Short post - I just wanted to mention how ridiculous it is that my group on four separate occasions has run into people that we know in Europe.
First Time: Corfu, Greece
We are staying at the same hostel as a girl that one of my travelmates went to highschool with
Second Time: Venice, Italy
We are staying at the same Camp Site as three girls I went to elementary, middle, highschool and university with.
Third Time: Nice, France
We are staying at the same hostel as three girls that one of my travelmates went to highschool with.
Fourth Time: Paris, France
I am waiting at the meeting point for a tour and run into a girl that I did my degree with and also lived down the hallway from at my old apartment building.
Am I crazy or is this normal when travelling. None of these meetings were planned!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
King's Cup Masters - Rule Cheat Sheet
A side post to the details of the trip - over the course of this Euro-vacation, we have had the opportunity to drink with a lot of travellers from multiple countries. Yet, almost every person that we have met, regardless of the continent they are from, know how to play King's Cup/Sociables. We have collected, amended, and reinvented many rules and I have compiled a list of the different types of rules that we have used over the course of the trip, as well as my favourites that I have been using. To become a drinking game master check this comprehensive list out:
(1) Straight-Drinking Rules
a. Give One
b. Take two
c. Guys Drink (typically the Jack)
d. Girls Drink (typically the Queen)
e. Choose a Drinking Partner (choose a partner and everytime you drink, they have to drink and vice versa)
f. Waterfall (the person who draws the card starts drinking and in a clockwise direction everyone has to drink until the first person finishes drinking their drink)
(2) Simple Mini-Games
a. Rhyme Time
b. Story Time
c. Categories (choose a category and go around the group and make each person answer until someone can not think of an answer or repeats an answer that has already been stated)
***My personal favourite categories on this trip have been "Pick Up Lines", "Alternate Words for a guy/girl's private part" and "Countries" (The second person to go during the Countries category said London... not the sharpest tool in the shed).
d. Questions (you can only ask questions to each other until someone answers/does not ask a question)
e. Never Have I Ever (put up three fingers and each time you've done something you must put a finger down. The first person to have all their fingers down loses)
(3) Advanced Mini-Games
a. ____ Fuck Game (everyone chooses a single syllable name and ends it with "fuck"; clapping and chanting starts and each person has to say their name followed by another persons name to the rhythm as the chanting gets faster. I.e. Dumb fuck, dumb fuck better than a Lucky Fuck, lucky fuck, lucky fuck, better than a hard fuck etc.)
b. Actions Game (similar concept, except everyone chooses a distinguishable action)
c. Race Car (you pretend to drive a car and can either drive the same direction as the person that passes to you by saying "vroom" and passing to the next person or you can pass back by saying "urch" and steering back towards the person who passed to you in the first place)
d. Chicken Game (similar to race car but you must make a chicken sound to pass; you can also pass across by sending the action across and saying "cock-a-doodle-doo"; the person receiving must make an action and say "doodle-doodle-cock")
e. Goggles (similar to the chicken game but with different sounds and actions)
f. Boat Game (similar to the chicken game but with different sounds and actions; no passing across but you can pass right or left and skip people)
g. Ride The Bus (for the purpose of Sociables the person has 5 cards facing down and must guess if the next card in the sequential order is higher or lower than the former).
(4) Master Cards
a. Jizz Master
b. Thumb Master
c. Viking
d. Moose
e. Question Master (this person can ask questions and you must respond with "fuck you" or you drink)
f. Medusa (no other players can make eye contact with this person or else they must drink)
g. Bathroom Card Master
(5) Sevens Cards
a. Fuck You Game (You count from 1 to ____ (until someone messes up) and everytime the number has a 7 in it or is a multiple of 7 you say "Fuck You" and the order reverses)
b. Seven Heaven (You have to stand and reach up to the sky. The last person to do so must drink)
(6) Rule Card
My top 5 favourite rules that have been made in games (in no particular order):
a. Celebration (everytime you drink you have to celebrate with a cheer and action)
b. Buffalo (you must drink with your non-dominant hand for the rest of the game. If someone catches you drinking with your dominant hand they can yell Buffalo and you much chug the rest of your drink)
c. Accents (you must talk for the rest of the game with an accent)
d. No Pointing (this is REALLY hard!)
e. T-Rex Arms (for the rest of the game you have to pretend you have t-rex sized arms)
Nevertheless there are mutiple other rules that have been made with the rule card:
f. No Swearing
g. No saying Drink, Drank or Drink (CONSUME!!!!!!!)
h. No first names
i. You must sing everything
j. No saying pronouns
k. You must end every sentence with "In my pants"
l. You must end every sentence with an animal sound
m. Little green man
n. You must say "fuck" in every sentence
o. You must choose a drinking buddy
(7) Kings & Equivalent
a. Kings Cup (each time a person draws a king, they pour some of their drink into a cup set-up in the middle of the table. The last person to draw a king must drink the whole drink)
b. Break the Seal (someone purchases a can of beer and places it in the middle of the table. Each time someone draws a card they must fit it under the beer can tab. The first person to crack the beer must chug it)
c. Break the Circle (the cards are spread out in a circle and the first person to break the circle must chug their drink)
My Favourite Version of Sociables
Break The Seal is in effect and there are House Rules: no first names, no pointing, no swearing, no saying Drink, Drank or Drunk
A - Rule Card
2 - Ride the Bus
3 - Questions
4 - Story Time
5 - ____ Fuck Game
6 - Race Car
7 - Sevens "Fuck Game"
8 - Categories
9 - Rhyme Time
10 - Chicken Game
J - Jizz Master
Q - Question Master
K - Never Have I Ever
Favourite Alternate Drinking Game:
Confidence: A glass is handed around and you must put some of your drink in it (you can put as much or as little as you want). After pouring in your drink, you must draw a card and guess if it is red or black. If you are correct, you pass the glass to the next person and they must add some of their drink. If you are incorrect, you must drink whatever is in the glass.
Note: This game gets super messy if there are people with cocktails, beer, wine and blended drinks all playing!
Any suggestions for rules you like or would like to add to this list!?
(1) Straight-Drinking Rules
a. Give One
b. Take two
c. Guys Drink (typically the Jack)
d. Girls Drink (typically the Queen)
e. Choose a Drinking Partner (choose a partner and everytime you drink, they have to drink and vice versa)
f. Waterfall (the person who draws the card starts drinking and in a clockwise direction everyone has to drink until the first person finishes drinking their drink)
(2) Simple Mini-Games
a. Rhyme Time
b. Story Time
c. Categories (choose a category and go around the group and make each person answer until someone can not think of an answer or repeats an answer that has already been stated)
***My personal favourite categories on this trip have been "Pick Up Lines", "Alternate Words for a guy/girl's private part" and "Countries" (The second person to go during the Countries category said London... not the sharpest tool in the shed).
d. Questions (you can only ask questions to each other until someone answers/does not ask a question)
e. Never Have I Ever (put up three fingers and each time you've done something you must put a finger down. The first person to have all their fingers down loses)
(3) Advanced Mini-Games
a. ____ Fuck Game (everyone chooses a single syllable name and ends it with "fuck"; clapping and chanting starts and each person has to say their name followed by another persons name to the rhythm as the chanting gets faster. I.e. Dumb fuck, dumb fuck better than a Lucky Fuck, lucky fuck, lucky fuck, better than a hard fuck etc.)
b. Actions Game (similar concept, except everyone chooses a distinguishable action)
c. Race Car (you pretend to drive a car and can either drive the same direction as the person that passes to you by saying "vroom" and passing to the next person or you can pass back by saying "urch" and steering back towards the person who passed to you in the first place)
d. Chicken Game (similar to race car but you must make a chicken sound to pass; you can also pass across by sending the action across and saying "cock-a-doodle-doo"; the person receiving must make an action and say "doodle-doodle-cock")
e. Goggles (similar to the chicken game but with different sounds and actions)
f. Boat Game (similar to the chicken game but with different sounds and actions; no passing across but you can pass right or left and skip people)
g. Ride The Bus (for the purpose of Sociables the person has 5 cards facing down and must guess if the next card in the sequential order is higher or lower than the former).
(4) Master Cards
a. Jizz Master
b. Thumb Master
c. Viking
d. Moose
e. Question Master (this person can ask questions and you must respond with "fuck you" or you drink)
f. Medusa (no other players can make eye contact with this person or else they must drink)
g. Bathroom Card Master
(5) Sevens Cards
a. Fuck You Game (You count from 1 to ____ (until someone messes up) and everytime the number has a 7 in it or is a multiple of 7 you say "Fuck You" and the order reverses)
b. Seven Heaven (You have to stand and reach up to the sky. The last person to do so must drink)
(6) Rule Card
My top 5 favourite rules that have been made in games (in no particular order):
a. Celebration (everytime you drink you have to celebrate with a cheer and action)
b. Buffalo (you must drink with your non-dominant hand for the rest of the game. If someone catches you drinking with your dominant hand they can yell Buffalo and you much chug the rest of your drink)
c. Accents (you must talk for the rest of the game with an accent)
d. No Pointing (this is REALLY hard!)
e. T-Rex Arms (for the rest of the game you have to pretend you have t-rex sized arms)
Nevertheless there are mutiple other rules that have been made with the rule card:
f. No Swearing
g. No saying Drink, Drank or Drink (CONSUME!!!!!!!)
h. No first names
i. You must sing everything
j. No saying pronouns
k. You must end every sentence with "In my pants"
l. You must end every sentence with an animal sound
m. Little green man
n. You must say "fuck" in every sentence
o. You must choose a drinking buddy
(7) Kings & Equivalent
a. Kings Cup (each time a person draws a king, they pour some of their drink into a cup set-up in the middle of the table. The last person to draw a king must drink the whole drink)
b. Break the Seal (someone purchases a can of beer and places it in the middle of the table. Each time someone draws a card they must fit it under the beer can tab. The first person to crack the beer must chug it)
c. Break the Circle (the cards are spread out in a circle and the first person to break the circle must chug their drink)
My Favourite Version of Sociables
Break The Seal is in effect and there are House Rules: no first names, no pointing, no swearing, no saying Drink, Drank or Drunk
A - Rule Card
2 - Ride the Bus
3 - Questions
4 - Story Time
5 - ____ Fuck Game
6 - Race Car
7 - Sevens "Fuck Game"
8 - Categories
9 - Rhyme Time
10 - Chicken Game
J - Jizz Master
Q - Question Master
K - Never Have I Ever
Favourite Alternate Drinking Game:
Confidence: A glass is handed around and you must put some of your drink in it (you can put as much or as little as you want). After pouring in your drink, you must draw a card and guess if it is red or black. If you are correct, you pass the glass to the next person and they must add some of their drink. If you are incorrect, you must drink whatever is in the glass.
Note: This game gets super messy if there are people with cocktails, beer, wine and blended drinks all playing!
Any suggestions for rules you like or would like to add to this list!?
Down Time in the Cinque Terre
After partying hard in Rome, our group decided that we needed to take some downtime to relax and truly appreciates some of the natural landscapes and quaint towns in Italy. Our group headed to Pisa to take some tacky tourist pictures with the Leaning Tower and look around this small town.
As a quite unorganized group, we did not book a hostel in Pisa and spent a good 45 minutes trying to find one at 1am when we arrived in the city. Instead, we stayed in an adorable place called Hotel Minerva which was recommended by another hotel which was full.
http://www.hotelminerva.pisa.it/
Their staff were extremely helpful and friendly and they had a wicked breakfast buffet. Because we arrived rather late, the concierge gave us a discounted room for 130 euros (32.50 euros each) which was a bit more expensive than what we were used to but we were just happy to find a room.
The following morning, we realized that this city was quite small (seeing that we walked through the majority of the city in under an hour). After seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa and doing a bit of shopping (I got two knock off Chanel purses and the boys found real Duff Beer), we decided to head to the town of Biassa.
Although Biassa is not one of the towns that make up the Cinque Terre, it is a tiny... and I mean TINY, town which is not to far away from these gorgeous cities. We booked accomodations at Ostello Tratmonti which is a former school or education centre-turned hostel.
http://www.ostellotramonti.it/
The city of Biassa (if you could call it a city), had stunning views of the water and the main city La Spezia. Situated on top of a mountain, this town was a great place to go hiking and enjoy the fresh air. However, there was really not much else to do there. The town boasted one pizza place, one tiny market, a tobacco shop, one restaurant, a church and some houses. After getting some much needed R&R, our group headed to the Cinque Terre.
This was absolutely one of the most gorgeous sites in the trip. We were able to hike through four of the cities in about 3 hours and then went to the last one by train because the pathways were closed due to landslides. The five cities, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Monterosso and Vernazza offered the most beautiful landscapes that I have seen thus far on the trip. Also, Vernazza had stunning beaches that were accessible to the public (many of the cities are on the coastline but too high up to access the beaches). After a rewarding day hiking the cities' trails, we took a boat ride back to Riomaggiore and then a bus back to Biassa.
Two short days in the Cinque Terre region proved to be the perfect recooperation period for our group. Following this break, we continued our partying ways in Florence, Venice, and Milan. Post to come soon!
As a quite unorganized group, we did not book a hostel in Pisa and spent a good 45 minutes trying to find one at 1am when we arrived in the city. Instead, we stayed in an adorable place called Hotel Minerva which was recommended by another hotel which was full.
http://www.hotelminerva.pisa.it/
Their staff were extremely helpful and friendly and they had a wicked breakfast buffet. Because we arrived rather late, the concierge gave us a discounted room for 130 euros (32.50 euros each) which was a bit more expensive than what we were used to but we were just happy to find a room.
The following morning, we realized that this city was quite small (seeing that we walked through the majority of the city in under an hour). After seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa and doing a bit of shopping (I got two knock off Chanel purses and the boys found real Duff Beer), we decided to head to the town of Biassa.
Although Biassa is not one of the towns that make up the Cinque Terre, it is a tiny... and I mean TINY, town which is not to far away from these gorgeous cities. We booked accomodations at Ostello Tratmonti which is a former school or education centre-turned hostel.
http://www.ostellotramonti.it/
The city of Biassa (if you could call it a city), had stunning views of the water and the main city La Spezia. Situated on top of a mountain, this town was a great place to go hiking and enjoy the fresh air. However, there was really not much else to do there. The town boasted one pizza place, one tiny market, a tobacco shop, one restaurant, a church and some houses. After getting some much needed R&R, our group headed to the Cinque Terre.
This was absolutely one of the most gorgeous sites in the trip. We were able to hike through four of the cities in about 3 hours and then went to the last one by train because the pathways were closed due to landslides. The five cities, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Monterosso and Vernazza offered the most beautiful landscapes that I have seen thus far on the trip. Also, Vernazza had stunning beaches that were accessible to the public (many of the cities are on the coastline but too high up to access the beaches). After a rewarding day hiking the cities' trails, we took a boat ride back to Riomaggiore and then a bus back to Biassa.
Two short days in the Cinque Terre region proved to be the perfect recooperation period for our group. Following this break, we continued our partying ways in Florence, Venice, and Milan. Post to come soon!
Friday, May 28, 2010
When in Rome, Do The Romans... err Do As the Romans Do
As I said in my last post, Rome was the perfect balance between educational activities and partying. By day, we checked out all of the fantastic sites and by night we went on 2 pubcrawls around the city. Here's the DL on what we did in Rome:
Colosseum:
This was breathtaking. Just 2 subway stops away from our hostel the colosseum is a MUST SEE in your lifetime. It is 12 euros to enter and there are quite lengthy lineups to get into this wonder of the world and so we paid 20 euros to get a tour and skip the line-up. The tour was pretty good and allowed us to get free entrance and a free tour in the Palatino. The Palatino was amazing as well - this "palace" was the largest in Italy for many centuries.
Vatican:
Absolutely my favourite part of the trip thus far. We planned on going to the Vatican for an 9am tour but due to the pubcrawl the night before we decided to go to a later (nonadvertised) tour at 11am. It was the BEST decision ever. Our tour guide was hysterical and very colloquial with his explanations of the history of Christianity and the explanations of the different monuments and works of art. The tour started off with him proclaiming that this would be "the most badass tour group in all of the Vatican" and further, how if we wanted to convert we could make the pilgramage to the monument of Saint Peter in Saint Peters Basilica, rub the right foot and become "the best goddamn Catholics the world has ever seen". When I thought that the tour couldnt get any better he made jokes about a statue of Hercules being called "the Situation", and how one of the angels was sporting "the Shocker".
Pub Crawl 1: Spanish Steps Pubcrawl
This crawl cost 25$ because it was a Saturday and offered a tshirt, all you can drink beer for the first hour and pizza... oh and some free shots at each of the stops. While it was fun, we missed out on the all you can drink beer because the first pub was so far away from the Spanish Steps. I liked this crawl but none of the destinations (there were 4) were close to each other and we ended up walking quite a bit and using a lot of public transportation to get around. Nevertheless, at the second bar, Murphies, we participated in the "Dirty Canadian" competition, which involved the girls to try and run a cold can of beer through a guys pant legs. The guy then had to chug the beer and the first one done won a tshirt. We didn't win but had fun nonetheless. (See pics at the site below.) We ended at a club that took about 20 minutes to get into but it was worth the wait. The club was massive and on the roof of a building. It was a super fun night!
http://www.pubcrawlrome.com/en/page/15/galleryid/276#93
Pub Crawl 2: Rome Pubcrawl
This crawl cost 20$ and I thought it was a much better deal or rather, I got way more free drinks out of it. At the first bar we went to it was all you can drink cocktails, beer or wine. In addition we had free shots at all the locations throughout the night. In addition we received tshirts and pizza at the first stop.
Colosseum:
This was breathtaking. Just 2 subway stops away from our hostel the colosseum is a MUST SEE in your lifetime. It is 12 euros to enter and there are quite lengthy lineups to get into this wonder of the world and so we paid 20 euros to get a tour and skip the line-up. The tour was pretty good and allowed us to get free entrance and a free tour in the Palatino. The Palatino was amazing as well - this "palace" was the largest in Italy for many centuries.
Vatican:
Absolutely my favourite part of the trip thus far. We planned on going to the Vatican for an 9am tour but due to the pubcrawl the night before we decided to go to a later (nonadvertised) tour at 11am. It was the BEST decision ever. Our tour guide was hysterical and very colloquial with his explanations of the history of Christianity and the explanations of the different monuments and works of art. The tour started off with him proclaiming that this would be "the most badass tour group in all of the Vatican" and further, how if we wanted to convert we could make the pilgramage to the monument of Saint Peter in Saint Peters Basilica, rub the right foot and become "the best goddamn Catholics the world has ever seen". When I thought that the tour couldnt get any better he made jokes about a statue of Hercules being called "the Situation", and how one of the angels was sporting "the Shocker".
Pub Crawl 1: Spanish Steps Pubcrawl
This crawl cost 25$ because it was a Saturday and offered a tshirt, all you can drink beer for the first hour and pizza... oh and some free shots at each of the stops. While it was fun, we missed out on the all you can drink beer because the first pub was so far away from the Spanish Steps. I liked this crawl but none of the destinations (there were 4) were close to each other and we ended up walking quite a bit and using a lot of public transportation to get around. Nevertheless, at the second bar, Murphies, we participated in the "Dirty Canadian" competition, which involved the girls to try and run a cold can of beer through a guys pant legs. The guy then had to chug the beer and the first one done won a tshirt. We didn't win but had fun nonetheless. (See pics at the site below.) We ended at a club that took about 20 minutes to get into but it was worth the wait. The club was massive and on the roof of a building. It was a super fun night!
http://www.pubcrawlrome.com/en/page/15/galleryid/276#93
Pub Crawl 2: Rome Pubcrawl
This crawl cost 20$ and I thought it was a much better deal or rather, I got way more free drinks out of it. At the first bar we went to it was all you can drink cocktails, beer or wine. In addition we had free shots at all the locations throughout the night. In addition we received tshirts and pizza at the first stop.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Pink Palace
Just another one champion sound, me and you about to get down, who the hottest in the world right now, just touched down in Corfu Town!
My travel mates had a few bucket list items and one was to go to Corfu and stay in the Pink Palace. The name preceeds itself, and as you can tell by the connotations from the name, this hostel is the hook-up spot of Greece (or so they thought).
After taking an overnight ferry to Corfu we arrived and were shuttled to the Pink Palace. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a fellow Canadian (staff member) who gave us a brief orientation about the hostel and started the morning off right with pink shots of ouzo. The triple-occupancy rooms were fairly nice and for 25 euros a night, this hostel was a great deal. Each morning we were served eggs, ham, bread, cheese, coffee and tea and each evening we were given a three course meal. All of the meals started with a chickpea soup, salad and then a main course. Over the 4 nights we stayed there we ate a Chicken Dinner, Bangers and Mash, Spaghetti and a Meat Cassarole type thing.
On to the more exciting things - drinking. There was A LOT of it... the bar was open essentially 20 hours a day and drinks were no more than 3 euros each during the non-happy hour times. Because the weather was lousy and therefore there was not a lot of opportunity to go to the beach, all we did was sit around playing cards or drinking games in the main lounge and let me just tell you that there was only one day that I did not puke or dry heave. For some reason, the daytime bartender Richard took a liking to me and I did not have to pay for any shots the entire time I was there. Richard played movies during the daytime and would have "cinema shots" periodically throughout the movies.
During happy hour, which ran from 6 to 8 every night, cocktails and beer were one euro each which made all of us get a bit out of hand. Buying rounds for under 10 euros was a common occurence. The night time bartender Peter was a a "love/hate" sort of guy. A native Brit who pretended to be Australian, he was vicious with insults but at the same time, he received a lot of flack as well. For whatever reason, this guy was absolutely obsessed with his hair. We started up a drinking game based on his hair; anytime he touched it you would have to drink and everytime he wetted it down, you would have to chug the rest of your drink (he probably wetted his hair 5 times on average per night).
Thoughout the four days we did a number of memorable things but none that I could cross off my bucket list. We rented quads for one day and went into Corfu Town on a epic mission to find our first McDonalds in Europe. After much driving around and asking for directions, we finally sunk our teeth into some delicious CBOs (Chicken Bacon Onion Burgers) at McDonalds. Apparently they sell beer at McDonalds in Europe which is pretty awesome! We finished off the quad safari by going to a random bar/lounge at the top of one of the highest peaks in Corfu for some Happy Horny Cocktails. Allegedly these cocktails (which I believe consisted of Metaxa, Coca Cola and perhaps a bit of Cointreau) also were laced with Viagra. The bartender told me that he made my drink "extra horny" but I think that these drinks were nothing more than a myth because none of us felt anything afterward (or so the boys claimed).
On Wednesday nights at the Pink Palace it is cross-dressing night. It was pretty disgusting but amazing at the same time. Pictures to come. Two of my travel mates decided to dress like twins in short shorts and pink beaters while I dressed like a "dirty Mexican" and by the end of the night everyone was calling me Carlos.
Thursday night was our final night and we wanted to make it fun so instead of hanging out at the Pink Palace nightclub called Palladium, we went into the small town at the bottom of the hill near the Pink Palace to a bar called Robins. It had a "tickle trunk" full of costumes and the cross-dressing continued. Myself and this guy Devon decided to head back to the Pink Palace and on the way went to "Mikes Music Bar" that had approximately four people in it. Sitting at the bar, we chatted with the bartender/owner and as a ploy to try and get free shots we pretended that we had just been engaged and were on a trip together. After a ten minute story on how we met, our alleged wedding plans (which included singing a Sonny and Cher duet since we are both singers) the owner made us some absolutely rediculous drinks and gave us free shots. Mission successful.
Perhaps it was peer pressure or perhaps I am just stupid but I decided to stay at the Pink Palace bar until 4 am while knowing that I had to be checked out by 9 am the next morning. The following day was a hangover and a half but it was worth the pain and suffering to have a good night out with friends.
The next destination on our trip was Rome then Pisa and we are just headed to Cinque Terre now. You know what they say - when in Rome, do as the Romans do and we found that Rome was the perfect balance between partying (we went on 2 pubcrawls) and sight seeing (we saw the Colosseum, Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, went on 2 tours etc.). However, I will have to save the details for the next blog post. As a cliff hanger, I will mention that I have knocked off 5 things from my bucket list in the last 5 days! I'll let you guess which ones they were...
More gory details to come soon.
My travel mates had a few bucket list items and one was to go to Corfu and stay in the Pink Palace. The name preceeds itself, and as you can tell by the connotations from the name, this hostel is the hook-up spot of Greece (or so they thought).
After taking an overnight ferry to Corfu we arrived and were shuttled to the Pink Palace. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a fellow Canadian (staff member) who gave us a brief orientation about the hostel and started the morning off right with pink shots of ouzo. The triple-occupancy rooms were fairly nice and for 25 euros a night, this hostel was a great deal. Each morning we were served eggs, ham, bread, cheese, coffee and tea and each evening we were given a three course meal. All of the meals started with a chickpea soup, salad and then a main course. Over the 4 nights we stayed there we ate a Chicken Dinner, Bangers and Mash, Spaghetti and a Meat Cassarole type thing.
On to the more exciting things - drinking. There was A LOT of it... the bar was open essentially 20 hours a day and drinks were no more than 3 euros each during the non-happy hour times. Because the weather was lousy and therefore there was not a lot of opportunity to go to the beach, all we did was sit around playing cards or drinking games in the main lounge and let me just tell you that there was only one day that I did not puke or dry heave. For some reason, the daytime bartender Richard took a liking to me and I did not have to pay for any shots the entire time I was there. Richard played movies during the daytime and would have "cinema shots" periodically throughout the movies.
During happy hour, which ran from 6 to 8 every night, cocktails and beer were one euro each which made all of us get a bit out of hand. Buying rounds for under 10 euros was a common occurence. The night time bartender Peter was a a "love/hate" sort of guy. A native Brit who pretended to be Australian, he was vicious with insults but at the same time, he received a lot of flack as well. For whatever reason, this guy was absolutely obsessed with his hair. We started up a drinking game based on his hair; anytime he touched it you would have to drink and everytime he wetted it down, you would have to chug the rest of your drink (he probably wetted his hair 5 times on average per night).
Thoughout the four days we did a number of memorable things but none that I could cross off my bucket list. We rented quads for one day and went into Corfu Town on a epic mission to find our first McDonalds in Europe. After much driving around and asking for directions, we finally sunk our teeth into some delicious CBOs (Chicken Bacon Onion Burgers) at McDonalds. Apparently they sell beer at McDonalds in Europe which is pretty awesome! We finished off the quad safari by going to a random bar/lounge at the top of one of the highest peaks in Corfu for some Happy Horny Cocktails. Allegedly these cocktails (which I believe consisted of Metaxa, Coca Cola and perhaps a bit of Cointreau) also were laced with Viagra. The bartender told me that he made my drink "extra horny" but I think that these drinks were nothing more than a myth because none of us felt anything afterward (or so the boys claimed).
On Wednesday nights at the Pink Palace it is cross-dressing night. It was pretty disgusting but amazing at the same time. Pictures to come. Two of my travel mates decided to dress like twins in short shorts and pink beaters while I dressed like a "dirty Mexican" and by the end of the night everyone was calling me Carlos.
Thursday night was our final night and we wanted to make it fun so instead of hanging out at the Pink Palace nightclub called Palladium, we went into the small town at the bottom of the hill near the Pink Palace to a bar called Robins. It had a "tickle trunk" full of costumes and the cross-dressing continued. Myself and this guy Devon decided to head back to the Pink Palace and on the way went to "Mikes Music Bar" that had approximately four people in it. Sitting at the bar, we chatted with the bartender/owner and as a ploy to try and get free shots we pretended that we had just been engaged and were on a trip together. After a ten minute story on how we met, our alleged wedding plans (which included singing a Sonny and Cher duet since we are both singers) the owner made us some absolutely rediculous drinks and gave us free shots. Mission successful.
Perhaps it was peer pressure or perhaps I am just stupid but I decided to stay at the Pink Palace bar until 4 am while knowing that I had to be checked out by 9 am the next morning. The following day was a hangover and a half but it was worth the pain and suffering to have a good night out with friends.
The next destination on our trip was Rome then Pisa and we are just headed to Cinque Terre now. You know what they say - when in Rome, do as the Romans do and we found that Rome was the perfect balance between partying (we went on 2 pubcrawls) and sight seeing (we saw the Colosseum, Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, went on 2 tours etc.). However, I will have to save the details for the next blog post. As a cliff hanger, I will mention that I have knocked off 5 things from my bucket list in the last 5 days! I'll let you guess which ones they were...
More gory details to come soon.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
When in Rome... Miss the Train
Quick post - So we just took an overnight ferry from Corfu to Bari and are finally in Italy. It is very apparent that Italy is much more developed than Greece. The architecture is beautiful... and so are the people. We are feeling seriously underdressed in this country.
Anyways, we just missed our train to Rome and will be hanging out in Bari for the day. Who knew that there were multiple Terminal 4s. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to getting some delicious pasta or pizza for lunch. I will write about Corfu soon!
Anyways, we just missed our train to Rome and will be hanging out in Bari for the day. Who knew that there were multiple Terminal 4s. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to getting some delicious pasta or pizza for lunch. I will write about Corfu soon!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
A Bad Investment
After a lot of discussions with friends who went travelling in the past, we decided to shell out $470 dollars for 10 day, 3 country EU rail passes. We were told that some of the benefits were that the EU rails typically run in the heart of many cities which makes it easier to get around as opposed to airports which are often on the outskirts of cities.
Our travel agents encouraged us to purchase the EU rail passes and told us that we could not purchase them in Europe. However, they did not adequately explain what the EU rail actually is. From my understanding, each country has one or two railways which sign on to be part of the EU rail system. With these passes you can ride for free BUT only on these select railways.
So far, we have had nothing but issues using the EUrail passes and it has proven to be a bad investment. None of the ferries included travel to the cities we want to go to and the train rides that we get for "free" are only 10-20 euros anyways (I figure I need to spend at least 45 euros worth of "free" travelling per day for the EU rail to be worthwhile).
We are hoping that this pass works a bit better in Italy and France because it has been useless in Greece. We've paid over 250 euros in ferry costs, paid for shuttles and taxis just to get to the appropriate EU rail stations. In addition, the train rides have proven to take a LONG TIME to each town.
If this continues to be the case for the rest of the trip, Travel Cuts better get ready for some unhappy customers when we return to Canada. For future reference, fly domestically. RyanAir has like 20 euro flights that not only get you there faster but also is cheaper.
Our travel agents encouraged us to purchase the EU rail passes and told us that we could not purchase them in Europe. However, they did not adequately explain what the EU rail actually is. From my understanding, each country has one or two railways which sign on to be part of the EU rail system. With these passes you can ride for free BUT only on these select railways.
So far, we have had nothing but issues using the EUrail passes and it has proven to be a bad investment. None of the ferries included travel to the cities we want to go to and the train rides that we get for "free" are only 10-20 euros anyways (I figure I need to spend at least 45 euros worth of "free" travelling per day for the EU rail to be worthwhile).
We are hoping that this pass works a bit better in Italy and France because it has been useless in Greece. We've paid over 250 euros in ferry costs, paid for shuttles and taxis just to get to the appropriate EU rail stations. In addition, the train rides have proven to take a LONG TIME to each town.
If this continues to be the case for the rest of the trip, Travel Cuts better get ready for some unhappy customers when we return to Canada. For future reference, fly domestically. RyanAir has like 20 euro flights that not only get you there faster but also is cheaper.
The Golden Arches
While our group is really liking the local cuisine, it appears that Greece has a limited menu at the majority of restaurants. I would say that 90 percent of restaurants in Greece have the following items on their menu:
- Gyros
- Moussaka
- Souvlaki
- Cheese Pie
- Greek Salad
- Pizza
- Club House Sandwich
- Burger and Fries
- "Toast"/Sub Sandwich (Toast is like a ham and cheese sandwich)
- Tzatziki
- A chicken breast dinner
In addition there is about 70 percent of the menus that also boast these things:
- Calamari (Both fried and grilled)
- Fish (Cod usually)
- Pasta
- Baklava
- A pork filet dinner
Again, while we have been enjoying the deliciousness that is a 2 euro gyro, we have been determined to find a McDonalds in Greece. Apparently there is one in Corfu Town that we are going on a mission to find today on 300 cc quads. I really hope that our mission is successful because I could go for a Big Mac or a McChicken right about now.
- Gyros
- Moussaka
- Souvlaki
- Cheese Pie
- Greek Salad
- Pizza
- Club House Sandwich
- Burger and Fries
- "Toast"/Sub Sandwich (Toast is like a ham and cheese sandwich)
- Tzatziki
- A chicken breast dinner
In addition there is about 70 percent of the menus that also boast these things:
- Calamari (Both fried and grilled)
- Fish (Cod usually)
- Pasta
- Baklava
- A pork filet dinner
Again, while we have been enjoying the deliciousness that is a 2 euro gyro, we have been determined to find a McDonalds in Greece. Apparently there is one in Corfu Town that we are going on a mission to find today on 300 cc quads. I really hope that our mission is successful because I could go for a Big Mac or a McChicken right about now.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Finally Something Educational
Over the past few days we have tried to tone it down and take somewhat of a breather. After some almost all-nighter stints we decided as a group to go and do something educational - travel to Olympia to see the home of the Olympic games (and afterall, we just had the 2010 games in Vancouver so it was a definite must-do on the trip).
So, we went on a rediculous journey to get to this city - I think the Greek Gods were testing us to see how badly we wanted to get there. After shuttling to a ferry, catching a 5 hour ferry to Athens, catching a local train to our EUrail station, waiting 4 hours, catching the first train out of Athens, then a bus then two more trains, we arrived in Olympia. Needless to say we were all fairly tired from spending about 12 hours transporting ourselves to the city but it was more than worth it. The city felt like a little piece of home... or rather Oak Bay.
The weather was much milder in Olympia but the landscapes were a lot greener and everything was extremely cute. We finally did some educational activities including going to the Ministry of Culture, the Archeological Museum and the actual Archeological site where the ruins of the original Olympic infrastructure was built. All of it was amazing to see - we were able to view some phenomenal statues of ancient gods such as Hermes and Nike. They were quite stunning. Unfortunately, I was told by a local that the Statue of Zeus (one of my bucket list items) was burned to the ground and no one can find the remains so I think that this bucket list item was completed because we made it to the archeological site nonetheless.
After a day in Olympia we headed to Corfu because we did not have time to go to Sparta (looks like I won't be reciting any lines from the movie but again, I'll give myself a half check mark for this bucket list item because we attempted to recite some of the lines in Olympia by the statues and ruins).
So some of the things that I learned were that women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics nor even watch them for the first few hundreds of years. Second, the word "gymnos" actually means naked which is where gymnasium came from. The Olympians used to have to compete completely naked at the Olympics - which I guess is why the winners were able to be cocky.
So, we went on a rediculous journey to get to this city - I think the Greek Gods were testing us to see how badly we wanted to get there. After shuttling to a ferry, catching a 5 hour ferry to Athens, catching a local train to our EUrail station, waiting 4 hours, catching the first train out of Athens, then a bus then two more trains, we arrived in Olympia. Needless to say we were all fairly tired from spending about 12 hours transporting ourselves to the city but it was more than worth it. The city felt like a little piece of home... or rather Oak Bay.
The weather was much milder in Olympia but the landscapes were a lot greener and everything was extremely cute. We finally did some educational activities including going to the Ministry of Culture, the Archeological Museum and the actual Archeological site where the ruins of the original Olympic infrastructure was built. All of it was amazing to see - we were able to view some phenomenal statues of ancient gods such as Hermes and Nike. They were quite stunning. Unfortunately, I was told by a local that the Statue of Zeus (one of my bucket list items) was burned to the ground and no one can find the remains so I think that this bucket list item was completed because we made it to the archeological site nonetheless.
After a day in Olympia we headed to Corfu because we did not have time to go to Sparta (looks like I won't be reciting any lines from the movie but again, I'll give myself a half check mark for this bucket list item because we attempted to recite some of the lines in Olympia by the statues and ruins).
So some of the things that I learned were that women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics nor even watch them for the first few hundreds of years. Second, the word "gymnos" actually means naked which is where gymnasium came from. The Olympians used to have to compete completely naked at the Olympics - which I guess is why the winners were able to be cocky.
Friday, May 14, 2010
"Legendary"
To describe the first week of the trip in one word, it would undeniably be "legendary" (as adopted into our everyday-vocabulary thanks to a number of Aussis).
Although there has not been much (if any) educational components to the trip thus far (aka we've ATVed and partied everyday) we have been having a rediculous time on the Greek Islands. Starting in Mykanos we partied hard at Mykanos Bar, Jacuzzi, and Skandanavia (http://www.skandinavianbar.com/). Skandanavia was the bar that we were able to dance on the bar (which is about 4 feet high) and I even got a free "Skandanavia babes" tank-top. One of my travel mates was able to knock-off my #25 (flaming shots of Ouzo) at one of the bars while my two other travel mates decided it would be a good idea to go skinny dipping at 3am after getting back from the bars - and of course the three boys had to pick me up, carry me down the beach and throw me into the ocean with my towel just to make the night complete.
We headed to Santorini on Sunday and expected this island to be a bit less party-centered and a bit more tourist-centered. On Santorini, we were recommended to stay at Villa Manos, (http://www.villamanos.gr/) a beautiful hotel/resort just 5 minutes out of town. This family-owned villa was absolutely gorgeous - stunning views of the city, mountains and ocean, an exceptional pool and a private balcony. On top of that, the staff was extremely helpful and friendly, assisting us with our quad bookings, tour bookings and shuttles to and from the port and even greeted our party with glasses of wine when we arrived the first night. At only 11.25 euros per person per night, this was an outrageous deal. The only amenity that I thought was meteocre was the breakfast which cost 5 euros and offered one fried egg, one piece of cheese, some pieces of baguette and coffee/juice.
Our group decided to take the "See Santorini in one day" tour which cost only 35 euros and proved to be an all-day excursion. Leaving the villa at 9am we were transported to the highest point of the island to view the stunning scenery of Santorini. After that, we headed down to the port and went onto a large sailboat which went to the birthplace of the island, the volcano. Shortly after, we headed to hotsprings which we had to swim out to and then went to an island that offered donkey rides which we missed by 3 minutes! After that we were transported back to the main island and taken to Oia to see the sunset. We arrived back at our villa around 9:30 pm.
We met a few Canadians that were staying at our villa and mentioned that they had just come from Ios, where there was barely any tourists and the town was fairly barren. Our group hesitated to go to the island but decided to check it out anyways because we had heard that it was "the party island". After a short 30 minute ferry ride, we arrived in Ios and were taken to the Far Out Beach Club Resort (http://www.faroutclub.com/) which I would argue is better than an all-inclusive Mexican getaway. This place is made for young adults who are looking to meet people, lie on the beach and party hard until it is light out. The island of Ios may have been "dead" but this specific resort had lots of young travellers looking to have a good time. We quickly made friend with a group of 5 Calgarians as well as some Australians and had 2 "legendary" nights. Situated right on the beach, the Far Our Club is another amazing deal in the off season. At 17.50 euros per night, we were given air conditioned rooms, a breakfast buffet, evening movies, laundry service and much more. During the daytime, we rented ATVs and drove around to see the island, laid on the beach and drank a lot of Mythos (a Greek lager). Both nights we rallied together a group of 10-20 people to pre-drink and play Sociables/King's Cup and then headed into town to the local pubs and clubs.
The first stop on the nights was Fun Pub and the name definitely preceeds itself. At this pub there is a massive Jenga set in which pub-goers must take turns getting the blocks. The person that knocks it over must chug the rest of their drink. In addition my travel mates and I signed up for a pool tournament. I must have had beginners luck because I was the last girl left in the competition and it was down to about 5 players but then our group decided to head to Flames Club and so I backed out. The tournament was 2 euros to enter and you received 3 lives. The object of the game was to be the last person standing and all you had to do was hit any ball into any pocket. If you hit the 8-ball in or were able to hit multiple balls in in one shot, you received an extra life. If you missed, you lost a life but got to do a shot.
Slammer Bar and Flames were amazing places to head to after Fun Bar. Slammer Bar is known for their house shot called the "slammer". For 4 euros they make you wear a helmet, hit you on the head with the shot, you drink it as fast as you can and then they use something heavy to hit you as hard as they can in the head. Some people were hit with fire extinguishers, chairs, baseball bats - it was absolutely hilarious. I decided to try one of these out and the bartenders for whatever reason singled me out to do a beer bong of hard liquor instead of a shot. (Pictures to come). Apparently I became a "legend".
After doing the slammers we headed to Flames club which was jam-packed wall to wall. Their drink special was 3 Jager bombs for 10 euros which was trouble. The music at Flames was all songs that everyone knows the lyrics to which lead to 6-hour sing-alongs of Blink 182, Lady Gaga, Pink, ACDC, Chumbawumba etc. The club also sporadically had sparklers passed around for songs, foam and a Michael Jackson impersonator. Both nights we arrived back at the Far Out Beach Club after 4 a.m. - I believe the clubs closed at 5.
Running on about 4.5 hours of sleep per night, I am looking forward to what Athens has to offer. We will be heading there on a ferry tonight, then off to Olympia and Sparta and then we will finish off Greece in Corfu where we will be staying at the Pink Palace (again, I hear that this hostel is trouble AND we are rendezvous-ing with some of the Calgarians that we met in Ios and they definitely know how to party).
Just over a week has gone by and I think that at this rate my head will explode from having so much fun! I swear something has to go wrong - why have we been so lucky thus far!?
Although there has not been much (if any) educational components to the trip thus far (aka we've ATVed and partied everyday) we have been having a rediculous time on the Greek Islands. Starting in Mykanos we partied hard at Mykanos Bar, Jacuzzi, and Skandanavia (http://www.skandinavianbar.com/). Skandanavia was the bar that we were able to dance on the bar (which is about 4 feet high) and I even got a free "Skandanavia babes" tank-top. One of my travel mates was able to knock-off my #25 (flaming shots of Ouzo) at one of the bars while my two other travel mates decided it would be a good idea to go skinny dipping at 3am after getting back from the bars - and of course the three boys had to pick me up, carry me down the beach and throw me into the ocean with my towel just to make the night complete.
We headed to Santorini on Sunday and expected this island to be a bit less party-centered and a bit more tourist-centered. On Santorini, we were recommended to stay at Villa Manos, (http://www.villamanos.gr/) a beautiful hotel/resort just 5 minutes out of town. This family-owned villa was absolutely gorgeous - stunning views of the city, mountains and ocean, an exceptional pool and a private balcony. On top of that, the staff was extremely helpful and friendly, assisting us with our quad bookings, tour bookings and shuttles to and from the port and even greeted our party with glasses of wine when we arrived the first night. At only 11.25 euros per person per night, this was an outrageous deal. The only amenity that I thought was meteocre was the breakfast which cost 5 euros and offered one fried egg, one piece of cheese, some pieces of baguette and coffee/juice.
Our group decided to take the "See Santorini in one day" tour which cost only 35 euros and proved to be an all-day excursion. Leaving the villa at 9am we were transported to the highest point of the island to view the stunning scenery of Santorini. After that, we headed down to the port and went onto a large sailboat which went to the birthplace of the island, the volcano. Shortly after, we headed to hotsprings which we had to swim out to and then went to an island that offered donkey rides which we missed by 3 minutes! After that we were transported back to the main island and taken to Oia to see the sunset. We arrived back at our villa around 9:30 pm.
We met a few Canadians that were staying at our villa and mentioned that they had just come from Ios, where there was barely any tourists and the town was fairly barren. Our group hesitated to go to the island but decided to check it out anyways because we had heard that it was "the party island". After a short 30 minute ferry ride, we arrived in Ios and were taken to the Far Out Beach Club Resort (http://www.faroutclub.com/) which I would argue is better than an all-inclusive Mexican getaway. This place is made for young adults who are looking to meet people, lie on the beach and party hard until it is light out. The island of Ios may have been "dead" but this specific resort had lots of young travellers looking to have a good time. We quickly made friend with a group of 5 Calgarians as well as some Australians and had 2 "legendary" nights. Situated right on the beach, the Far Our Club is another amazing deal in the off season. At 17.50 euros per night, we were given air conditioned rooms, a breakfast buffet, evening movies, laundry service and much more. During the daytime, we rented ATVs and drove around to see the island, laid on the beach and drank a lot of Mythos (a Greek lager). Both nights we rallied together a group of 10-20 people to pre-drink and play Sociables/King's Cup and then headed into town to the local pubs and clubs.
The first stop on the nights was Fun Pub and the name definitely preceeds itself. At this pub there is a massive Jenga set in which pub-goers must take turns getting the blocks. The person that knocks it over must chug the rest of their drink. In addition my travel mates and I signed up for a pool tournament. I must have had beginners luck because I was the last girl left in the competition and it was down to about 5 players but then our group decided to head to Flames Club and so I backed out. The tournament was 2 euros to enter and you received 3 lives. The object of the game was to be the last person standing and all you had to do was hit any ball into any pocket. If you hit the 8-ball in or were able to hit multiple balls in in one shot, you received an extra life. If you missed, you lost a life but got to do a shot.
Slammer Bar and Flames were amazing places to head to after Fun Bar. Slammer Bar is known for their house shot called the "slammer". For 4 euros they make you wear a helmet, hit you on the head with the shot, you drink it as fast as you can and then they use something heavy to hit you as hard as they can in the head. Some people were hit with fire extinguishers, chairs, baseball bats - it was absolutely hilarious. I decided to try one of these out and the bartenders for whatever reason singled me out to do a beer bong of hard liquor instead of a shot. (Pictures to come). Apparently I became a "legend".
After doing the slammers we headed to Flames club which was jam-packed wall to wall. Their drink special was 3 Jager bombs for 10 euros which was trouble. The music at Flames was all songs that everyone knows the lyrics to which lead to 6-hour sing-alongs of Blink 182, Lady Gaga, Pink, ACDC, Chumbawumba etc. The club also sporadically had sparklers passed around for songs, foam and a Michael Jackson impersonator. Both nights we arrived back at the Far Out Beach Club after 4 a.m. - I believe the clubs closed at 5.
Running on about 4.5 hours of sleep per night, I am looking forward to what Athens has to offer. We will be heading there on a ferry tonight, then off to Olympia and Sparta and then we will finish off Greece in Corfu where we will be staying at the Pink Palace (again, I hear that this hostel is trouble AND we are rendezvous-ing with some of the Calgarians that we met in Ios and they definitely know how to party).
Just over a week has gone by and I think that at this rate my head will explode from having so much fun! I swear something has to go wrong - why have we been so lucky thus far!?
Sunday, May 9, 2010
First Few Days in Greece
YAMAS! Our group arrived in Athens at 3am after about 23 hours of flights and layovers. We decided to head straight to Mykanos on the earliest ferry because Athens is fairly tense at the moment. After a 5 hour ferry ride (on an extremely nice ferry) we arrived in Mykanos and to our amazement the island was absolutely gorgeous. One of my travel mates was referred by a friend to stay at the Paradise Beach Resort which is literally right on Paradise Beach. At 17.50 euros each per night, this resort was all we could ask for and more. Warm, private showers, cheap food and drinks and a 10 second walk to the beach.
Over the course of the last few days we were able to go out clubbing in downtown Mykanos and it was extremely fun! I have never danced on a bar, gotton a free shirt and multiple free drinks in Victoria. We also met a group of three girls from New York and Ecuador who were awesome to go out with. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures they took on Facebook.
Other highlights of the island was renting ATVs, seeing a rediculous (trained) Pelican walking around the boardwalk and eating like 10 Gyros. We are heading off to Santorini which is supposed to be a bit more touristy and I am hoping that we will be able to do some sight seeing or maybe go to a museum - oh and flaming shots of Ouzo of course.
I will post again soon!
Over the course of the last few days we were able to go out clubbing in downtown Mykanos and it was extremely fun! I have never danced on a bar, gotton a free shirt and multiple free drinks in Victoria. We also met a group of three girls from New York and Ecuador who were awesome to go out with. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures they took on Facebook.
Other highlights of the island was renting ATVs, seeing a rediculous (trained) Pelican walking around the boardwalk and eating like 10 Gyros. We are heading off to Santorini which is supposed to be a bit more touristy and I am hoping that we will be able to do some sight seeing or maybe go to a museum - oh and flaming shots of Ouzo of course.
I will post again soon!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
My Euro-Bucket List
While I am looking forward to "relaxing" in Europe I thought that unplanned relaxation was just not my style. So, I have created a bucket list of 25 things that I would like to do during the 42 days that we are on our trip. If you have any suggestions as to things that I absolutely must do, please feel free to post comments!
25. Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Everybody! DONE
Although I really dislike the taste of black licorice, flaming shots of ouzo in Santorini will have to happen.
24. Gondola Ride in Venice
I'm almost certain that this is a “must do” in Venice, and besides, the last gondola I rode was up the green hill at Mt. Washington.
23. Sing-Along
From June 3 to 23 the Festival de Musique de Strasbourg will be occurring in the small town of Strasbourg, located near Alsace, France. I may not be singing along per se, but I will be enjoying the classical music.
22. Eat an Exotic Food
A local type of fish? A weird looking fruit or vegetable or perhaps a cut of meat that I have never seen. I want to try some of the local delicacies.
21. Be a Copycat DONE
I hear that there are a number of knock off purses, bags, wallets etc. in Europe and I will definitely have to pick one (or five) up along the way.
20. Global Connections
I would really like to see the Monaco Motor Show which is occurring from June 10-13th. Who wouldn't want to see beautiful cars in a beautiful city?!
13 Voulez Vous Couchez Avec Moi Ce Soir?
While my male counterparts may be using this phrase quite a bit on the trip, I would like to see a Moulin Rouge show in Paris. I've heard that they are fairly pricey (100+ euros) but definitely worth the pricetag.
http://www.moulinrouge.fr/home-flash-gb.html
12. Get Crazy, Get Wild, Let's Party, Get Loud DONE
While I may be missing out on the new season of Jersey Shore and will definitely not be having Ron Ron Juice on my trip, I definitely plan on trying the real deal absinthe.
11. Hallelujah DONE
I was brought up in a Christian family, however, today, I am by no means religious. Nevertheless, I want to go to as many Roman/Vatican cathedrals and maybe even confess my sins (of which I anticipate there will be a few along the way). The cathedral architecture of Western Europe is breathtaking – in particular I would like to visit the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano.
10. Ole Ole Ole Ole
I am fortunate to be in France when the 2010 FIFA World Cup commences in South Africa. I do not typically watch soccer or FIFA (maybe because Canada's doesn't have a competing team), however, I cannot miss out on the opportunity to go to a local pub and cheer on France in their game against Uruguay on June 11th. Viva France!
9. Visit one of the seven Medieval Wonders of the World DONE x2
Similarly, to item 16, I would like to visit all of these wonders one day. In the mean time I will go to the leaning tower of Pisa and/or the Colosseum.
8. Luck Be a Lady
While my next set of travel plans includes going to Las Vegas, I would like to visit a world-famous casino in Europe. Back in December 2008, I visited a number of casinos in Macao, including the world-famous Venetian. In Europe, the Monte Carlo casino is renouned and has been showcased in a number of James Bond films. Maybe I'll win the jackpot there.
7. See Some "Disruptive" Advertising
TBWA is my favourite advertising agency in the world, largely because they have an unconventional style of doing advertising for companies. TBWA has been known for their disruptive, boundary pushing advertisements. Auditoire, is their Paris office which I would like to visit. I wonder what the odds are of getting a tour?
Some of TBWA’s advertisements for Sony Playstation: http://www.coloribus.com/focus/playstation_print_ad_history/
Auditoire’s website: http://www.auditoire.fr/
6. Strut My Stuff at the Fashion Capitals of the World
The big four cities, New York, London, Milan and Paris have long been regarded as the fashion capitals of the world. So if I'm going to tour Europe, I want to do it with a bit of class and style by visiting London, Paris and Milan. As for New York, I have already stayed at the Mariott Marquis in Times Square twice for conferences in 2007 and 2008.
5. Recreate a Starry Night
My favourite artist of all time is post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. He created hundreds if not thousands of paintings that helped to define modern art. Of his paintings, my three favourites are (3) Starry Night over the Rhone (2) Starry Night and (1) Cafe Terrace at Night. All three of these paintings were inspired by the city of Arles, located in the south of France. In particular, the Cafe Terrace at Night was painted based on the Place du Forum which is where I would like to visit.
http://www.vincent-van-gogh-gallery.org/Cafe-Terrace-on-the-Place-du-Forum.jpg
4. Eiffel Tower the Eiffel Tower
This one’s fairly self explanatory, except that it will most likely be the G-rated version.
3. There's No Business Like Show Business
I would absolutely LOVE to see a London broadway musical. While I have been fortunate enough to see Wicked and Rent on Broadway, as well as a plethora of other musicals in my hometown (my most recent being the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), I cannot wait to see an outstanding London rendition of a classic musical.
2. Be like Coco Chanel
I idolize Gabrielle Chasnel (apparently her birth certificate spells her last name with an “s” because the person who wrote it was illiterate). Chanel came from nothing and was able to build herself an empire, exceptional brand image, and most importantly design the covenant little black dress that every women has in her wardrobe. Before Chanel's career came to fruition, she use to sit in the Bar Vendome lobby in a velvet chair and people watch for hours at a time.
http://www.ritzparis.com/jump_to.asp?id_target=1330&id_lang=2
1. When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do DONE
This is the all encompassing bucket list item. While on my euro-trip I do not want to miss out on any opportunities that may arise. Therefore, like in the Jim Carrey movie "Yes Man", I want to say 'yes' to as many things as possible.
--------------------------
So this is my bucket list for the trip. I will try to document the achievements of as many of these as possible and keep you posted on what things still need to be done throughout the trip. As I formerly stated, if you have any items that you think I should add, please let me know!
25. Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Shots Everybody! DONE
Although I really dislike the taste of black licorice, flaming shots of ouzo in Santorini will have to happen.
24. Gondola Ride in Venice
I'm almost certain that this is a “must do” in Venice, and besides, the last gondola I rode was up the green hill at Mt. Washington.
23. Sing-Along
From June 3 to 23 the Festival de Musique de Strasbourg will be occurring in the small town of Strasbourg, located near Alsace, France. I may not be singing along per se, but I will be enjoying the classical music.
22. Eat an Exotic Food
A local type of fish? A weird looking fruit or vegetable or perhaps a cut of meat that I have never seen. I want to try some of the local delicacies.
21. Be a Copycat DONE
I hear that there are a number of knock off purses, bags, wallets etc. in Europe and I will definitely have to pick one (or five) up along the way.
20. Global Connections
I anticipate that we will be meeting lots of people along the way. I want to meet/befriend one person from every continent in the world (minus Antarctica perhaps) and stay in contact with them after the trip.
19. Etch-A-Sketch DONE
I've been told that the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the top museums/galleries in Italy. There is something like 45 rooms of paintings that date back from 1200's until current day. I am looking forward to spending a day viewing all of the wonderful artwork and perhaps sketching a bit myself.
http://www.uffizi.com/painting-collection-rooms-uffizi-gallery.asp
18. Crack Da Vinci's Code
While I may not be able to crack Da Vinci's code literally, I am looking forward to spending a day at the world famous Lourve in Paris.
17. Hike the Cinque Terre in Italy DONE
Every person that I have spoken to about going to Italy said that I HAVE to hike the Cinque Terre. Located on the west coast of Italy, cities Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore boasts delicious seafood and robust wines.
16. Visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World DONE
In the future I would like to visit all seven wonders, but in the mean time I plan to see either the Statue of Zeus located in Olympia or the Colossus of Rhodes (in Rhodes).
15. This... Is... SPARTA! (Sort of Done)
I think it would be humorous to recite some lines from the movie 300 in Sparta. I suppose it will go something like this: “He did not wish tribute, nor song, or monuments or poems of war and valor. His wish was simple. "Remember us" he said to me. That was his hope, should any free soul come across that place, in all the countless centuries yet to be. "May all our voices whisper to you from the ageless stones, "Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here by Spartan law, we lie." And so my king died, and my brothers died; barely a year ago. Long I pondered my king's cryptic talk of victory, but time has proven him wise, for from free Greek to free Greek, the word was spread that bold Leonidas and his 300, so far from home, laid down their lives... not just for Sparta, but for all Greece and the promise this country holds. Now here on this ragged patch of earth called Plateaea, let his hordes face obliteration! Just there the barbarians huddle, sheer terror gripping tight their hearts with icy fingers... knowing full well what merciless horrors they suffered at the swords and spears of 300, yet they stare now across the plane at 10,000 Spartans commanding 30,000 free Greeks... The enemy outnumber us a paltry 3 to 1, a match for any Greek. This day we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny and usher in a world brighter than anything we can imagine, Give thanks, men, to Leonidas and the brave 300! To victory!”
14. Too Fast and Too Furious
I would really like to see the Monaco Motor Show which is occurring from June 10-13th. Who wouldn't want to see beautiful cars in a beautiful city?!
13 Voulez Vous Couchez Avec Moi Ce Soir?
While my male counterparts may be using this phrase quite a bit on the trip, I would like to see a Moulin Rouge show in Paris. I've heard that they are fairly pricey (100+ euros) but definitely worth the pricetag.
http://www.moulinrouge.fr/home-flash-gb.html
12. Get Crazy, Get Wild, Let's Party, Get Loud DONE
While I may be missing out on the new season of Jersey Shore and will definitely not be having Ron Ron Juice on my trip, I definitely plan on trying the real deal absinthe.
11. Hallelujah DONE
I was brought up in a Christian family, however, today, I am by no means religious. Nevertheless, I want to go to as many Roman/Vatican cathedrals and maybe even confess my sins (of which I anticipate there will be a few along the way). The cathedral architecture of Western Europe is breathtaking – in particular I would like to visit the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano.
10. Ole Ole Ole Ole
I am fortunate to be in France when the 2010 FIFA World Cup commences in South Africa. I do not typically watch soccer or FIFA (maybe because Canada's doesn't have a competing team), however, I cannot miss out on the opportunity to go to a local pub and cheer on France in their game against Uruguay on June 11th. Viva France!
9. Visit one of the seven Medieval Wonders of the World DONE x2
Similarly, to item 16, I would like to visit all of these wonders one day. In the mean time I will go to the leaning tower of Pisa and/or the Colosseum.
8. Luck Be a Lady
While my next set of travel plans includes going to Las Vegas, I would like to visit a world-famous casino in Europe. Back in December 2008, I visited a number of casinos in Macao, including the world-famous Venetian. In Europe, the Monte Carlo casino is renouned and has been showcased in a number of James Bond films. Maybe I'll win the jackpot there.
7. See Some "Disruptive" Advertising
TBWA is my favourite advertising agency in the world, largely because they have an unconventional style of doing advertising for companies. TBWA has been known for their disruptive, boundary pushing advertisements. Auditoire, is their Paris office which I would like to visit. I wonder what the odds are of getting a tour?
Some of TBWA’s advertisements for Sony Playstation: http://www.coloribus.com/focus/playstation_print_ad_history/
Auditoire’s website: http://www.auditoire.fr/
6. Strut My Stuff at the Fashion Capitals of the World
The big four cities, New York, London, Milan and Paris have long been regarded as the fashion capitals of the world. So if I'm going to tour Europe, I want to do it with a bit of class and style by visiting London, Paris and Milan. As for New York, I have already stayed at the Mariott Marquis in Times Square twice for conferences in 2007 and 2008.
5. Recreate a Starry Night
My favourite artist of all time is post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. He created hundreds if not thousands of paintings that helped to define modern art. Of his paintings, my three favourites are (3) Starry Night over the Rhone (2) Starry Night and (1) Cafe Terrace at Night. All three of these paintings were inspired by the city of Arles, located in the south of France. In particular, the Cafe Terrace at Night was painted based on the Place du Forum which is where I would like to visit.
http://www.vincent-van-gogh-gallery.org/Cafe-Terrace-on-the-Place-du-Forum.jpg
4. Eiffel Tower the Eiffel Tower
This one’s fairly self explanatory, except that it will most likely be the G-rated version.
3. There's No Business Like Show Business
I would absolutely LOVE to see a London broadway musical. While I have been fortunate enough to see Wicked and Rent on Broadway, as well as a plethora of other musicals in my hometown (my most recent being the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), I cannot wait to see an outstanding London rendition of a classic musical.
2. Be like Coco Chanel
I idolize Gabrielle Chasnel (apparently her birth certificate spells her last name with an “s” because the person who wrote it was illiterate). Chanel came from nothing and was able to build herself an empire, exceptional brand image, and most importantly design the covenant little black dress that every women has in her wardrobe. Before Chanel's career came to fruition, she use to sit in the Bar Vendome lobby in a velvet chair and people watch for hours at a time.
http://www.ritzparis.com/jump_to.asp?id_target=1330&id_lang=2
1. When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do DONE
This is the all encompassing bucket list item. While on my euro-trip I do not want to miss out on any opportunities that may arise. Therefore, like in the Jim Carrey movie "Yes Man", I want to say 'yes' to as many things as possible.
--------------------------
So this is my bucket list for the trip. I will try to document the achievements of as many of these as possible and keep you posted on what things still need to be done throughout the trip. As I formerly stated, if you have any items that you think I should add, please let me know!
Monday, April 26, 2010
One Week
Finally there is only one week before my group departs to Europe. You would think that we have packed, or would have taken the week off to start mentally preparing for our first Eurotrip, but sadly all four of us were not afforded the luxury of pre-time-off before our time-off. Myself, I am still working two jobs, one at the University of Victoria and one at a local restaurant downtown. My last shift is Sunday - we leave from Vancouver on Tuesday. One of my other travel mates is working a co-op term in Vancouver until this Friday, while the other has exams until mid-week. Finally, my roomate, has to work until Sunday as well.
Have we booked our hostels, no. Do we know what cities we're travelling to, not really. All we know is that we're starting in Athens, ending in Paris and this trip is going to be the highlight of our young adult lives. This trip is going to be a riot - literally and figuratively (weren't there just huge riots in Athens last week!?). We plan to eat the local foods, lie on white sandy beaches, and enjoy the local sights (be that of the alcoholic, educational, or male/female assortment, is up to you to guess). Most importantly, we want to have the MOST FUN possible.
John Steinbeck once stated that "a journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." So we've decided to be laid back about planning the trip and hope that whatever we do and wherever we go, it will result in an amazing experience.
Using Steinbecks simile, I think that currently we're in the "dating" stage of our relationship. All of us are working or living in other cities, seeing each other once in awhile and planning our trip. We'll transition into the "marriage" once we arrive at the airport on Tuesday with our passports and tickets in hand, filled with all types of emotion and extremely excited for the adventure awaits us. This leads us into the "honeymoon" phase, in which we hang out on the plane and arrive at 3 a.m. in Athens. We'll all be excited, perhaps have a celebratory drink or ten and then call it a morning.
I am really hoping that our journey is like a marriage in that we all are amiable towards one another and our friendships remain longlasting. However, it is puerile to think that there will not be arguments or even separations. While time will tell whether or not our "marriage" will work out, I do know for certain that our marriage will not be built on traditional foundations such as monogamy. While my bucket list is of things "to do" on the trip, my travel mates have more of a bucket list of people "to do" on the trip. List(s) to come soon - we'll see who will be able to "hit" more things on their list.
Have we booked our hostels, no. Do we know what cities we're travelling to, not really. All we know is that we're starting in Athens, ending in Paris and this trip is going to be the highlight of our young adult lives. This trip is going to be a riot - literally and figuratively (weren't there just huge riots in Athens last week!?). We plan to eat the local foods, lie on white sandy beaches, and enjoy the local sights (be that of the alcoholic, educational, or male/female assortment, is up to you to guess). Most importantly, we want to have the MOST FUN possible.
John Steinbeck once stated that "a journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." So we've decided to be laid back about planning the trip and hope that whatever we do and wherever we go, it will result in an amazing experience.
Using Steinbecks simile, I think that currently we're in the "dating" stage of our relationship. All of us are working or living in other cities, seeing each other once in awhile and planning our trip. We'll transition into the "marriage" once we arrive at the airport on Tuesday with our passports and tickets in hand, filled with all types of emotion and extremely excited for the adventure awaits us. This leads us into the "honeymoon" phase, in which we hang out on the plane and arrive at 3 a.m. in Athens. We'll all be excited, perhaps have a celebratory drink or ten and then call it a morning.
I am really hoping that our journey is like a marriage in that we all are amiable towards one another and our friendships remain longlasting. However, it is puerile to think that there will not be arguments or even separations. While time will tell whether or not our "marriage" will work out, I do know for certain that our marriage will not be built on traditional foundations such as monogamy. While my bucket list is of things "to do" on the trip, my travel mates have more of a bucket list of people "to do" on the trip. List(s) to come soon - we'll see who will be able to "hit" more things on their list.
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