It's Hard To Live In The City

Our tour today started off interestingly enough. We met at the building at 8:45am and were joined by two other women, who we quickly learnt were from the US. We were taking a bus to the outside of Florence and then beginning our walk. While we were waiting for the bus one of the women started talking about immigrants in America. She basically generalised them all to be the reason there is any crime in America and actually said that they are all horrible parents. N, A, and I were all kind of standing there and I was trying my best to hold my tongue (I didn't want to make any enemies after only having been on the tour for 5 minutes) but Andrea was not able to do so. She basically challenged the woman (not in a rude way though) and subtley said things like 'not all americans are good parents either' and 'i heard that if all the immigrants in america left, america wouldn't be able to function as a nation' . I was kind of glad she said something because all of us were thinking it. Then she stopped herself because the debate was becoming kind of heated and she didn't want to make enemies so short into the tour either. Suprisingly we did befriend this lady during lunch but that story will come later. Our tour guide was awesome- very funny and knowledgeable, and his English was perfect. He speaks four different languages fluently, works 9 months a year in Germany doing something in the fashion industry and was flamboyently gay (these are the things you learn when you are in a tour group of only 5 people. He didn't tell us about being gay... but it was pretty obvious, not that it mattered or anything..). The first part of the tour we had to walk up and over a mountain, which was a good workout and i managed to get some spectacular pictures of Florence in the distance as well as the real Tuscan country side. It would have been too hot if basically the whole treck hadn't been in the shade but it was okay. The air was so fresh and floraly and earthy... I had forgotten how fresh air smells after being in the city for three weeks straight. It was such a nice break to be able to get out of the city and into the country. Standing on top of that hill looking down at the city in the distance made me feel so incredibley alive...more then i've ever felt. I don't know how else to describe that feeling but that is how i felt and it was crazy. When we get to the base of the mountain ( I call it a mountain but it was more like a giant hill) we begin to make our way to this AMAZING tuscan villa where we met up with 3 other tourists. We learn about olive trees (there were so many trees!!!), the history of the Villa, certain pieces of art that were inside, and had a whole lesson about wine (although i was not paying so much attention to this, so do not quiz me). Once the tour of the villa was through with, we made our way to the restraunt where we were eating... which was owned by the villa (actually did you know that one person owns almost 17000 acres of land (or something unbelievable...everywhere we walked was owned by one person!). Lunch was easily the highlight but that is not too suprising considering what a foodie I am. First of all, we had an increible view of the tuscan countryside, and it was so sunny and so warm even if the food had been disgusting i probably still would have been happy. There was red wine from Chianti that i tried (because we had just learnt ALL about it) and actually did not hate because it wasn't dry like every other red wine i have tasted. There was fresh olive oil from the villa with bread and balsamic vineger and let me tell you I never knew that olive oil could be packed with so much flavor! Then they brough out brushetta's and cheeses and meats , all made locally and they told us all about each thing we ate and it all was so, so delicious. I thought this was all there was to lunch so i LOADED up big time. And just as i ate my last bite, i was told that the second course was about to be served. Luckily i metabolise pretty fast (not that fast enough unfortunitly) and I can almost always find room for more food so i ate more. I ate risotto and pasta and this tomato\bread soup and everything was soo good and I honestly think I could eat tuscan cuisine until the day I die (but I actually decided just this second that I don't want to because it would get boring BUT ANYWAY it is VERY good!). Seriously we ate like royalty which has only really happend once because we have been budgeting quite a bit and it was SUCH a treat to eat like that again. To top it all off, everyone got coffee for dessert and I ordered a cappuccino and drank the whole entire thing. I have no idea why I did because I have tried all the ones A and N get and I do not like them one bit but the espresso they used was so smooth I apparently didn't mind it. Okay so by this point I'm thinking I am going to have to be rolled home because I am so full and we still have a 45 minute walk before we can catch a bus back into Florence. I am not even lying. But once we start walking I start feeling un full and it is so beautiful- EVERYTHING looks like it belongs in a postcard and i took a googleplex amount of pictures and they turned out wonderfully!
Oh i forgot to add the whole befriending of the racist American lady.
What happend is that we ended up sitting by her at lunch and we started talking. She turned out to be incredibly insightful and fun to talk to. I found out that her hobby is entering contests, which made me very excited because I've only ever heard about it a few times and one time I saw it on Oprah but I have never in my life met someone who actually has that hobby! So she told us about all the cool things she's won and how she spends two hours every night just entering contests and in that time she can enter like 200. She also asked all of us what we wanted to be (we told her we were students backpacking through Europe) and I told her that I wasn't sure but I was thinking of doing something with design and becoming a writer. And not that is mattered because she was practically a stranger, but she told me that she could definitely see me doing that and it made me feel good. I guess everyone was drinking a lot of wine (minus N and myself because we do not like it) but our small group of tourist companions talked like we had known eachother for years and we just talked and talked and talked about everything and it was so nice. She told us not to never give up on our dreams, which sounds cliche and i totally already knew that but she told us she did and now she is stuck with a job that she hates. I told her that it is never to late to try something new, which is also cliche but it's true plus i think it made her feel a bit better. ANYWAY... back to the tour
Basically after taking a googleplex of pictures, we got on the bus and got off the bus and walked back to our hotel. And i will tell you that that was some of the most well spent money i have used since i have been here. It was fabulous. Now we are back in the city and the desil feels like it is burning my nose and the air feels thick and smoggy. I do miss that fresh air.
If you could see what I see, you would probably think you had died and gone to heaven, it is that beautiful.

Side note...
Mom and Dad: i sort of have become a vegetarian during my trip. Not like seriously but i havn't had meat since i left and i don't have any desire to eat any again anytime soon. don't be mad. everything here is so good without meat and i don't miss it at all! i already know that i will break down when i come home and dad will make some delicious meaty meal or something. Maybe can i request a flaffle dinner for my comming home dinner? I have been wanting some for quite some time. Okay this was random...
Side note number 2:
Andrea and I decided to be friends instead of just cousins. I actually like her as a person and I never realised how much we have in common. Does that sound strange? It actually does make sense. There is a difference between knowing someone as your cousin and knowing someone as your friend.
Side note number 3:
Italians speak really really really loudly.

I am still full from lunch today and it is nearly 7 o'clock here.
I am still the same but I feel incredibly different.
I think all three of us are learning from eachother and growing together and independantly. We are learning what we like and what we don't like and growing up and feeling ready for life.
Who would have thought that the three of us would have clicked so well. I couldn't be doing this with any other girls.

I'm off, but i'll be back. Until then..

Luv,
J

am i a snob for saying this?

I am seriously hoping that even though I am not from here, I do not stick out like a sore thumb. After seeing the American\ Canadian\ English speaking tourists that walk by I am almost embarassed to be associated with the English language at all. Seriously, they are so loud and obnoxious... like they demand everyone to pay attention to them as they walk by. They even have the nerve to become angry when they are in a restraunt ordering in English and the servers do not understand them. 'Do. you. not. understand. i. want. pizza. mar-gar-it-aaaaa' I have trained myself to talk quieter and to do my best not to laugh obnoxiously at all the wrong times or become upeset when i am not understood. I like to think that we are doing a good job blending in. I know a few people have thought we were French... but that probably is caused by that fact that I still keep speaking French to everyone accidently. When i do get the Italian right, i still get it wrong. I say 'Gratzi' when i am trying to say hello. I feel so mixed up... I'm confusing English with French and Italian with French and French with English. Oh boy

Boots of Italian Leather

Last night Andrea's birthday dinner was fantastic. We all got dressed up and did our hair and makeup (for the first time in weeks!). We had the works: appetizers, bubbly water (no meal can go without), champagne, pasta, and dessert. The pasta was the best I have ever had I think... or at least up in the top 5 or maybe even top 3. The staff brought us champaigne on the house, and the three of us toasted to just about anything we could think of- Andrea of course bcause it was her birthday, pasta, sun, ect. I think we all felt extremely ellegant and classy, which is a nice contrast because we have been slumming it quite a bit. The meal was the best I have had since I have left home and Dad you were right, the food here in general is SO good and very affordable!

On to today. I feel fat and my toes hurt (too much walking). My pants have majorly bagged out and it is making me mad and feel frumpy every time I wear them. I also realised that i hardly brought any nice dressy clothing so I've been borowing a bit from Nicole (as so avoid feeling so frumpy), who has brought enough clothing to clothe the three of us girls. ANYWAY, It is sunny and 18 degrees. The breakfast at our hotel was not disgusting. Although there were no fresh baked croissants or scrambled eggs, there was fresh fruit, granola, toast, ect. It makes a big difference when breakfast is included because we don't have to go scrounge around at the store and we can eat as much as we want for free! Today was a good day because we did a lot of shopping . I had no idea Florence would be like this. I found Emilie her birthday gift and even though it was kind of too expensive, i bought it anyways because i knew she would like it. I also found myself a pair of boots (FINALLY FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!) and they are divine. They are the carmely colour i have been wanting for ages and they look super good on me! We also booked a tour for tomorrow... i know that sounds lame but we all really wanted to go out into the country side and this turned out to be the best way to do it. Listen to the discription:
A Perfect Morning In Tuscany
See glorious views of Tuscany while hiking ancient paths through Tuscan olive groves and scented cypress woods and the 'must see' beatuiful hilltop town of Fiesole. We pass through fascinating ancient Roman and Etruscan ruins. We experience the sublime Tuscan setting where the makers of the most famous artworks in the world- the Mona Lisa and the David- worked and played. We see where Leonardo da Vinci tested his historic flying machine and the shaded hillside stone works where Michelangelo learnt his craft. We visit an exclusive private Renaissance Villa featured in two famous films: 'A Room With A View' and 'Tea with Mussolini' with lovely Italian gardens nd more superb views of Tuscany and distand Florence. We then enjoy a relaxed and informal wine tasting with a delicious gormet Tuscan lunch on the Villa's estate.
The people at the office were really nice and helpful... they helped us choose the tour we wanted to do because seriously all of them sounded so good. Hopefully the one we are doing tomorrow will be as remarkable as they said it would be and good as it sounds!
Dinner tonight is fresh bocaccini, bread and sun dried tomatos all from the market. Oh and of course a bottle of sparkling water. We have to be up early tomorrow (be at the tour place at 8:45am) and tonight is daylight savings so we will be loosing an hour of sleep. I will keep you all updated on my adventures.
Doing well and Enjoying the Sun,
Jacqueline

Holy Gmoly- Happy Birthday Anny

Bonjourno. I keep mixing up Italian and French and it is incredibly embarassing. I was getting very very good at French and then we had to switch and it mixed me up really good. Luckily Italian is similar to French... kind of. Way more people seem to speak English here then they did in Paris. Andrea says its because the people in Paris are snooty and I believe her.We arrived in Florence a few hours ago and already I think it may be one of my favorite places that we have been yet! First there is the deal with our hotel, Hotel Joli. It is run by a n Italian family who comunicate with eachother by yelling through the vast hallways... even if they are on opposite sides of the hotel. We can hear them yelling in Italian when we are in our hotel room and it is kind of funny. The hotel is GORGEOUS and probably one of my favorite hotels so far. Our room is massive and has 15 foot ceilings, huge white antique mirrors, a lime green sofa, and a table with three chairs. I am very excited about the table with three chairs because at every other hotel we have been to, there has only been 2 or maybe none at all... so now we can all eat dinner together, without having to rotate who gets to sit on the floor each night. We also have a huge bathroom with a bathtub in our room. I couldn't be more excited. The room has huge windows with wooden shutters that open up onto someones unruley garden, but it's extremely beautiful. Our hotel is on the top floor of a building and we have been taking the lift (yes, the old fashioned, manual open and close lifts from the movies) to get ourselves from the front door to the top floor. There is only room for the three of us in the lift unless we are wearing our backpacks... then there is only room for one. It is neat to use because i have never been in one like that before. There is a a buffet breakfast included here at our hotel and the dining room looks adorable...I am actually excited for breakfast. And i know for a fact that breakfast couldn't be any worse then the one we had at our hotel in Venice (EW). Everything here is so bright and the ceilings are so high and I think it is so funny that the staff just yell at eachother from different areas in the hotel and their voices echo all aroung. I love this. It is exactly my style (the hotel). I almost feel like i could spend a longer period of time here before we head off to Greece. After oogling over how amazing our hotel was, we decided to go outside and wander around. We discovered an outdoor market that sells leather bags and tacky souvinears which led us into a huge indoor market. The indoor market is amazing and sells breads, meats, cheeses, fruits and veggies. It is very similar to Lonsdale Quay at home!!! I LOVE IT IN THERE! they actually have fresh bread that looks like it wouldn't be completely hopeless like the bread in Venice was. We have decided to go there every night and get our dinner from there. I think i bought enough fruit for myself to last my family for a week.
I am glad to be out of Venice. It was neat but I don't think i would have wanted to stay there longer... i felt like you could wander around for ages and still feel like you hadn't gone anywhere. Everything kind of looked the same... it was beautiful but two days there was enough. I'm not big on the towns that are only still thriving because of tourists.
Last night Nicole and I snuck out and went and bought Andrea a huge thing of Gelato for her birthday. Although her birthday is actually today, I thought it would be a nice early birthday gift. She loved it and said it was some of the best gelato she has ever had. Emilie, the coconut gelato here would knock your socks off. It is beyond anything you have every had at home. And ben, nicole bought herslef this dark chocolate gelato that actually tasted like a frikken brownie. it was so rich. I don't even like gelato very much and i will admit that the gelato here is the best out of anywhere ever! Tonight we are going out for a late dinner. I am buying Anny dinner at this nice restraunt. She also requested champaigne and tiramisu for dessert. The restraunt is right by our hotel and everything on the menu looks pretty cheap but very delicious. I think we're all going to get pasta for dinner and I cannot wait.
The train ride today was uneventful, finally. No fines, no police men, no night trains, and no extra costs. Thank goodness. I think we are thinking of spending a night in Rome after this to break up the trip to Greece. We are staying in a monistary I think... Or a place run by monks that Aunty Lenore suggested. It sounds weird and adventurous. I'm enjoying the adventures and trying new everything foods that i don't normally try. I feel like i'm coming out of my shell a little bit at a time and I am enjoying every second of it.

I will write again soon, like i said, there is a computer with free internet in our hotel! Hope all is well at home!!

J

false alarm

I am not staying in the Italian country side for impracticallity reasons.

I am however, in Florence and my hotel has free internet! (No more 1.50 euros per 10 minutes thank goodness)

i am happy because i found an american style keyboard!

Currently in Venice, Italy and I feel as though we have stepped into another time period. There are no cars here, just skinny boats cruising along through all the canals. I have heard that there are busses somewhere but i have yet to see them. The houses look like something out of a movie and it feels surreal to walk along the seemingly endless cobblestone streets.
Today was cold, wet, and miserable. After a rather unappetizing breakfast, we decided to head off to San Marco square, which just so happened to be on the other side of Venice. Of course we got lost and were wandering around aimlessly but we got help from a man who turned out to be from Galiano Island (feels so good to hear perfect english!). Once back on track we were okay but it was SO cold so we made a pit stop in an old, empty catholic chruch. The church was not much warmer then outside but it was a shelter from the wind. The church was beautiful and empty (except for a man praying in the back row) so we sat at the front and wrote and drew in our journals.
San Marco square was gross. This is the square famous for all the pigeons... and there were So many pigeons. They were everywhere...even on top of peoples heads (i am not kidding!). I don't like birds to begin with so i found the whole ordeal to be rather disgusting. At this point we were starving and after snapping a few pictures, we decided to go find somewhere to eat. And of course we end up eating at the grossest place in all of Venice. EVERYTHING came out of a box and was put in the microwave and then on a plate and then served to you. There wasn't even a kitchen. We didn't realize this until after we had ordered eather so we were stuck with this god awful radiation charged food. How awful. Ben would have died there.I didn't eat much and we all walked away feeling so turned off. It was so bad i felt like standing in front of the restraunt and telling people to go somewhere else. The crazy thing is that the whole restaurant was packed with people. I don't get it at all!! So gross...
Walking back was way easier then we expected. We walked for 15 minutes and found ourselves on framiliar turff... just in time because i think we were all on the verge of breaking down. We shopped around for beautiful masks, and i ended up buying a wonderful pair of flats. MUM, you will be so jealous! They are these beautiful woven leather flats from that italian shoe brand that starts with a P. YOU KNOW THE ONE MUM, and frick they are so original and i honestly have been waiting for something different like that!! Now even though the weather is miserable and i am practically starving, i feel better. Nothing like some good retail therepy.
Tomorrow we are going to Florence. I cannot wait. We are staying at a bed and breakfast 6km outside of Florence. It is beautiful... the house looks like something from under the tuscan sun. It will be nice to be outside of the city. Tomorrow is also Andrea's birthday and i am taking her out for dinner.
Miss you all terribley, hopefully I can write again soon!
Lots of love, J
p.s: the bread here is HORRIBLE! i almost cannot believe it. We have searched high and low and have found nothing but this awful plastic tasting bread!!! I miss the French bread!

apricots

I love the markets here. I am eating maybe too much fruit and have recently decided that fresh dried apricots are divine, so unlike the nasty unnaturally chewy ones from the bulk bins at home. Tonight we are having a picnic on the beach with our market finds and watching the sun set. Church bells have been ringing all day because indeed Jesus has risen. it sounds beautiful and haunting. the sun is shining so bright and the water is so so blue. Grandma, we didnt forget about easter and very much enjoyed the chocolate you gave us!!
times up gotta go!!
love, J

Nice

Nice is beautiful. I do not even feel like I am in France anymore. I am having trouble even trying to document this place because it is actually too beautiful for words.
We continue to eat baguettes and cheese every night and I am begining to wonder if i am developing some sort of allergy to wheat, or bread or something because i feel like i cant breathe sometimes after i eat. weird. We tried a Nice delicacy called socca which is a cornmeal oliveoil batter that is fried and served with lots of pepper and it is delicious!
We are doing a lot of relaxing and a lot of sitting on the beach. Got a slight burn today and I officially have a fresh set of freakles across my nose.
Tracking down the net is hard, and expensive! time is almost up so i should go. these keyboards are messed and its taking me so long to write this!
i love it here
miss you all!!!!!

J

A quick summery of Paris

Paris was freezing, expensive, and Andrea got pooped on by a bird under the Eiffle Tower.
Do not miss the constant smell of stale cigarettes
Do miss our retro hotel with the spiral staircase and floresent rooms
In Paris I found the best almond croissants I have ever had, ever. Do miss those, a lot

rain

Hooray Paris today!!!!!!
It is raining really hard. Super grand timing considering today is the day we taking our huge backpacks and walking around London with them.
Our train leaves at 12:30 and we're stocking up on lunch at the Pret before we go. I am going to miss eating 2 meals a day at the Pret and I am going to miss the breakfast here at our hotel. And the beds... we have really cozy beds.
We are doing so much walking I think i have lost weight. In my legs. Go Figure.
Anyways, it's about check out time here and I'm off to Paris.

J

NICOLE AND JACQUELINE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR FRENCH PASTRIES!!!!

SNAPE!!

Tomorrow Nicole and I will be on a train to the lovely city of Paris to meet up with Andrea. We are leaving from King's Cross Station which is kind of exciting considering (if you don't know) King's Cross is in Harry Potter. We are going to look for platform 9 3/4. And speaking of Harry Potter, Nicole and I rubbed shoulders with SNAPE when we were walking through town today. I don't know what his name is in real life but it was pretty cool and we freaked out a bit. Unfortunitly we were to shy to ask for an autograph.
Today was a fairly nice day... no rain!!! I am certainly looking forward to heading down south... towards the warm weather and the sunny skies. We walked across Abbey Road while listening to the Beatles 'Something' and it was fantastic. We also picniced in St. James Park. We fed mass amounts of birds and people watched and ate sandwiches from Pret (YUM!). Oh mum and dad, the Pret sells organic pinapple!!! I managed to find pineapple all the way in London. I'm in my glory... Anyway, I also misplaced my purse but only lost about £10 (thank the lord). Tonight we ate at a bar and it was actually good food (home made mac and cheese!!). We got back to the hotel at 6:30 and now we washing our panties and socks in the sink and packing up for tomorrow. I am going to miss our breakfasts here so much! Oh well, I am determind to say that we are moving on to bigger and better things. Don't know when I'll be able to write again but I will do my best to hunt down a computer. Wish me luck.


i will protect you, you say.
you will never be alone
i will stand by you forever
you need not feel the alone
i'll hold your hand the whole way
as slowly through the dark we go

Heavy

Tomorrow is our last full day in London. For anyone who cares to watch, Nicole and I will be crossing Abbey Road at 3pm London time (which is 8am Vancouver time).

SEE YOU!!!

to: b,m,b,e,s,c,k

family, i miss you all. mom, stop crying. i think i can feel it and it makes me sad. i miss being around you. i'm taking care and being safe. dad, i miss your cooking. beans on toast doesn't cut it. don't forget to help me figure out my austria to london eurail situation. ben, i miss hearing you play guitar and i can't help but think that you would fit in really well here. emilie don't take my yellow shoes but i give you permission to take everything else i own. just put it back our i won't buy you a birthday gift. oh and will someone give the cats some extra love for me??
kly, why am i here without you!? if i missed you any harder i actually think i would stop breathing. I CAN'T WAIT TO FRICKEN SEE YOU!

London Calling

I am here in very cold, windy, and rainy city of London! After barfing my brains out the whole night before my flight, barely surviving the plane ride, seriously considering buying the next ticket home, and walking around in circles, blurry eyed from jet lag, I am finally starting to enjoy myself.
The plane ride was horrendous and I am not even exaggerating. 2 hours in to our 9 hour flight, I noticed that the man 2 rows behind me was extrememly drunk. In the remaining 7 hours of the flight he assulted 3 of the flight attendents, screamed at the top of his lungs 'HELP I NEED THE POLICE', sexually assulted a 2 year old girl, and was literally forced and strapped into his seat. For anyone that does not know already, I do not enjoy flying at all. This guy actually made me feel like i was going to be sick. Kids were crying and everyone looked stressed out to the max. I honestly cannot believe it happened. When we landed in Belfast (where we had a 1 hour layover) the police came on to the airplane and arrested him. He is said to have enough charges against him that he will be spending at least the next 3 months in jail. Thank god i still have a few weeks to regroup before i have to get back on a plane again.
Nicole and I are having a great time wondering around aimlessly and slowly figuring out where we are. So far we have figured out local transit (including the tube!), spent 4 hours in Harrods, bought matching dresses at Topshop, wandered through the British museum, seen countless outdoor markets, visited just about every touristy place you can see, taken unbelievable amounts of pictures, gotten insanely lost (we've made it back to our hotel without help everytime) and had real english tea (scone included!). We still have a lot on our to do list and we only have 2 days left here. Time is going by so fast already.
We seriously look forward to breakfast every morning. Fresh baked chocolate croissants, bran cereal, toast with lemon lime marmalade, and even beans on toast. We have been steeling extra croissants every day and taking them along with us on all of our adventures. We havn't had to eat anything disgusting and we do not intend to. Although Nicole bought a fatty thing of fries today that were pretty gross... whatever. Good thing we are walking non stop every day or we would definitely be coming home weighing a little more then we do now.
Anyway, I'm going to go now. I think we are going to visit the post office. We've been doing that a lot. We leave london on Sunday and take the eurostar to Paris! Hopefully I can get back on here and write again soon. Wish me luck on this crazy journey!!!
J
Really honestly there is no place like home.