Milan - Style, History, Gelati and Shoes!!

My train arrives at Milano Centrale station around 6:00pm. As I walk down the long platform I am keeping an eye out for my friend Catherine - god I hope I have gone to the right station! Soon I see here smiling face as she waves out from the sea of people making their way to and from the station. After a quick greeting we weave through the crowds to another platform underground to catch another train to her house. It takes around 20 minutes and soon enough we have popped back up into the land of the living and in about 50 metres we are standing outside her apaprtment. We walk up the red carpet and squeeze into the cute, ornate little elevator. The lifts are bizare here. There is a door you have to manually open, the two glass doors that open up and are held by magnets while we entre, then all the doors must be closed before any buttons are pushed, at which point we get loudly locked in and the slow elevator ride begins. After the elevator adventure we arrive at her door. Her appartment is beautiful. Marble floors, wooden accents, two bathrooms, decent sized rooms and a lovely view. I am very happy to be here.

I settle in, put my stuff down and enjoy a nice warm shower to freshen up. We get changed, do our hair and makeup and go back to the train station to go out for an apiritvo and a few wines. We catch a bus and a tram and end up along the river side. The river side is lined on either side with bars and clubs. We find a nice looking little place and sit down to enjoy apiritvo. We order a bottle of wine, fill our plates with food and clink glasses - to a great night out! I then realise I am not the only one enjoying dinner. A swarm of mosquitoes are happily feasting on my legs and draining me of blood. Luckily there is a convinience store next door, so 10 euros later I am drowning myself in insect repellent and they no longer bother me. I think I have drowned half of the other guests at this restaurant as well due to the looks I am getting - they will thank me when they are not covered with welts tomorrow!

After our dinner and wine, we wander down the river side in search of somewhere to enjoy another drink. We find a little place and indulge in long island iced teas - always a garunteed way to start the night off well! We finish those and choke down another free shot from the lovely bar tender. We wander around in search of some form of club. A group of local guys inform us of a good club up the road called Bobino, so with them leading the way we head to check it out. The club is fun, lots of people are dancing and the music is really good. When it closes at 3am we go in search of chocolate banana crepes - my new obsession! After searching and finding nothing of the sort, I end up with a burger in my hand from a local mc donalds and we head home.

The next day is spent sleeping, doing some grocery shopping, eating and then sleeping again. At 5pm I manage to roll myself out of bed and make myself semi presentable. We decide to catch the train to the Duomo and then do appiritivo with two of Catherines friends.We reach the Duomo station and climb the stairs back up to ground level. At the top of the stairs I am struck in awe of the beauty of the Duomo Cathedral. It is a huge, and absolutely breathtaking old building. It is so amazing spending time in these gorgeous old cities that are filled with so much history. I am so greatful for the opportunity to have all of these experiences. Catherine shows me around the centre and over to the old theatre, where a show is about to begin. We decide to go get dinner and find a nice little place up the street to sit, eat and wait for the girls. They meet us about an hour later and we make our way to a gorgeous roof top bar on Catherines suggestion. 

The next day we get ourselves ready and race to the train station. We are off to spend a day in Lake Como - hopefully George Clooney will be there at his holiday home! We get to the station and jump on the train. We are racing against the clock to reach the station we need in time. We get off our train and make a run to the next train - 6 minutes, we are really cutting it fine now. It arrives, we jump on and head to the next station. The clock shows 12:30 and that is the time our train leaves! We make one last effort and sprint through the station, up the escalator and down the next set of stairs. we are in luck! The train is still there! We jump on with seconds to spare, find a seat and plonk ourselves down. We can now relax and watch the rolling green country side fly past us.

An hour and a bit later we arrive in Como. It is a beautiful little town, filled with little houses speckled all over the tree lined hills. The lake is like a huge mirror with small ripples being made from the various holiday makers out on their boats. Little restaurants line the street side and as we look for a place to refuel ourselves we are called over and seated at a nice little place with 180 degree views of the lake. The waiters are very attentive and although they have run out of pizza, and the pasta I want - they go next door to get us pizza and make me a special batch of tomato and basil spagetti.

After lunch we head down to the 'beach side' area of the lake. We find the hidden little pathway next to and icream store. When we arrive we pay our 9 euros and a friendly African man comes out with two lounge chairs for our sunbathing convenience. We set up in a nice little spot close to the lake side. Shortly after we have settled in the girls arrive with their chairs and set up camp. The people watching opportunity is hillarious. Old leather handbags lie there in the sun, baring their 60 year old boob jobs and years worth of sun damaged skin. Italian men in their speedos parade past, their hair blowing in the wind (not just the hair on their head either). Other men stand around, one hip cocked to the side and a hand fabulously placed on their hip.The children run around and enjoy swimming in the murkey pool. The picture as a whole is amazing to take in. After an hour or so of sunbathing we decide it must be cocktail o'clock. Apparently we can' t get served in our bikinis, so we throw on our dresses and head up to the restaurant. We order a couple of Pinky coladas, cheers, and enjoy the show of people that surround us.

After a couple of beers in the sun it is time to head back home. We pack up and go to the station to wait for our train. Its been a long day so we head straight home. The next couple of days are spent catching up on domestic chores such as washing, blogging, and taking some time to relax. After three weeks solid of activities, tasks, partying, bad food and not enough sleep - my body is  very happy for the break. I decide to get outside and do some much needed exercise. So I don some shorts, sports top and shoes and head out equipped with a bottle of water and my ipod.  As I begin my run down the street in search of a park, it occurs to me that I am the only person out running. No one else even slightly resembles exercise clothes of any kind. So naturally, being the alien running down the street I get a lot of stares, random conversations in Italian that I can't understand and a few toots. After twenty minutes I find a small park. I run a few laps around the park and then due to the decrease in my fitness and the scorching afternoon sun I decide to walk and take in my surroundings. It feels great to get the blood moving around my body and after two hours I manage to find my way home, indulge in a cold shower then relax for an afternoon siesta before Catherine gets home from work.

The next day a friend of mine has kindly offered to take the day off work and give me a guided tour - via scooter around Milan. At 12:30 he arrives, hands me my helmet and the tour begins. We wizz past old monuments, parts of the ancient wall that once protected the city and other historical features of the city. We park the scooter near castello Sforzesco and take a nice walk through the castle grounds. We come out the other side and head towards the Duomo. We make our way through the many levels of the mall next to the Duomo. The first lever]ls are makeup and perfumes. Then the torture of a level of handbags. Next I am drooling over Jimmi Choo, Prada, Gucci and hundreds of beautiful shoes. Next is a level of beautiful clothing - this really is heaven and hell wrapped up in one. The final level is full of beautifully displayed novelty and luxury foods like heart shaped sugar sticks, coffee and tea, pastas and chocolate shaped like shoes (love). I am drawn to beautiful sparkling crystal bottles. It appears to be luxury . . . water! The price ranging from 35 euro to 250 euro!!! the things some people will pay money for! So after escaping the amazing mall and using every ounce of discipline not to purchase anything sparkly, shoes like or chocolate we stop for a lovely roof top lunch with a spectacular view of the duomo.

After lunch we make a hasty exit down the many escalators to the bottom of the mall and burst out into the street. We make a quick pit stop into chocialto italiano - best ice cream store in the world!!!!!!!!! The waffle cone is filled with melted chocolate and the amazing smooth, creamy ice cream is topped with nutella. I am in love. With the ice cream steadily melting in the heat and running down my arm I am now equipped with lovely sticky hands as I head to explore the Duomo. I change into a maxi skirt and cover my sinful shoulders with a sarong I have pre packed. We then join the line to enter the cathedrial.

I am awe struck again. It is just so beautiful and intricately designed. Gold lines the roof and walls of this spectacular, artistic masterpiece. Huge stained glass windows let in brilliant shades of light from the sun outside. Sculptures stand, frozen in action. I wander around and take in all the beauty to be seen. There is a glass case behind a roped off area. I step closer to get a better look. Inside the case, lying at peace for the world to see is the body of a past pope. He is dressed in his traditional robes and a silver mask covers his face. Resting on his pillow I can see the back of his head and his hair. The only other visible part are his hands, a greyish brown colour, resting on his torso.

We then go into another small room. It is a shrine to another couple of past leaders. The room is beautiful, every inch paying attention to detail. At one end, behind bars is a large, beautiful room. Lit with candles, intricately and artistically designed and housing a glass case which contains the remains of another past leader. At the other end of the hall, another body lies still in a case for the world to see.

After the Duomo we head back to through the castle and back to the scooter. We zoom through the streets, ducking in and out of the traffic to make our way home to meet Catherine. A quick distraction at a beautiful shoe store - there was a sale, so it had to be done, we continue on our way home. The night is then spent relaxing with a wine, and organising the next leg of my trip. Where to go? how to get there? where to stay? The options are as endless as the transportation methods. After about four hours of researching, my brain is about to explode. So I put the computer away and fall into bed.

The next morning the decision is made! I will go to Venice for the weekend! The train ticket is booked and I feel a lot better knowing I have a plan in place. I throw on my running gear again and head out to pound the pavement once again. The stares are back in full force of my alien running routine down the street. On my way back I stumble across a small store that is having a sale. I all but sprint home, shower and get changed, then power walk back. I spend the next hour trying on dresses, shorts, tops and a million pairs of shoes. My tour guide has to come and drag me out of the store - but not after making a few purchases. After a month of wearing the same outfits I really needed to go shopping. Back on the scooter and we explore Via Monte Napoleone, a beautiful street lined with all the top designer stores. After an hour or two of torture looking at all these beautiful things I head home and get ready for my final night in Milan.

Catherine and I decide to go out for a final Aperitivo. We order our drinks and go inside to pile up our plates. The food selection is amazing. Salads, meat, pasta, pizza, vegetables, bread and chips. After a few plates of food it is time for dessert. I notice a huge jar of nuttella - heaven! I load my plate with a couple of waffles and absolutely smother them with nutella. The waffles are really just an excuse to eat a plate load of nutella - I just didn't want to look like a complete pig. After dinner and a couple of drinks we head home for an early night. Time for a decent nights sleep before my next big adventure . . . Venice!

Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans xx

Florence - Art, Bikes and Stairs!

I get off the train and head up to the main terminal where Kendyl is waving and calling my name - thank god I got the right train! I follow her to where Claire is waiting with the bags. Its dinner time and Im starving so I grab a quick slice of pizza to eat on the way. Well, I grabbed what was called a slice - but their slices are about the size of one of our pizzas, so my quick bite to eat became a quick sit down dinner. After my feast we locate the taxi rank and line up for our ride to our b&b. 

The ride through Florence is beautiful! Stunning old architecture, shops like Gucci, Prada and there is a Guess store for kids! Because the children must be up to date with their designers of course. We pull up at a beautiful old building. Big old trees sway lightly in the breeze as we make our way over the courtyard made up of stones. We buzz the b&b and the large front door opens to reveal . . . more stairs! Fantastic. I pick up my bag and struggle to the top, but surprise surprise - this isn't the top. There are three more sets before the top, and once again I am drenched in sweat. Got to love making these stunning first impressions everywhere that I go.

We are greeted by a very helpful little Asian man. He shows us to our lovely room and points out the great view from our window. He then takes us through everything we could possibly need to know in fine detail - even how to open the door using the key, and how to click the light switch on - who would have thought that was how its done? He then goes into detail on how to use the cappuccino machine (only 1 of us actually drinks coffee) and after the lengthy, but very helpful intro we finally escape back to our room and let out a sigh as our heads finally hit the pillow.

The next day Kendyl and I get up, put on our gym gear and set out to find a local park to do some exercise. We find a hill that we think the park is at the top of and begin running. The hill is deceptively steeper and longer than first anticipated, so to avoid dual heart attacks we slow down to walking pace. We duck out of the way of trucks, cars and bikes and finally reach the top. No park. So we continue running and walking down the other side as it must be there! Still no park, so we head back the way we came to a small area of grass and a few park benches to do some resistance training. Its amazing the things you can make do with when you need to be resourceful! We do step ups and a small cross fit style session ending in sprints - where we find a young couple under a blanket sleeping under a nearby tree. Good way to save a few dollars lol. After a good stretching session we head back to the b&b to get ready for the day.

We eat, shower and get ready, then realize we all have different agendas for the day. We agree on a meeting point at 6:30 pm and head out on our separate adventures. I download a tour app of Florence and, armed with my map, head out to explore the city. Strangely for me I find my way around very easily. I explore the Bargello, an interesting old building which dates back to 1255 and has been used as a fortress, a palace, a prison and is now a museum. I make an attempt to interpret the information panel below each of the old sculptures and artefacts. After the Bargello I find my way to the beautiful old Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, a huge, beautiful old church in the heart of Florence. I join the line, and purchase a sarong from a passing merchant. As I enter, a free English speaking tour has just began, so I tag along and learn the meaning behind the paintings and the history of the church. Every area of the amazing architectural design has meaning, and the placement of the paintings inside the church all have a certain purpose and representation. The inside of the huge 40mtre diameter dome is painted with a fresco depicting the rise of Christ. The tour guide goes into detail and explains the meaning of the pictures. Its beautiful. The dome sits 90 metres above the ground and there are a few visible holes in various points of the dome. We are informed that the structures that the artists who worked on this would use were just planks from one side of the dome to the other. They would dangerously balance on these unstable structures to complete the work. Needless to say, many would fall to their death. Nice positive piece of info

.

After the church I wander through the local market. As I pass each stall I am harassed by each merchant selling Prada, and Louis Vuitton (yeh right), the man selling belts, jewelery, food and local trinkets. I  practice my bartering skills amongst the jewelry salesmen. One guy tries to sell me a painting for 25 euro, by the end of our conversation I have him down to 10 euro and he wants to take me to dinner! I tell him Il be back soon and make my escape. After a long day of wandering I decide to head home and relax before meeting the girls. I find my way back very easily - again, much to my amazement. Begin the excruciating journey up the steep stairwell, unlock the door and flop down on my bed. It is like heaven lying down. About five minutes later the girls arrive, great minds think alike!

We spend half an hour relaxing, and then Kendyl and I decide to try out the cappuccino machine that our host is so incredibly proud of. We froth the milk, find what we can only assume is sugar (or salt) and sit down to enjoy our drinks. Ten minutes later, bubbling with our new found energy we all but bounce back to our room to get ready. After quick showers, hair and make-up we head down the street to the terrace, which is a popular spot for the locals to enjoy Appiritivo. We go to the bar and purchase our Mojitos. Only 7 euros each and we get a plate that we can fill with food as many times as we like! God I love Italy. We pile our plates with pastas, salad and bread and find a nice little area to sit down, on an old stone wall overlooking the river. We are surrounded by big old trees billowing in the wind, gorgeous old buildings line the street across the river and as we enjoy our food we watch the sun slowly setting. In the warm breeze surrounded by the locals and listening to funky lounge music it is the perfect way to end the day.

The next morning we wake early and get ready for another day of site seeing. We have a booking to see Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze, which houses beautiful works from Michealangelo and the famous statue of David. We head downstairs and walk across the bridge to find the local bike hire place. 5 euro each for the 5 hours - perfect. We get cute purple bikes with baskets on the front, and after a few wobbly attempts to mount the bike, I get the hang of it and we are off! We bike through the city, dodging wandering tourists and doing our best to keep to the right side of the road. It is so much fun and nice to give our feet a rest from all the walking - however our butt bones are not impressed! Cobblestone streets and hard bike seats are not the most comfortable combination.

We park our bikes and lock them up alongside hundreds of other bikes and line up to explore the gallery. It is amazing. The artworks throughout the ages are gorgeous. I enter one room and am struck by the beauty of the particular style from this era. Portraits painted in various shades of dreary dark colours line the walls. Musicians captured in dark old rooms, dressed in Medi-evil style clothing, standing with their instruments. They stare out at me from the paintings with a look of pain, sadness and boredom in their eyes. Their expressions are solomn, with the occasional hint of a slight smile. Was the time really that unbearable? I attempt a photo but am immediatley stopped by 'security'. I then find an area out of her site and capture the picture. I am that committed to sharing all the experiences with you all through my blog haha.

We continue to wander through the rooms filled with beautiful sculptures, paintings and old artifacts. The next room opens up to reveal at the end of the hall - the statue of David. He is glorious. The precise lines of his hands and body are incredible. It is like looking at a real person, of giant proportions, covered in grey paint. The statue is much larger than I had imagined and to think it was created out of a formless block is amazing. Michelangelo is a true master in his art. Again, no pictures are allowed, but being the rebel that I am, I sneak one so I can share here with you all on my blog. You are welcome.

After the gallery we bike to a nice little restaurant and indulge in some more pasta for lunch. We then head back to the Church I was at yesterday to walk to the top of the dome. We wait in line for half an hour. We pass the time by enjoying a delicious Gelati. We finally get to the front, pay our 8 euro and start the ascent up the 463 steps to the top of the dome. The passage ways are made of stone and concrete and get increasingly narrow as we reach the top. We pop out at the base f the dome and walk around up close and personal with the paintings. I look down and shudder - we are very high up and the ground is made of marble - just keep going, you have come this far! We go back through a small door and continue the climb. The passage ways are now very tight and almost claustrophobic. The stairs also become a lot steeper and we are almost climbing. Finally the last set of stairs with daylight pouring through the top loom before us. We are so close, but have to squish ourselves against the walls to make way for people who are coming back down. Definately a great activity for the claustrophobic.We make the final climb and arrive out in the fresh, windy air on top of the cathedral. We have 360 degree views of Florence. It was worth the climb! We take in the view, pose for a few pics and then decide to make our way back down. The day is getting on and I have to catch a train soon!

We finally reach the bottom and realize we need to get the bikes back to the hire place in five minutes! We walk around the outside of the huge church trying to find our bikes. We finally locate them, unlock them and zoom through the city to return them. We arrive a few minutes late but she doesn't mind. We head back through the city in the direction of the b&b. When we get to the other side of the bridge we say our goodbyes and depart ways. Thank goodness we meet up again in 2 weeks for a weekend in Ibiza otherwise this would be a very sad moment. I hurry to to pick up my luggage and jump in a nearby cab to get to the train station. I locate my train and wait for the platform number to come up on the screen. With 5 minutes to spare it finally comes up, so I race to my train, find my cabin and seat. That was relatively painless and now that I am on the train I sit back to read my book on Greek Mythology and Look forward to my adventures in Milan!

Rome - Art, History and Beauty

After collecting our bags from the carousel we head for the train station to make the trip to our hostel. We get off the train and after wandering a few cobble stone streets we finally find our hostel. The only rooms that were left were private double rooms and after checking Clair and myself in and dropping all our luggage including Kendyls in the room, we meet her outside and head down the street to find food.

We enjoy some pasta at a local restaurant. By the time we are finished we can barely keep our eyes open, so we return to the hostel to get a decent nights sleep. The three of us share the two single beds, and it works surprisingly well. The things you do when you backpack!

In the morning the cold I managed to catch on yacht week is steadily becoming a throat infection. Rather than let it get worse I decide to find the nearest pharmacy and pick up some antibiotics. I have a discussion in broken English with the lady at the counter. She hands me what I need and asks for three Euro. How simple and easy! I race back to the hostel where we are all stressing about being ready in time for our tour. We zoom downstairs, well when I say zoom it is more like an awkward struggle at a modest pace. The elevator is about the size of my body, so to squeeze in there with a bag and then endure the slow declince down to reception is not a quick nor easy task. We check out and scoff down some breakfast. We then realise our clocks are set an hour behind and we have plenty of time on our hands. Duh. So we play the waiting game again. 

At the correct time of 10:15am the guide arrives and after the introduction the tour begins. I strongly recommend getting a tour as the information you learn along the way makes site seeing even more enjoyable. We wander around ancient churches, the Spanish steps, the Trevi fountain, beautiful monuments and finally the Collussium. 

Over the course of the day we have made a small group of friends within the tour group. The eight of us decide to grab some lunch before exploring the Collusium. We sit down at a lovely little restaurant and enjoy plates of pasta, pizza and salad. After lunch we go back and explore the ruins. It is so surreal to be here. I wander down to where the ancient floor would have been and gaze up at the magnificence that once was. I am over joyed to be here, it is an amazing feeling. Thousands of years before me this arena would have been packed with spectators about to watch someone standing exactly where I stand, about to walk out and fight to the death. I can't imagine how the gladiators and slaves of the time would have felt walking out into the grand arena, knowing that their fate lies in the hands of one man.

After a full day of site seeing we head back to the hostel to get our bags and check into the new hostel, yellow, which is just up the street. Everyone agrees to meet us there at 9pm for dinner and drinks. The plan is to have a quick nap but in the time it takes us to find the hostel, check in, get to the train station to buy tickets to Florence, get back and get ready it is time to get downstairs for a drink. Kendyl and I are ready slightly early so we get ourselves a drink and sit down outside our busy little hostel to mingle with fellow travellers. It is definately a very social hostel. 

After one drink we are happily giggling away like little school girls. By the time our friends arrive we have met so many people at the hostel that it is hard to leave. We agree to meet them across the road for dinner when we finish our drinks. When we finally arrive, they take one look at us and send us to 'the naughty corner', which is a two seater table behind them. The waiter decides he likes us and our feeble attempts at Italian. Apparently speaking English with an Italian accent and using hand motions doesn't count as Italian? We receive priority service, much to the disgust of our friends, and also a free shot of lemon cello to top it all off. We pay our bill and head back to the hostel to dance, have some drinks and witness an Olympic battle of beer pong! I feel like we are in an American college movie - I have to admit, the experience is pretty fun.

The hostel has no aircon so after about half an hour our makeup has evacuated our faces and our hair is slicked back with sweat. We party with the hostel goers for the few hours, and then decide we are hungry. I raid the kitchen with one of the bar staff and prepare a nice healthy feast of pasta, pizza and potatoes for our group. Everyone hoes in and it's a great way to finish the night. 

The next morning we check out and stagger our way downstairs. We order breakfast and join some of the backpackers we met the night before. Once breakfast is finished we we once again wheel our bags to the train station and store them while we head off to explore the Vatican. We have been informed prior to departure that we have to cover our shoulders, chest and knees, so we are equipped with maxi dresses and sarongs. We reach the Vatican and after being warned of huge lines, are very greatful to see there is only a couple of people before us and the wait is not long at all. 

Once inside the church I am struck with awe, it is absolutely beautiful. Amazing and precise detail lines the church from floor to ceiling. No inch goes without astonishing attention to detail and beauty. The sculptures are almost life like in their stances. Beautiful gold fills the church and lines the walls. The art work is breath taking. After seeing the amazing master piece of the church we leave to find lunch. We then find ourselves talked into another guided tour of the museum and sistein chapel. 

The museum, it turns out, is where previous popes have lived and their high profile guests such as sculptors and artists stayed. We walk through Leonardo De vincis lounge room at one point-how amazing. After a wonderful tour we check the time and realize we need to get a move on to catch our train. We race through the sistein chapel, marvelling at the art work and taking a couple of sneaky pictures. We reach what we think is an exit - and then see the huge flight of spiral stairs. So the race to the station continues. 

We make the station in time. The girls have a train half an hour earlier than mine, so I sit down and wait to see what terminal I need to board at. Apparently my train is not on the board and with fifteen minutes before departure I begin to stress! I decide to walk up and down the terminals to see if there are any trains going my way. I locate one that doesn't seem to be my train number - but it will do! I jump on and pain stakingly make my way through the cabins, boiling hot and there is no air con. Still not knowing if it is the right train I ask a nearby lady who doesn't speak English. From what I can gather, the train is going to Florence. I ask another man and he says yes - so I am starting to feel better. I walk and walk and walk and finally find a man who speaks little English but shows me to my cabin. My Italian mastery of the previous night would be very handy right about now! Finally I arrive, drenched in sweat to a small cabin with no air con. the cabin is filled with three old men who don't speak English. One helps me store my bag, I thank him and plonk myself down in a seat. I entertain myself with a book on Greek mythology. It is so fascinating and I love learning this new information. So as I sit, sweat running down my face and reading my book I take the time to relax. Soon I shall arrive in Florence (hopefully) where the fun task of finding the girls will begin and the next adventure of finding our bed and breakfast. Looking forward to a nice long sleep tonight!

# Living in Faith, Hope and Love

Living by Blind Faith

The moment we realize the true potential of our minds and thoughts is the moment we can let go and truely start to manifest the amazing things in life that we seem to strive so hard to achieve. This knowledge mixed with the belief and faith in God is the ulitmate garuntee of a recipe to ensure youy live your best life that you can possibly imagine. A year ago I was running along the broad water, doing my usualy morning routine. I stopped at my 'secret' meditation spot on Soverign Island to stretch, meditate and connect with god. I had a vision in my mind to travel the world. Ever since I was a little girl I had always wanted to travel. But as we grow up and learn to live in fear and doubt, the 'whys and hows' sneak in. As a child I knew in the depth of my soul so many amazing things would happen in my life. So many of these have come true. But as an adult we increasingly fall vicitm to fear. Yes I wanted to travel - but how can I when I have x amount of deb? I have a great job, I cant leave that? How will I ever save enough? Who will I go with? I dont even know how to get around the Gold Coast let alone a country where I dont speak the language! All these paralysing thoughts would cross my mind - until I decided to change. If you keep doing the same things you will recieve the same results - so it was time to try something new. I stepped out in blind faith, knowing that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. It is never a lack of resources, yet a lack or resorcefullness!

A romance in Venice. Not planning my trip has worked to a wonderful advantage to me. Four months prior to my departure I met a lovely man online. He lived in the Uk wich is perfect as I will be moving there soon its great to know one familiar face. Little did i know the romance to unfold. On July 20th I anxiously await my train, I board and am whisked to the beautiful town of Venice. I arrive at my hotel . . .

Mykonos

We awake refreshed after the beautiful dinner last night. We pack up our things and go to reception to say our goodbyes to George. He walks us to the car park where he has a bus waiting for us and after the wonderful bell boy brings our heavy luggage up the stairs we say our goodbyes and board the bus. The driver is flustered and tells us he is behind schedule, and so the crazy ride begins. He speeds off along the cliff face, tooting at anyone who dares cross his path and hinder his progress. Once again I am impressed to make it to our destination in one piece! We sit down at a local cafe and have a bite to eat while we wait for our ferry to arrive. After we board we find our allocated seats and I again take the opportunity for a nap. 


The voice over the intercom wakes me, informing us we have arrived. We pick up our luggage and leave the ferry to find Billie. We have not booked any accommodation as many other travellers have informed us to play off the hotel owners waiting at the dock. So amongst looking for Billie, we are swarmed with offers. A lovely lady called Maria stands out to us. She offers us a four bed private room in the city centre for 25 euro a night each - plus it has aircon. Seems pretty reasonable, the pictures look decent and she offers to drive us there for free - done deal!

We find Billie and Maria escorts us to the van where a family of five are already waiting. We somehow manage to squish our 5 bags into the already packed boot and close the door. Then comes the hilarious activity of squishing 10 people into a 6 seater van. The family (two adults and three teenagers) squish into the back, and the four of us are left the two front seats. Three of us take up the two seats and Billie takes our knee. The door is slammed and we are compacted in.

We arrive at the motel and Maria leads us to our room, informing us on everything we need to know. We pay for the two nights and pack into our sardine can of a room. After a quick freshen up we head out in search of lunch. A promo boy of one of the local clubs leads us to a local restaurant. We enjoy a beautiful lunch in the cool breeze and then head back for a nap before the big party at Cava Paradiso.

We contact our new american friends and decide to meet them for pre drinks. We shower and get glammed up, then head out to meet the guys, stopping for kebabs and vodka red bulls. We join our new friends at their apartment and the vodkas are poured. By 1:30 the vodka is gone and its time to get on the bus to Cava. The boys have booked a private table and bottle service. After paying the 25 euro cover charge we enter one of the best clubs Iv ever seen. The haze from the smoke machine catches the multi coloured lights. The club is set on a hill on the beach front with an amazing view of the ocean. There is a large pool inside the club, which could be quite fun later on as Kendyl and Claire are destined to find out.

We locate the table and enjoy another round of vodka. The drinks are mixed extremely strong here. Soon Cascade is on and he is amazing! Everyone is in a great mood and the club is packed with party goers dancing the night away. We all stagger home some time after sunrise, which is a beautiful site to see.

We waste the next day sleeping off the previous nights shenanigans. At 3pm we finally rise due to hunger. Food is a great idea. We find a nice cafe on the waters edge and the occasional spray of sea water is refreshing and very welcome. When we finish lunch we decide to head to the beach to relax. We board the bus which takes us there. We very quickly learn that people don't go to the beach to relax here!

The beach is lined with sun lounges and cute thatched umbrellas. There is a strip of bars with loud pounding music and copious party goers dancing on tables, singing and having the time of their lives. We find the sun lounges furtherest away from the crazy bars - but of course the base still vibrates through them as if we were right next to it. We manage to have a small nap then head back to watch the sunset.

We find a gorgeous little restaurant on the water front and are seated at the best table, with uninterupted views of the ocean and perfect position to appreciate the sunset. The waiter brings us a plate of bread and we agree on a bottle of wine. The sun is slowly setting, throwing a parade of pinks and oranges across the sky as it reflects off the smooth, oil like ocean. The waves crash on the near by rocks and give us a gentle light spray. The waiter returns to light a candle on our table. This is the perfect way to enjoy such a beautiful sunset, and with the wonderful conversation we sit back and relax.

After another bottle of wine, we head back to our sardine can to get ready for the night ahead. By 11pm we return to our new fav souvalaki joint and enjoy dinner. The waiter also gives us a beautiful dessert of rich greek yoghurt and fruit. We finish dinner and head to scandinavian bar. However, by this time we are relatively sober and the clientelle there are less than desirable. We manage to handle an hour of seediness, horrid bar dancers and space invaders. We make a hasty get away - but the manager sees us and runs after us. He desperately wants us to stay and manages to convince us to come back by enticing us with free cocktails. We oblige and he takes my arm and leads us back. We order our drinks and attempt to dance for a while. Once again the space invaders swamp us, so we down our drinks and get out of there. We are all tired so we head home to sleep off the ordeal.

The next morning we pack our things and head out for breakfast. At 12:30 Marias boyfriend meets us and takes us to the ferry terminal. We thank him and then wait in the dusty shade for an hour for our ferry. We board as fast as we can and go in search of a suitable area to rest. We fall asleep on a couple of benches on the deck, but once the ferry starts up it gets a bit too chilly. we find a quiet-ish corner and I fall asleep face down on the table. When I awake my neck is stiff and my chest slightly bruised - but I am refreshed.

We pull into the terminal and catch a nearby cab to Demis house. Chris and her are waiting to greet us. After we put our bags in the rooms and a quick change of clothes they take us out for another lavish feast. Thank goodness for loose fitting dresses! Once again we are stuffed with amazing food. We thank her father for his generosity and say our goodbyes, then Demi takes us out to meet her friends and show us an amazing local Greek club.

The club is playing Greek music and the beat is so great to dance to. Its a good sized club and again it is located on the ocean front. There are huge ivy covered arch ways and flowers covering the floor. Apparently the tradition is that they all buy the flowers and throw them to pretty girls while they dance - how sweet. After a few hours of dancing we say our goodbyes and head home. It is good to be in bed and sleep is much needed before another day of transit as we make our way to Rome!!!

# party, eat, sleep, repeat - it is great to let loose and only achieve these things sometimes xx

Santorini - living the dream

Santorini

We arrive in Santorini around 2pm on Wednesday afternoon. After disembarking our ferry we make our way through the hustle and bustle of the crowds of people to a man who is waiting for us with a sign that reads 'Brewer'. He is happy to see us and takes our luggage to load the bus. We jump on board and the crazyride up the incredibly steep and narrow mountain begins. After about 30 minutes of the insanity we arrive in Oia. The bell boy meets us and helps us with our luggage. In the blistering heat we are drenched in sweat by the time we reach the top of the hills - and then the descent down the huge flight of stairs begins. We reach reception and are greeted by Maria, a lovely Greek woman who is extremely welcoming, caring and extremely helpful. We thank her for her help and the bell boy leads us to our room. 

The view is breath taking. We are situated on the side of the cliff with 180 degree views of vast ocean stretching out before us. Separating us from the edge are perfectly placed sun lounges and a small swimming pool to help us cool down between sunbathing sessions - we are home! We walk past the jacuzzi to our front door and the bell boy opens the door. We are greeted by a rush of cool air. We have aircon! very much appreciated. The room is beautiful, decorated in white and light blues. The bathroom is made of stone and the large shower is complete with a monsoon head and above this are hundreds of small led lights spread out across the rood, slowly changing colours from pinks, to purple, through to blue, greens and yellow. Like stars in the nights sky. To top it off there is a small window with blue shutters that opens up to show our amazing view. This, in my books, has got to be the most perfect way to shower. As I take in our beautiful bathroom I am over come with grattitude and joy. The window in the scene before me is extremely similar to the one I had pasted on my goal board back home around 1 year prior to this trip. It is more confirmation to me that I am exactly where I need to be at this point in time, and more proof of the power of attraction, and what can be manifested when you have faith!

After a quick change of clothing we make our way up the long set of stairs in search of a cafe. We find one about 100 metres from our place and take a seat in the shade over looking the ocean. We scan the menu and each order delicious salads and a much needed bottle of water. When lunch is finished, we thank the waitress and head to the local super market to stock up on supplies. Fruit, cereal and the all important bottle of vodka. We return to our room, change into bikinis and go stake our claim on the lounges. The view is amazing and in the intense heat we indulge in an afternoon nap. 

After waking up in another pool of my own sweat the swimming pool is a welcomed luxury. It is now officially cocktail time. Vodka lime and soda all round. The air is warm, the sun is slowly beginning its gradual descent across the sky and the company is fantastic. This is heaven. A very suarve looking greek man approaches us and greets us. After introductions it appears he is the owner and would like to know what wine we would enjoy. After a lovely conversation he disappears and the bell boy returns with a cool bucket of ice complete with a bottle of local Greek wine. We thank the man, clink glasses and lie back to enjoy our wine. If this is backpacking - I dont see why people complain!

When George returns we thank him for the wine and ask his opinion of dinner. He makes a reservation for us at skala, a favourite local restaurant just metres from our hotel. He invites us to join him after dinner to see the night life of Santorini. So once we are showered, dressed and the makeup is applied, we head to Skala for dinner. We indulge in a beautiful veggie salad, fresh calamari and another bottle of wine.

When we are finished dinner we join George and he escorts us over to the other town area here for our night life adventure. We arrive at a nice little lounge bar called Tango. A bottle of Vodka is ordered and after a couple Vodka red bulls we are energized and ready to dance. Tango is beautiful. It is on the side of the hill, open air so we can enjoy the warm nights breeze and a gorgeous view of the ocean. We spend an hour or so here and then make our way around other various clubs. 

Around 4am we are hungry again and go in search of kebabs. Kendyl and I struggle down the cobble stone streets in our wedge heels. Two local guys see our struggle and come to our aid - how kind of them. They join our group for kebabs and after we have had two each we are sufficiently re-fuelled. We then make our way back to Oia to see the sunrise.

Whenwe wake at 11am we are, needless to say, slightly groggy.Nothing a swim and tanning session wont fix! We head outside to be met on the terrace with a huge tray of breakfast. Antoher extreemely generous gift from George. We sit down and enjoy a hearty breakfast of croissants, cereal, ham, cheese, fruit, yoghurt and orange juice. Everything is so beautiful a fresh. Now that we are full we waddle over to beach ourselves on the lounges again to wait for our friend Billie to meet us. 

After we check her in we go to reception where there is a man waiting to greet us and show us to our hired quad bikes. After a safety briefing and a few practice runs we are off! Billie and Claire drive and Kendyl and I hold on for dear life on the back. We make our way through the crazy windy streets of santorini, drinking in all the amazing views along the way. It is such an exhillarating experience and the views are breathe taking. 

We get to the black beach and cruise along the water front bars looking for the ones George has recommended. We pull up outside wet stories. There is pumping music, and its a great set up so we decide to go in. They greet us like old friends and hurry us to the bar where they proceed to pour us delicious caramel shots. After two shots and managing to dodge a third we order mojitos and sit down on the comfy lounge suit to order lunch. Mojitos arrive with a side of shots - I guess it would be rude not to take them! 

After we finish we decide to head back and watch the sunset in Oia. We go to pay and they drag us to the bar where a jug of a delicious watermelon cocktail awaits with about 30 straws in it. Claire and Billie have to drive, so being the wonderful friends that we are, Kendyl and I take one for the team and drink the jug! We are about to attemp goodbyes again, when the waiter then brings out a plate piled up with four amazing crepe like desserts drizzled in caramel. As we bite in an explosion of melted chocolate and banana fills my mouth. I am sure I have just died and gone to heaven! I seriously reccomend everyone to experience this bar, it is the best one on the Black beach! We manage to say good bye and slip away. The sun is slowly starting its decline and we want to make it back for sunset. 

We get back to Armeni Village, park the bikes and stroll down to the look out point to enjoy the sunset. It is so beautiful and the lookout is packed with people all here for the same reason. As the sun slowly disappears behind the horizon a cheer errupts and people begin to clap. 

So now it is time to head back, shower and get ready to go to dinner. George has booked Skala again and we have two other friends joing as well. We hurridly get ready, meet up with everyone and head to Skala. The owner is so friendly and greets us all warmly. He then seats us at the best table in the house and brings us a beautiful bottle of wine. 'chin chin' and the glasses chink. Then the food begins to come out. The freshest and best tasting seafood is laid before us. Different types from octopus, clams and fish, breads, pastas and my favourite - lobster pasta! Absolutely amazing. A few intellectual debates break out and after a stimulating conversation and a lot of laughs dessert is then laid before us. Chocolate cake, baklava and water melon. One of the guys is filming for a documentary and he is very excited with the footage he has captured. The food coma is sneaking on and at 12:30 we decide to make a move for bed. We thank the owner graciously for his generosity and company, say our goodbyes and all but launch ourselves into bed.

The time spent in Santorini has been heaven on Earth. The service was outstanding and we have had the most enjoyable experiences. This was supposed to be a relaxing few days to recover before partying in Mykonos. If this is how we relax, I look forward to seeing how we party . . . 

# Dreams really do become reality when you have Faith xx

Check out Armeni Village, the ultimate holiday escape. www.armenivillage.com