* From Marseille we travelled by train to Venice, and as we hadn't pre-booked this trip by much, we had to do it in five sections, so by the time we arrived at our new couch host in Padova, we were pooped. We arrived anticipating another wonderful experience, a warm welcome, a home-cooked meal, and a chat with our new hosts - and early to bed as we'd been up since 5 am. This didn't quite eventuate: the house was buzzing with a varied collection of humanity, including a chain smoker, and dinner (take-away pizza) didn't arrive till 9.30 pm. We ate, went to bed, and moved to a hotel in Mestre, just outside of Venice, the next morning.
* Venice was a wonder to behold with its canals and narrow streets and boutiques selling decorated masks and shoes and clothes and all the pizzerias... We were very impressed with all the fountains (here and in Florence and Venice) where one could fill one's water bottle with clear, clean, fresh, running water at any time, and avoid the plastic bottled water. St Mark's Cathedral and Square were great to behold. We can't get over how big these Europeans' cathedrals and monuments are! The elegant gold and red gondolas with their traditionally dressed gondoliers (striped blue and red tops, hats with ribbon, dark pants) were charming.
Our second day in Venice was a bit of a wash-out however, as it rained pretty steadily. We tried the boat trips to the islands of Murano and Burano, but eventually gave up as it was just too wet to do much of anything. Next time we'll stay inside Venice.
* From Venice we took the train to Florence where we stayed in a youth hostel, and received a very enthusiastic welcome from the young staff. (Florence Plus - highly recommended.) We undertook the 'Hop-on, hop-off' bus tour one day, and spontaneously headed out to the gorgeous seaside villages of Cinqueterre on the second day. We didn't have time to visit more than two, but what we saw was absolutely beautiful. The ocean was clear and it was wonderful to have our first swim - despite the jellyfish sting I received... We also enjoyed a delicious meal in one of the many restaurants lining the main street.
Back in Florence after that long day we ate a late dinner at Il Vegetariano, a whole foods restaurant just around the corner from our hostel that was divine. It was so good to eat wholegrain bread, pasta and even brown rice!! And there was a vast range of salad and vegetable dishes to choose from.
* The following day we moved to Rome and that afternoon were enchanted by the Coloseum and Pantheon. We had joined a tour, and that was utterly worthwhile. We stuck with this company, booking in for a tour of the Vatican the next day, which was also good though we spent over eight hours on our feet, including a long wait (over an hour) in the security queue. Then we (madly) walked across Rome back to our pensione where, exhausted, we collected our gear and moved to a camping ground outside of Rome. Ironically, the pine forest location was noisier than our pensione in the middle of Rome, as it was positioned next to a highway...
Now we are packed and about to head to Athens and our cruise around the Greek Isles!
So far we have stayed with
* a young couple in an apartment near Paris
* a family with teenagers in an apartment in Aix-en-Provence
* a young couple with young children in a rural farmhouse in La Tour d'Aigues
* an older couple in a smart apartment in the large seaside port of Marseille
* a single mum in an apartment in a suburb of Padova, Italy
and in
* a hotel in Mestre
* a youth hostel in Florence
* a pensione in Rome
* a camping ground in Rome.
We are about to experience a hostel in Athens and then a cruise ship! (We're looking forward to a bit of luxury after all the trekking and schlepping...)
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