am we were out of the hotel heading for Eiffel tower. Do the touristy thing full-on, I figured. In our next trip here we should have gotten over the popular stops. When we reached the tower, we had to get into this long queue which looked like it would take the day to reach the top. But the system was quick. We took tickets for the summit- E13 a ticket. It was cold up there and the view of Paris reminded me of the movie ‘Around the world in 80 days’ for some reason. We now had to catch our city tour bus. By the time we found the bus stop, we had missed the 1245pm bus, and so booked tickets for the 2 45pm bus. 

You have to see the Galeries Lafayette... at least window shop!

Since we had time, we then went to the Louvre, and all signage lead to the Mona Lisa. One insane, click-happy crowd obscured the view to the small painting. Anyway, had to see this. There were other Renaissance works here. It is impossible to see all the works here in one day. The gallery offers an extensive audio tours also. By the time we were done, we were ready for the city trip. We hopped on the bus near the CityRama office. After this we went to the Galeries Lafayette, a huge department store for premium brands. which apparently, receives the second highest visitors after the Louvre.  Later in the night, we did another city tour again, this time we saw the Eiffel tower all lit up. What a sight. The administration of Paris knows what to do with their treasures.
We managed to catch the Lido show on Champs-Élysées. An awesome performance made of assorted skills blended with incredible stage engineering made it one of the greatest live shows on earth. The city tour bus dropped us to hotel at 2:30am. We are definitely visiting Paris again.

The Mona Lisa is perhaps the most photographed painting of all time!

30th September - Madrid

Up at 6 am for our Madrid flight at 10am. Took the metro to the airport. Paris metro is by far the most extensive network I have seen. Something interesting about the people in Metros- I just felt that people are most alive and chatty in Paris and Madrid Metros and indulge in conversations even with total strangers. Whereas people in New York and London metros were quite and reserved, and would talk only as much as required.
Reached Madrid airport which was internally connected with the Metro. As usual we got our metro map from an inquiry desk and found our way around. The metro station was 50 meters from our hotel, which happened to be on Gran Via. We checked in, changed our room for another with a better view and then went out walking. There is a department store chain called El Corte Inglés which happened to be within walking distance from all our hotels in Spain- in Madrid, Malaga and Barcelona. Either that was sheer chance or El Corte Inglés is actually all over the place. Well anyways, this store was very resourceful. I just felt the whole world was turning into one big department store.

Shutters down on - its Siesta time

People get a shuteye wherever they are

1st October

The next morning we caught the tour bus and went straight to the Sophia museum, which keeps the works of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. The Guernica was here! Language was not such a problem. We managed all over Madrid with Hola and Gracias. When it was siesta time, shops would close between 2-4pm and people would nap wherever they were. We found a couple with their heads on each other on a park bench, people snoozing in the sun near museums. I started feeling sleepy looking at all this.

Pablo Picasso's Guernica in Sofia museum, Madrid

On Gran Via, I met my role model; a 71 year-old man called Vladimir Yarets. Yarets is deaf and mute, and wants to enter the Guinness book of world records to travel around the world on his bike. He has a stronger handshake than someone half his age. More on his website yarets.com

Vladimir Yarets wants to be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records

2nd October - Malaga

View of Malaga Cathedral from our hotel window

Woke up at 8am, had a full breakfast and headed for the plaza at Sol to pick up gifts. Got back, checked out. We took the train to Malaga and it went through Cuidad Real, Cordoba, Villanver, Puertollano, Puente Genil and Antequera- Santa Ana. This train had food served during breakfast and lunch, unlike the trains in Italy. The Italian trains’ tickets did not include the meals and we were asked to pay for what we liked in the menu. As a result, after that, we were carrying food for our train journeys. Spanish trains made things convenient that way. About the infrastructure, even the smallest villages in Spain had awesome train stations with well-designed seating and escalators. Spanish landscape is covered with olive plantations. Malaga was beautiful. It had its own charm and air altogether. After checking in, we walked about the bay area. Our hotel window opened to the Malaga cathedral.

Malaga bay

3rd October - Granada

We woke up late at 815am, and the tour bus to Granada was leaving at 845am. Scrambling out of our room, we made it in time for the bus. It was a sunny landscape, olive trees planted in organized grids all over. Our guide spoke in 4 languages and translated even the jokes in English, Spanish, German and French. He was from Granada and was a die-heard Spaniard. He strongly stated that the olives produced in Spain are the best and better than the Italians’. He said that Spanish Olive oil is pure, whereas the Italians take oil from Spain and mix and sell as their own. Didn’t know what to believe! We stopped midway at Hotel Abades and we were all asked to get off and go into the hotel. No one was allowed to stay in the bus for ‘security’ reasons. When we got into the hotel, we saw that that’s where the stores were and people bought a lot of stuff like souvenirs and olive oil. It was a very pleasant 19 degrees Celsius.

Cordoba Cathedral has the Mosque and Church in the same compound

We reached Alambhra, a 1000 year old palace built by the Arabs. The green cover and restoration done have kept the palace in its pristine condition. Granada gets its name from the pomegranate fruit. When we reached a busy crossing, the guide pointed at a tree with its overgrown fruits and said that’s where the city gets its name from. The tree had full grown fruits in a busy crossing. No body plucked them or vandalized the tree. That was the most beautiful thing I saw.

1000 year old Alambhra palace built by Arabs

Spotted a street performer playing a musical instrument called a hand pan, that sounded amazing. Wish I knew how to play it. A clip of the performer is in the video. The guide then stopped for a toilet break in front of another department store. Looks like he has an agenda – to revive the economy of Granada!

Spotted two talented people playing the Hand Pan in Granada

4th October

Watched a video of an awesome Spanish singer called Alenjandro Sanz. The song was 'No me compares' which I thought was amazing, even without knowing what it meant. Today we head for Barcelona. Waiting for train number 3993 at the train station.
We are going through Antequera, Puente Genil, Cartama, Cuidad Real, Zaragoza Delicias, Lleida Pirineus, Camp de Tarragona. Finally reached Barca. Took the metro that took us straight to the hotel. We met Sameer Rawal at 5pm. Discussed the politics and people of Barcelona, Catalan people and general stuff over beer. From there we strolled down to the underbelly of the city and how things functioned there. Picked up art material- crow quill pens that cost much less that Florence. Barcelona had some amazing street graffiti. Spain is high in the happiness index and we can see why. 


Some serious talent happening on the streets. The best ones were not photographed.

5th October - Barcelona

Had breakfast from a hotel across our hotel. Seemed like a part of the same chain. It was time to check out more Picasso. The museum was walking distance from the hotel. Tickets cost us E22. But we saw Guernica in Madrid, and this was supposed to be Picasso’s main collection! Never mind, we saw all his earlier works here.
Catalan flags were on most balconies, and the sentiments were high. A match between Madrid and Barca was scheduled for 7th.  Hopped onto our tour bus and then we saw the Pièce de résistance of Barcelona- Sagrada Família Basilica, designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí. Later, we took the tour bus to Park Guell, another public area designed by Gaudi. The final bit was taking the bus to the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. Since we had totally run short of time, we let it go this time. Leave some for next time, maybe? Let’s see. For dinner we grabbed some chinese from 'Wok and walk'. Yes, good Chinese food for less. Ended the night with ice-cream. While we were hunting for food, a group of protestors on bicycles swarmed past us, heading for Plaça St Jaume, which seemed to be a place for protests for all and sundry reasons. The group was promoting the use of bicycles. Got chatting with a waiter outside an Indian restaurant. One of us was getting home sick, for sure!
Catalan sentiment is high; people putting out Catalan flags outside their homes

Interesting shops and names in Barcelona

Sagrada Familia Basilica, designed by Gaudi is still under construction- 
almost a 130 years in the making









Josep Maria Subirachs is one the talented artists who's work is featured in the yet to be finished Sagrada Familia Basilica

Park Guell designed by Gaudi

6th October

An amazing trip had ended. Our cab waited outside our hotel to drop us to the airport. Saw some amazing graffiti on the way. This is what me sketchbook looks like, since we did not access the internet in the entire trip, I went back to the good old days of spending quality time writing and drawing-


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