Croatia!

We arrived in Croatia on Friday after a 17 hour journey through the night by train, it was really long and we didn't get much sleep. We arrived to 35 degrees and not a cloud in the sky and that is how its been the entire time we've been here. On Saturday we started our one week sail around Croatia from Split. It has been just glorious so far. We are on a boat with 30 people in total and our days consist of eating, swimming, reading, and napping while we sail from island to island. It is just beautiful and I cant think of a better way to celebrate my birthday on Thursday!

Venice

After some minor set backs with the train system we arrived in Venice to spend our last two days in Italy before we went to Croatia. We had been told that Venice was really expensive but we found the cheapest gelato in all of Italy! It was so cheap that one of the days we had four. (Gelato = icecream). We spent our time cruising the canals, eating ice cream and savouring our last pizzas and pastas! Italy was hard to say good bye to and is a country I will 100% be back to!

Photos from the last 3 weeks

 Katie and I in Paris

                                                       Nick, Lauren, Katie and I in Nice

                                                              With the Leaning Tower of Pisa

                                                  Lauren, Katie and I in Switzerland

                                                     Katie and I in Rome

Katie and I in Venice    

Naples - Italy

I'm on the train leaving Naples and I have to say I'm feeling sad to be leaving. When we arrived in Naples on Monday and walked out of the train station my initial reaction was to turn around and get back on the train to Rome. The streets were so dirty (covered in rubbish), there was graffiti everywhere and a lot of homeless beggars who approached us immediately. But first impressions were kicked to the kerb because our hostel couldn't have been any better. We were welcomed and the man that owned the hostel planned two days of activities for us so that we could see the 'real' Naples. We went on a walking tour on the first day, but when the guide never turned up, two Italians who saw us looking lost took us on a tour of city themselves. It was so lovely and the language barrier was hard at the start but we really got to see Naples in all it's glory from a local perspective. We ended that day eating pizza on the beach where pizza was born! 
Day two was an early start with Pompeii first on the agenda. We caught the train out there and to avoid the heat went right on opening.  It was really fascinating seeing the site and everything that I had learnt about in school. We made our way back to Naples and then down the coast to our kayaking tour along the coast. We had a tour guide called Armando who took us to all these secluded beaches and places that only the locals know about for 4 hours. We were exhausted by the end of it but it was probably the cheapest and most enjoyable thing I've done over here. The ocean was so warm and the scenery was out of this world. It was a great way to end our time in Naples. 

Rome - Italy

Roma! Wow what can I say? We spent an extremely busy 3 days in Rome. On the first day we went to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican. We went through a tour company so that we could avoid the queues. It was beautiful. Hard to describe the pictures imprinted in my mind. Saint Peters cathedral was the king of all churches, I'm not sure I should bother seeing any more in Europe! We stayed in a really nice hostel and in our room were two kiwi boys from Dunedin, it really is a small world! Day two was when the heat really hit us. Lining up to get into the colosseum in 35 degree heat was really exhausting. We cut the queue again by jumping in a tour group. Which I'm  so glad we did, when we got out the line hadn't moved much. The colosseum was awesome to see in real life and the guide on our tour made it seem like we were there watching gladiators fighting. We then went to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the famous ruins of the roman times. Day three consisted of the Pantheon, Trevi fountain and the Spanish Steps. On our last night we went out for dinner (more pizza) and then went to a concert with fire works at the Spanish steps, a memory I'll treasure. I could easily say to anyone thinking of going to Rome that you could spend a week there. We had a very busy 3 days but the early mornings, lines and heat were most definitely worth it! 

Florence and Pisa - Italy

We just spent two days in Florence, we stayed out in a camping ground in one of their hostel rooms. It was about an hour from Florence and really pretty. We had a big pool and they had a restaurant that served the best Italian food. While we were there we did a day trip to Pisa. We spent the day exploring the town and of course getting photos with the leaning tower. While we were there we went to a small italian restaurant that did the best pasta I've ever had. It was hard to pack and leave Florence, easily could've stayed longer. But off to Rome we go for more pizza, pasta and gelato! 

Nice - France

Today we left the beautiful city of Nice. I feel a bit like I am repeating myself all the time, but it just was truly amazing. Everywhere I go is so unique and has something special about it. Nice was on the beach and was far less busy than Paris. We went for a walk up a hill to see the view of the city, walked around the 'old town' and then spent the rest of the time at the beach. The beach was packed and it was so hard to get into the water walking on stones. I fell into the water after slipping on the stones. It was pretty funny, thank goodness the water was so warm! We went to the markets in Nice and ate the freshest summer fruits, delicious. I really could have spent another week there but today we moved on to Italy. We arrived in Florence today and we are camping in Tuscany for the next two days.

Switzerland

We spent the last two days in Lucerne (Luzern) in Switzerland. When we arrived it was pouring with rain and after spending 8 hours on the train we were a little disappointed with the weather. We found our hostel really easily and then decided to venture out for dinner. After some looking at menus we realised why people had told us that Switzerland was very expensive! We found a restaurant that served us quite nice food and didn't totally blow our budget. The rain stopped during dinner and we were able to explore that night. Yesterday (Sunday) we woke to heavy rain. We started sight seeing (in our summer clothing) and after a couple of hours the rain stopped. However it was too cloudy to go up into the Swiss Alps, which was really upsetting as it was our only chance. I guess I'll have to come back here one day! We did a lake cruise instead and saw the sights of Lucerne from the boat. It was beautiful. Then we went and brought chocolate, cheese and crackers and had our own traditional Swiss afternoon tea. For dinner we found a Swiss pub and mingled with the locals. We left Switzerland at lunch time today and are currently on our way to Nice in France. 

Paris

Hi all from Paris! We arrived yesterday and so far have been to the eiffel tower, louvre and done a 4 hour tour of the main highlights of Paris. It is beautiful here. I have been having a lot of trouble with a wisdom tooth and last night decided to find a doctor. The address we were given was actually to the Army hospital but I was so upset by the time we arrived that they felt so sorry for me and a kind French man unlocked the iron gates and let us in. They made Katie, Lauren and Nick wait in the entrance near the sign that said 'STRICTLY NO TOURISTS ALLOWED', while I was taken away. I realise now how crazy this all seems! The director of the hospital was away but his son was friends with the frenchman so he called him and he came to assist. It was very embarrassing and hard considering they didn't speak good English and didn't know what a wisdom tooth was. Eventually we came to the conclusion that I would have to leave and see a dentist the next day. Today the hostel staff rung a lot of dentists but turns out most French people leave Paris in august to get away from tourists! So I am now on painkillers and salt water rinses, will venture to a hospital if things get unbearable! Have got two more days in Paris and then heading to Switzerland. It has rained a little today but it's still warm. We are going to do more sight seeing tomorrow! 
Big hello to my grandparents who are just learning how to use the Internet! 
Love to all 
Kate