Update From CA

I owe you a final blog post or two. And the remainder of my photos from the trip. I know. And I promise you're going to get them.

But...

At the moment, prepping for Burning Man is occupying all my time, energy, and attention. And next week being at Burning Man will be occupying all my time, energy, and attention. When I get back, I'll close this round of travel-blogging up officially. Maybe I'll even throw in a story or two from the burn for good measure.

In the meantime, the playa calls...

 

Russia:

Land of questionable hair cuts and even more questionable dance moves.

On Repeat

And while our blood's still young

so young it runs

we won't stop 'til it's over

won't stop to surrender.

Rome: 8.11.12

I've had some serious trouble keeping up with this over the last week - my apologies! It's not even that I've been terribly busy...just distracted, I guess.

I left off with our night out with Coreena, which was primarily memorable for the discovery that we are oddly well-known and loved in Malta. I spent the next night in, feeling a bit under the weather, and the night after that we went to see the newest Batman movie. It was not without its flaws, but I really enjoyed it. It was the kind of movie that makes me want to make movies (I know, I know...I want to do far too many things, and my biggest fear is that sometime soon I'm going to have to admit that, as sure as I usually feel about myself, I'm actually completely lost).

Now that I think about it, there aren't a lot of exciting things to report from Malta. I drank cappuccinos, ate seafood/gelato/crepes/British food...all the things I always look forward to doing in Malta. The most exciting day was the last one, because I FINALLY TOOK MY FIRST DIP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN!! It took a lot of trips to Southern European countries, but I finally managed it. And it was glorious. I stayed in forever. It was dark when I finally forced myself to swim back to shore. It's a tragedy that it took me so long to do that.

Did you know it's been 3 years since Jon and I embarked on our first 4-month-long world tour? I can't believe it. The anniversary is this month. The last 3 years of my life have been so wonderful and unexpected and wonderfully unexpected and unexpectedly wonderful. I can't imagine it any other way and I wouldn't change a thing.

Anyway, back to Malta! We spent our last night saying goodbye to Coreena and Marko, drinking (well, except for teetotaling me, that is) on the house. This visit was all too short, but it was great to see Coreena again. She says that the next time we come she won't be working in bars anymore, so we'll be able to spend much more time together. She also said that Jon and I give her hope for relationships, which I thought was quite silly, but cute. I think her actual words were that she finds it "comforting" to be around us because "you two are still so sweet to each other" despite being broken up. Staying close came completely naturally to us, but I'm glad we could help restore someone's faith in relationships anyway!

The most exciting thing Coreena said, though, is that she wants to try to visit us in the States! That would be amazing. She's looked at tickets since then, and says they seem totally doable. It would be so much fun to show her around my home for a change!

The next day we packed up our things and headed on to an unplanned stop: Rome. Getting to pretty much anywhere from Malta right now proved to be hugely expensive, with the exception of Pisa and Rome, so we decided to fly to Italy first and then make plans for Russia from there. We chose Rome over Pisa because I had yet to see the motherland, and that seemed like a tragedy. We were only there for a few nights (in fact, I'm on the plane to Russia as we speak), but it was nice to get a taste of it.

Our first night was spent in something that can only be described as "a bunker." Jon had to duck to get through the doorway. The ceilings were also abnormally low, although no ducking was needed inside. There wasn't much space beyond the bed/desk, just a bit to walk through. And there were no windows. I don't imagine it comes as much of a surprise when I say that we only spent one night there.

The food in Italy did not disappoint. Delicious grilled veggies. A seafood-packed soup. An incredible pasta with seafood and bean soup (sounds weird, but it was awesome). Gelato. And I realized that I can say "thank you" in at least 10 languages! Awesome!

The one night we tried to go out...didn't turn out so well. I'm sad to report that we had our first real mishap while traveling. Rome has a reputation for being full of pickpockets, and it appears to be a reputation well-deserved. Jon had a necklace stolen, directly off his neck. He'd had it for ages (a gift from his mother, I believe, that was a replacement for one he was given - and lost - for his confirmation). Needless to say, that kinda put a damper on the whole Rome thing.

We managed to get a bit of sightseeing in on our last day, but we didn't have time for much. We paid a quick trip to the Colosseum, which is one of the more spectacularly old things we've seen on our travels. I'd say the excitement of seeing the pyramids was greater, but probably just because Egypt feels like so much more of an adventure than Italy. The line was far too long for us to be able to go inside, but it was still cool just to see it from the outside. After the Colosseum we trekked to Vatican City (which could up our country count, depending on what you consider a country! It's not part of the UN, but it does issue its own passports, so...*shrug*). I managed to visit both St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel without bursting into flames! Success!

Vatican City was quite impressive, but there's no surprise there. Everything was grand and ornate and full of gold. We started with the Vatican Museum, but couldn't linger since we were short on time. They've amassed quite an impressive collection of statuary. There was one hallway lined with shelves and shelves of heads! What intersted me most was the building itself. It was massive. All the floors had detailed inlay, and all the walls and ceilings were covered in paintings. It was incrediby intricate. The quads outside were quite beautiful, too. Reminded me a bit of Oxford (but on a much larger scale). The award for most surprising part of the museum went to the collection of Egyptian art and artifacts (Jon, upon seeing a mummy: "Woah, is that an actual dead guy?!"). I had no idea (and still have no idea why) the Vatican Museum has an Egyptian collection!

The last stop on the tour was the most famous: the Sistine Chapel. It was a pretty spectacular place to be. The paintings are overhwelming even though you're expecting to see them. You're technically not supposed to take pictures, but I think Jon managed to sneak a couple. The guards are far too busy shushing people (they take silence very seriously) to notice a camera or two. After the Sistine Chapel we went to St. Peter's Basilica, which was just insane. I think I've run out of words for "huge" and "ornate," but it was both of those things several times over. The size and the level of detail was mind-blowing. As nice as everything was, though, I had only one thing on my mind at that point: gelato.

I know you're sick of this complaint, but it was flipping hot. Italy wasn't much cooler than Malta, although there was less humidity. We were dressed in long pants and respectable shirts since there's a dress code in Vatican City, so we were quite sweaty and uncomfortable by the end of our visit. Thankfully gelato was not difficult to find. :)

And that's about all I have to report from Rome...we had one last huge meal (Seriously, do Italians eat like that all the time? It's insane.), and now we're on our way to our final destination: St. Petersburg.

Rome: 8.10.12

This is all I can think about while in Rome:

What's that? I'm in Rome?

Yep. It wasn't in the plans, but here I am.

Story as soon as I have a chance to write it!

Malta: 8.8.12

Today is a glorious day, for it is the day the Romano returns to the homeland. So nice to finally make your acquaintance, Rome.

Malta: 8.7.12

I have said it before, but I'll say it again: this weather is HORRENDOUS. I'm dying. I was not cut out for weather this hot. At least I now know that I will never be moving to Malta full-time!

Malta: 8.4.12

I hate it when my entries suddenly end like that last one did and I don’t get to go back to them! I had to board the plane, and fell asleep as soon as I sat down. Entry forgotten. Sorry about that!

I am now in Malta, writing from a restaurant that Jocelyn and I discovered last time we were here. I came back solely for the amazing garlic-covered mushrooms. But before I dive into life in Malta, I know there was more to say about Portugal…if I can remember any of it. I think it was just a collection of random thoughts, like:

· Wow, the Portuguese are bad drivers. They are so fast. It’s a miracle we made it out of the country without either one of us getting hit.

· The Portuguese language was quite a surprise. I expected it to sound much more like Spanish than it actually does. Instead it sounded like a combination of French and Spanish and, of all things, Russian. I don’t know why I heard Russian in it. I think it had to do with the cadence, rather than the actual words.

· I heard “Sail” playing once when I was out walking. I was pleasantly surprised that it’s getting airplay outside of the US! It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but I love it.

· What I will not miss about Lisbon is the slipperiness. Odd complaint, I know, but it’s true…it was a seriously slippery city. The stairs in all the buildings were slippery. The curbs were slippery (I slipped off them several times). The streets and sidewalks were slippery…which really isn’t convenient in a city full of hills. I swear you need hiking boots to walk anywhere in Lisbon, or you’ll slide right down the street!

If there’s more, I can’t remember it…so let’s move on to Malta.

Ah, Malta. I love this silly little country so much. Although this trip has been a bit on the trying side so far.

It was early when we arrived, so we had a long wait before we could find a place to stay. We headed straight to Huggins, a restaurant we patronize frequently while here. It wasn’t open yet, but we sat at one of the tables outside and took advantage of the free wi-fi. When they finally opened, we indulged in a favorite tradition – the full English breakfast – and tried to find accommodations. It was not good (the trying-to-find-accommodations part, not the breakfast part…the breakfast part was delicious). Our usual place was all booked up, and that seemed to be the case all over town.

[Side note: My food just arrived. The mushrooms are amazing. And this smoked salmon is divine. And Malta has the biggest capers I have ever seen.]

We haven’t been here during high season before, so we didn’t know what to expect. For a country that’s generally so cheap, hotels are really expensive right now! Expensive and/or booked…it’s not a good combination. And to make things even better (a.k.a. “worse”), we found out that it’s probably going to cost us around €200 to get to Russia, no matter where we fly from. Yikes.

We ended up having to stay in a different town. Sliema isn’t terribly far away, but it’s just far enough to be a nuisance. We walked (2+ kilometers) to the hotel because it was still early and we had nothing better to do. Ugh…what an awful idea. We did not learn our lesson from Portugal: sun + hills + baggage = not fun. It is so hot here. As I said, we haven’t been here during summer before, and it’s way hotter than I expected. I will def be jumping in the Mediterranean at some point.

We had a late dinner at a place we’d never tried before in Balutta Bay (more Malta traditions: octopus and a seafood platter), and then trekked back to Paceville for a bit of the famous Maltese nightlife. It is so packed with tourists right now. There isn’t any room to breathe in the bars, much less dance. I’m not even sure how anyone has space to lift their arms and take a drink! I do not like being in crowds like that (not because I’m scared of it, but because I can’t handle that many people touching me), and I was tired and not in a party mood anyway, so we didn’t stay long. Had to fight with a bunch of cab drivers before we found one who would actually use the meter…it was good practice for the horrendous cab drivers of Russia.

To add to the list of unfortunate circumstances, our hotel in Sliema was only available for one night, so we had to do the torturous sun + hills + baggage walk again the next morning. No thank you. I have never been a very sweaty person, but God…I feel like I want to shower every hour here. No more Malta during summertime!

Random aside: just remembered that Armin is in Romania today and I’m not. L Tragedy.

Our new digs, though more money than we’d like to spend, are actually pretty nice. Good location, working Internet, and very spacious – we have a couch and a kitchen area with a small fridge and a table/chairs, and even a small outdoor patio space. Not bad at all! It was also only supposed to be for one night (and then we were going to have to do the awful walk AGAIN), but we found out this morning that we can stay. Thank God.

I had a lowkey afternoon on our first full day here, catching up on work, and sending out job applications. Have I explained that plan yet? I think that, after this trip and Burning Man, I’ll stay in New York through the end of the year. I’m thinking I can get a “real job” for a while, to save up some money for traveling/Oxford next year. And when I’m in one place, I can devote time to finding coaching clients! So that’s the plan at the moment.

But back to Malta. In between work sessions, I went for a bit of a wander. I browsed at the mall for a bit, and took a trip to the grocery store, and dunked my feet in the water for a while because STIFLINGLY HOT WEATHER. The real fun came at night, because we went out with Coreena. Let me tell you…a night out with Coreena is a night you will never forget, and by that I mean it’s a night you will never remember.

We started at Qube, the site of many a free shot last year (18 in one night, if memory serves). Turns out our free shot extravaganza left behind quite an impression, because the bartender immediately recognized us! Only 1 round of free shots this time, though. J

After Qube we went to Havana, which means all drinks on the house because Coreena works there. And once again, we found ourselves being warmly greeted by a bartender (Mario?) who remembered us! Coreena also introduced us to 3 friends of hers who each said they’d been hearing about us and our visit for weeks, and were very excited to meet us.

One in particular was so overwhelmed…you’d have thought she was meeting a celebrity! Apparently she’d never met an American before, so she was ridiculously excited about that. And then when she found out I live in New York…oh my goodness. I thought she was going to pass out from overexcitement. She was literally fanning herself and holding her hand to her cheek in disbelief and saying “I can’t believe this, I can’t believe this” over and over again. I told her I would be happy to show her around if she ever made it out there, and then she lost control completely. Just kept waving her hands around and shaking her head and saying “No, no, no, no, no” like it was all too much for her. It was like a teenage girl meeting One Direction.

So basically…Jon and I are famous in Malta. And I totally want that on a shirt: Famous In Malta.

Lisbon: 8.2.12

And it’s with that insightful thought about pastries and staircases that I bid the country of Portugal farewell. It was a lovely trip, and now I’m parked on the shiniest floor I have ever seen, passing the time between flights at the Barcelona airport. This is probably one of the most inconvenient layovers I have ever had the – well, “pleasure” isn’t really the word for it – of experiencing. We arrived at BCN sometime before midnight, and we’re stuck here until it’s time for our next flight…at 5:15am.

The good news? MALTA!

The bad news? 5:15am.

In Jon’s words, “Who the hell is getting up at the ass-crack of dawn to go to Malta?!”

I have no idea. Maybe we’ll be the only people on the plane. In which case I’m s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g out for naptime! Zzz…

The last couple of days in Lisbon were nice. Not quite the adventure I was hoping for, but definitely nice. I was hoping to pay a visit toSintra or the beach, but getting Jon to go anywhere during the day is like trying to get a…ok, so I can’t think of a good simile, but you get the idea. It’s difficult. We did manage a bit of an excursion to the Castle of SaintGeorge, which was fun to get close to after admiring it up on the hill all week. We didn’t feel like paying the fee to get in (and I’d forgotten to restock my nearly-depleted supply of Euros anyway), but we wandered around it for a while and enjoyed the various spectacular views of the city and river that our spot atop the hill afforded.

Afterwards we explored the picturesque streets of Alfama, the old part of town that sits beneath the hill, and a cathedral we found (Santa Maria de Meior, I think?). If I recall correctly, that was also an exceptionally delicious day…more Portuguese pastries, butter-and-garlic-soaked clams, and grilled octopus. I will definitely miss how well (and how cheaply!) we ate in Lisbon. In addition to our standard pastry breakfast, we’ve had great Indian food, cheese-drenched pasta, and seafood-covered pizza. Last night we paid a visit to a place I’ve lovingly nicknamed “The Preschool” because of its multicolored furniture and the bright murals covering its walls. We tried an amazing rib dish (meat fell right off the bones), a black bean soup that had a rich smoky flavor, and a guava dessert with a soft white cheese. We ended our food tour today with two more pastries and a to-die-for seafood and rice stew. The broth was so good that I would drink it out of a cup.

Nights have been quiet. I spent one in to work, and otherwise only went out briefly. We went back to the Swiss bar a couple more times, and the owner was kind enough to wish us farewell last night with shots on the house. I’m always impressed by how quickly we manage to leave an impression on the places we visit.

I've finally figured out why Lisbon has so many stairs...

It's to work off all the pastries.