ADD Adventures to: {{ Vienna, Austria }}

"You have to go to Vienna. If you're going to be in Bratislava, you have to go to Vienna. Vienna is beautiful."

These were the words spoken to me by a friend when she found out what my Semana Santa (Holy/Easter week) travel plans were. And she said them with such conviction, I didn't hesitate to say, "Ok, cool! I'll definitely check it out!" After all, "Vienna" is a word that we hear a lot, and an incredibly popular travel destination. So, I decided to go and check out the infamous Vienna, Austria.

Well, my friend was right, Vienna is gorgeous. It's a beautiful city, everywhere you turn your head, there's something to gawk at and fawn over. Its imperial charm and history are quite in-your-face, and I mean, it's not well-known for no reason, that's for sure. It's chalk-full of monuments, it's got the Danube running through it, and everyone I interacted with was so nice. Stumbling upon sights like this...

outside the city center, was completely normal, and I can't remember turning my head at any point without my mouth dropping at least slightly open. And yet, in spite of my jaw dropping just about every 50 seconds, I felt so completely ready to get out of Vienna. In a way, I think I felt a little disgusted by it.

The fact it's taken me three and a half weeks to even write about it is a perfect indication of the struggle I've been facing over the place/writing this. I started the post when I got back to Spain, and have come back to it at least three times to try and finish it, but I just do not want to contribute to the buzz that circles the city. But I shall, because I do want to be a [travel] writer, and this is part of it.

And truthfully, I have no clue why I feel so indifferent to Vienna, because I had really lovely couch surfing hosts, we had a really nice time, and as I said, the city is so beautiful, and the people were so helpful. I think I just, and this is going to sound strange and very "hashtag first world problems", but I think I got tired of seeing really nice things.

It all seemed so clean, perfect, and maintained from the outside, that I couldn't really feel anything there. It was kind of empty feeling. And based on the conversations I had with my hosts, both of whom are from France, the exterior isn't a very good representation of what's going on underneath. Which reigns true with so much in life, but there was just something about Vienna that felt a little pretentious and like it was putting on some major airs.

I'm quite sure I'll go back someday, probably with my family, and I'm sure we'll love it, but for me, a backpacker on a budget who would rather sleep in the sand than just about anywhere else, it wasn't my current cup of tea. However, the cup of tea I had at the Sacher Cafe, was worth the trip! (Ok, not the tea itself, but the experience of sitting in that posh cafe and having the tea.)

Naturally, the recommendation I latched onto the hardest before going, was to go to the Hotel Sacher and try the Original Sacher cake. Apparently, it's world famous (actually called the most famous cake in the world), highly coveted, and the recipe has remained top secret and locked up since its birth in 1832. I think the guys standing outside the opera house were taken aback and incredibly amused, when they were trying to sell me a seat to that night's show, and before they could finish, I was asking them about "some hotel that's behind the opera house and has some really famous cake". And I wish I had video footage of the guy's reaction when I told him, "I'll be honest, I'm way more interested in trying that cake than going to the opera. It's kind of the only reason why I came here." Priorities, kids, I've got em.

For the experience of entering the Sacher Hotel's cafe/restaurant, I'd definitely recommend going and having something. And yes, because the Original Sacher Torte is the most famous cake in the world, I'd say to go ahead and try it. However, I've gotta level with you, it was an incredibly expensive slice of cake (the unsweetened whipped cream on the side alone cost an extra 2.50+!), and I did enjoy it, the moistness of it and the hidden berry flavor that comes through, but I was also thinking, nearly the entire time, "I'm pretty sure I've had better cakes before." Welp. 

In all, the experience of going to Vienna was simply just that for me: the experience of going to, or best if I say, through, Vienna. I'd love to go back some weekend in the future when I'm very well-off, and prance around, pretending to be posh, and feeding into the pretentiousness of it all, but for now, I'm just fine hanging out on islands, smelling like a human in her natural state, and embracing dirtier places. 

I don't write any of this to try and discourage you, and truly, Vienna is worth seeing. Simply put, for me, it's not my place. Which is okay, they can't all be ;)

Thank you to Benoit and Alison for being such gracious hosts, the guy in the protein powder shop who got on his work computer to show me maps and metro routes to tourist attractions, and the church, for being so incredibly gorgeous (another thing I'd recommend visiting whilst there). And, to the city of Vienna itself, for being too perfectly appealing, visually. Also, sorry for bashing you so much. You really were lovely.

(I feel like a bipolar writer on this one. But it's just because I don't like to say things that aren't positive, but my energetic reading on the city was so bland, I just can't justify gushing over it like I will Budapest in my next post, or Lanzarote, which will be up on the blog after this weekend's adventure here.:)

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder to all!

Alliie-Sun <3 

Italia After All, Part Four: Capri

Well folks, we have made it to the fourth and final part of ADD's Italian Adventure: Italia After All! Today, we will hop on the ferry (not the one we planned on taking here, the one after, but it's all good) and take a short trip to the breath-taking Italian island of Capri! (Remember, it's said "Kah-Pree".)

We started the adventure off a little uncomfortably, after having decided to embrace the breeze and the view and sit on the top level of the ferry. Which, under normal summer or spring conditions would have certainly been great, but considering the hour and the time of year, we ended up huddled together, coats up to our ears, trying to stay enthralled by the view and moment for the full forty minutes, as to not be overcome by thoughts of how cold we were. I'm laughing as I write this, picturing us, the typical tourists, thinking, "Yeah! We're going to an island and it's the beginning of March! (More so from him, considering it's quite cold and rainy in The Netherlands.) Let's sit outside and take it all in -- it'll be great!" (You'll be glad to know we did not make the same decision the following night when we took the one hour ferry from Capri back to Napoli.) But in spite of our chilly beginning, the time we spent in Capri was absolutely amazing.

The island isn't too small for an island, and packed full of different things to do and see. Since we arrived in the evening, we decided to do our usual: walk to the hotel, check in, laze-around a little, then get ready, and go to dinner! However, Capri was destined to be different, and it all started when we arrived to our hotel. Now, we'd stayed in really amazing places before Capri, but while the bed in Sorrento was best, what we arrived to on this island takes the cake! May I present to you, the Hotel Excelsior Parco Capri...

{{ The perfect representation of how we felt when we walked in the door, and what we commenced doing after they'd closed the door. }}

I'd made the reservations via booking.com, and a couple days before we were meant to arrive they'd notified me that there was an upgrade available for only 8€. It said that the room we currently had reserved didn't have a view, but the upgrade would give us a garden view. Ok, we like views, I'd rather see a garden than nothing at all, book it! Well, what I didn't know, is that their definition of a garden is their amazing outside terrace area, and that, based on the almost-on-the-coast location of the hotel, a garden view also means a sea view, a cliff view, and a Southern-tip-of-Italy view. We lost our minds. Blessings were raining down on us harder than we could handle...almost.

{{ Their 'moderate' garden, and a not-so-moderate mansion. }}

So after dancing around the room like the crazy-fest-faces that we are, leaping onto the bed like they show people do in movies (you know that way, when someone who's been in a desperate, down-and-out situation enters a palatial place, sees the gorgeous, glorious bed they're going to sleep in, and as soon as the person who escorted them to the room leaves, they run and fly onto it, turning over on their back, looking up, and having that giant, "OMG this is amazing" face?), and striding out onto our balcony to assume the role of the queen I must have somehow landed, because, this is too nice to be my life, we decided to take the left-overs from our Neapolitan picnic and the bottle of limoncello we got somewhere up to the massive rooftop terrace, and enjoy ourselves a bit before we got ready for dinner.

Now, just like I made a note about the financial aspect of the trip, I'd like to make one about the alcohol consumption aspect of it, too...

I don't really like alcohol. I spent the greater part of the last 12-13 years being a party girl, and almost all of my time in college getting wasted on the weekends, and the occasional/frequent weekday. And after so many years of doing the same thing, and then realizing it was always the same thing, I stopped being The Party Girl. I had my spiritual awakening in 2011, and then it stopped even more. It was such a drastic change from the person I'd been before, that once, in my last semester of college when I was out with some friends, a girlfriend of mine told me, "I miss the old Fedor. You used to be so much more fun!" What she meant, without meaning to, was that the sober me wasn't as, how do I say this, as inhibition-less as the hammered me (?), and she missed me just being crazy and not giving a f---. That comment took some time to get over, and definitely didn't make it any easier for me to continue on my path of self-improvement. But I did.

After I became a conscious Being, I realized that alcohol actually, kinda, really, totally, sucks. I don't like being drunk, because then the world around me is fuzzy, and I love the world so much, I want to see it and feel it as clearly as I possibly can. So it's incredibly rare that I get drunk these days, and before this night in Capri, I hadn't been sufficiently intoxicated for probably nine months. At least. But we were on holiday, on an island, on a rooftop terrace, with an orgasmic spread of olives, soft cheese, artichoke hearts, salami and bread laid out before us, with a bottle of limoncello, and nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. So I embraced everything!

{{ The rooftop view during the day }}

I'd just finished pouring us a bit more limoncello, when P started talking about our plan for the night. He said, "We'll have half the bottle tonight, have half for tomorrow night, then when we're finished, go to the room, get ready, and go to dinner." I started laughing immediately, and held up the bottle, which was less than half full, adding a little, "Half the bottle tonight and half for tomorrow night? There's not even half a bottle left!" Sayonara, sanity!

Surprisingly, after finishing the bottle we were still in great condition, and returned to the room effortlessly and got ready. I even put on eye make-up! I mean, I mustn't have been drunk, because I pulled off some awesome cat-eyes! You cannot do that if you're drunk, have you seen Jenna Marbles' drunk makeup tutorial?? And after we were finished, we phoned the front desk to tell them we'd like to take the shuttle (car service they provide from 9-9) into the center for dinner.

Capri is divided into two, the Capri side, and the Anacapri side, and we decided to take our favorite advice, where to eat well, and go to one of the recommended restaurants in the Capri center. Which is so small I feel funny even calling it a town center, but it is, and it's beautiful and cute as can be.

We ate at a really nice restaurant called Michel'angelo, and were pretty happy to see there was already a bottle of wine on the table when we got there. (The recommended bottle that was on each table...they didn't read our minds before we'd arrived.) I took the waiter's recommendation for fish, prepared how he suggested, and P had some oysters and something. Now is when things started to fuzz together a little bit, and I do distinctly remember having a moment with the wine, probably sometime during my second glass, that I decided I should not, and could not, drink anymore. But, we finished the bottle anyways. The food was delicious, the setting divine, and it was yet another incredible eating experience in Italy. (Thank you, Italy, for treating my stomach oh-so right!) Then, we walked around a little bit, and found our way to the bus stop in time to catch the last one of the night.

I'm not sure what the bus hours are during high season, but we were told the last one ran at midnight. Also, we were able to tell the driver which hotel we were staying in, and he stopped right outside the property. We were really fortunate, actually, to be there in the off-season, because I'm not sure you have that much flexibility when the island is crawling and crowded with people. Just some of the perks to going somewhere when it's not the busiest time of the year. (Somethings to consider if you're planning a trip.)

The next morning I woke up feeling like one of the adorable little island buses had run me over as I slept (I think the bottle of champagne that we took from the minifridge when we got back to the room did NOT help), and was shocked to learn I'd only been asleep for a few hours, and it wad barely 7am! But waking up to the amazing view helped, and within moments, I was jumping around the room, dancing, and feeling right as rain (thank You, God, for not allowing that hangover to linger too long!!!!), and we decided to take the hotel up on their offer of bringing breakfast to the room for no extra charge. (I HIGHLY suggest staying in places where breakfast is included. It's so convenient, and does help the budget a bit!) So after some writing, which I surprisingly hadn't done at all the whole time, and freshening up (whilst remaining in the bathroom and house slippers they provided with the room), our beautiful breakfast spread came through the door, and onto the table outside!

{{ Princess-ing out, 100% }}

We feasted, did some reading and writing, got ready, then went downstairs to check out and figure out how to rent a scooter for the day!

Through the research I did before going, I heard that the best way to get around the island is on a scooter, and after having rented a quad to smash around Santorini the year before, I was all in for this motor-ing around experience! And so grateful to learn that P has a scooter license, because even though I had my friend give me a little lesson in his city before I caught my flight, I was far from confident enough to navigate us around the curves this island was sure to behold. Also, again, so grateful that it wasn't high season, because the roads were nearly empty, which gave us a lot of room to get comfortable on the bike and take wider turns.

The hotel called the company, I believe it's called CapriLand, and it cost 55€ to rent the scooter for the whole day. We didn't need to worry about returning it with a full tank of gas, and the guy was soo casual when running through the logistics of it with us, I would have been surprised if he'd notice us taking it away on the ferry that night. They even tell you where the first limoncello factory is, and give you a coupon to go have a free sample. I love Italy.

He mapped out a full route for us, telling us where to go, what to see, where to park, if parking was free, how much this cost, how much that cost, and where to go for lunch to have some great pizza. The day was already going great, and we'd only just begun! We took off, and made our way to his first suggestion: the lighthouse beach, which he described as, "Very beach." And although there wasn't a grain of sand in sight, the more we explored, the more we came to understand what "very beach" meant.

{{ Seriously, brilliant }}

We basked a bit in the sun, got totally soaked by a MASSIVE wave that came up to remind us who's boss (bow down to the sea, she will thrash thee), and then decided to continue on our tour to the next spots. Of course, by this time we were hungry, so we decided to go out of the suggested order, and go straight to lunch, which we enjoyed with a sea view at Ristorante Onda D'Oro in Marina Piccola (small port).

There were so many things calling our names on the menu, and we had decided to share a caprese salad, pizza, and something else, when the waiter came over with a baking sheet full of pasta, and said that today they had fresh, handmade pasta available, filled with pumpkin, proscuitto and cheese.

{{ Dang setting on my camera got switched, so you can't really see the fresh pasta on the sheet, but it's there, it's fresh, it's beautiful, and it's bomb.com }}

Ok, I guess we can reconsider.

So we ordered the caprese salad, and I asked if it would be possible for them to add proscuitto to it, to which he replied, "Here, we can make for you whatever you like." Great news, really, wonderful (!), and then embraced his idea of us both getting the fresh pasta, but them making it two different ways, so we could try different things. Perfetto!

I have loved few things as much as I loved that buffalo mozzarella. My eyes were rolling around in my head so much, just trying to make sense of how good it was. When it came time to take the last bite, I was so sad, so I spoke to it, and then welcomed it into my digestive system with joy. Then, it was fresh, homemade pasta time!

{{ This photo does it no justice }}

And for dessert, something they made that day, like gelato, but with what I perceived to be a lot of rum, and what we both perceived to be as a nut we can't eat (we both have certain allergies, nuts being a main concern), and ended up having little pseudo-allergic reactions right then and there. Had to happen at least once, I guess! I found the dessert to be too sweet, and waay tooooo alcoholic-tasting, but I can see how many people would enjoy it.

Overall, amazing meal, again! Thank you, Onda D'Oro for pleasing our palettes! After saying good-bye, taking a couple scenic photos, and looking at the map, we decided to hit the next stops on the list, but when we got to the Blue Grotto, one of the most famous tourist attractions on the island, the water was too choppy, so they weren't taking people to see it, since it's in a cave. And then, each thing we tried to do after was also closed, because it was past four o'clock and low season (things to consider!). So we didn't get to ride the chair lift that gives you an amazing view, or go into San Augustin's gardens, but we wandered around, hit the limoncello factory, had our sample, and enjoyed the peaceful feeling of the place.

By this time, our time in Capri, and in Italy, was coming to a close. It was really hard to accept that the trip only had one night left in it, which we spent back in Napoli because our flights were in the morning, but we felt completely satisfied and blessed to have been able to experience any of it at all. We terminated our time in Capri by strolling around the town center, then trying to go back to Onda D'Oro to get a pizza to go (sadly, they were closed), and finally enjoyed one last deli section raid on the rooftop, before heading to the port to depart for the mainland.

The entire trip was comprised of living in the now, being grateful, and being blown-away by the Italian's sense of service and refinement. It was a never-ending series of beautiful experiences, good service, incredible food, wonderful views, and happiness. I will forever return to Italy, and, as a silly online quiz recently told me that Italian is my true nationality, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up living there for some months in my life. (Let's be real, I know I'm going to. Italy for three months is already on My Life List, and when I consider the way I'm still in Spain after over two years, well, nothing would surprise me about spending a year or two in Italy either!)

I'd like to thank God for blessing me so richly and deeply, for allowing me this existence, and providing me the strength to pursue my dreams, in turn causing me to end up in situations like these. And P for spending such special time with me, and sharing such an amazing trip, full of celebration, love, and presence. I'd like to thank all the hotel and B&B staff members that helped us and made us feel like everything was taken care of -- Ana and Mario, the ladies at the Excelsior Vittoria, everyone at Excelsior Parco, and Federica from B&B Casa Tonia, where we stayed on our last night -- you all were so wonderful and added so much to the trip. To everyone who cooked, cleaned, or played any part in our eating experiences whilst there, and to the people on the streets who offered up directions and friendly conversation/curiosities everywhere we went. And finally, to the grand country of Italy itself, simply for existing, and existing in such a way to suggest that we all relax a bit, but remain stylish, while enjoying amazing food, and the art of being alive.

That's all for now of the adventures in other countries, but stick around, because in two weeks, I'm off to Bratislava, Slovakia, Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary! Travel on my loves, fly freely!

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder to all you special being out there

I adore you, I love you, and I'm happy to exist with you

Love always,

Allison :)

Italia After All, Part Three: Pompeii

Ok, so I know that in the last post my final remark led you all to believe that this one would be about Capri (said, "Kah-Pree"), which might be why you clicked over, because island, but it would be going out of sequence to jump to Capri, amazing as it might be, and skip over something probably equally as amazing: the ruins of Pompeii.

First, I've gotta warn you, I'm about to throw down a little history lesson/blend it into this one, so buckle up, and we'll get through it quickly -- promise!

So terribly, destructively awesome

Wikipedia refers to the 79AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Southern Italy as, "one of the most catastrophic and infamous eruptions in European history." So fellow Americans, take note. Because I'm pretty sure we never learned about it, as most of our history is focused on our own young country. During the eruption, Vesuvius was tossing up 1.5 tons of its scorching-hot cookies per second, which consisted in molten rock and annihilated pumice, and its deadly could of ash, gas, smoke and stones rose 33km (21mi) high. Talk about big! They say that the amount of thermal energy it released was 100,000 times more than the A-bomb that was so kindly dropped on Hiroshima during the Second World War.

Within range of Mt. Vesuvius' eruption-destruction were two towns; Pompeii and Herculaneum; which were buried beneath the mass amounts of Vesuvius' messy stuff. (Language and grammar adaptation contributed by yours truly. After all, I am an English teacher.;) It's still not known how many people actually died in the aftermath of the eruption, but they've found over a thousand bodies.

Both places are now tourist sites, and draw in major amounts of people each year, who come to see the layout of the former Roman town, which can still be understood, and some art, columns, brothels, and structural skeletons that remain. Needless to say, going to Pompeii was bound to be a highlight for me, and was definitely one of the things I most looked forward to on the trip!

I was so intrigued to see this former buzzing, populated place, and try to get a feel for what ancient Roman life was like. Being a total culture junkie, I get a great high going when I'm learning about other ways of life, and it's even better if I can observe it in some way. And, in one of the classes at the high school, we talked about volcanic eruptions, including that of Mt. Vesuvius, and the photos of the perfectly petrified bodies got my whiskers wiggling and ears perked up plenty. Don't be freaked out, I'm not like some death addict or anything, I'm not actually great with death by any means, but it was sure to be fascinating to see little Roman people that had been scorched doing whatever it was they were doing, therefore perfectly maintaining their form. So on Monday, we took the 20-30 minute train ride from Sorrento to Pompeii (it runs about every half-hour, and leaves you right in front of the archaeological/ruin site), to meet the dead, and see some wicked ruins!

There are a variety of companies that offer guided tours, and we had originally been looking at some that left from Napoli, took you to the ruins, gave you a 2-4 hour guided tour, and etc (the options are endless and easy to find online), but they were quite costly, and in the end, we didn't want to be locked into any sort of time frame that we didn't decide upon ourselves. I also read online that you can get a guide when you get there, some people tend to hang out by the gates, but I think this only applies to high season, and from what I read, it was 100€ for a four hour tour (said to be worth it). We opted for the guided tour that you can get for I believe 12€. The kind that you punch in the number of the thing you're at, put it to your ear, and listen to what they say. This was a perfectly adequate way to learn, and I recommend going this route (more money for pizza, holla!).

As I mentioned here, we had planned our entire day around making a certain ferry to Capri, so we didn't have much time in Pompeii, which was a bit of a shame. It's not such a big place, but it was big enough that having at least two or three full hours would have been good. Especially at the slow, snail-ish, absorb-it-all/gawk-a-lot rate I like to wander around a place, I could have easily spent five hours there. But we had nearly two hours, and I was able to get a pretty good sense of it, and see some super cool stuff.

I really loved listening to the information on the Guided Tour Telephone (GTT), and just imagining what the place would have been like, full of short, Roman people. (I say short, because people were smaller back then. I'm not making insulting remarks, just using appropriate adjectives.) And if you've been paying much attention, you might have done a little, "Wait, what?" at the sight of the word "brothel." Yes, my friends, you read that right, twice now. Brothels.

A little more research (thank you again, Wikipedia) allows me to tell you right here and right now, that there were 35 brothels in Pompeii when it was still a town; information which was given to me from my GTT, but I subsequently forgot, because I was blown away by everything that was flowing into my ears. Which means, when you break down the population of roughly 10,000 people, there was a brothel for every 286 people. That's not that many people per brothel, really. Now, I make a big point of this, because, as P pointed out, it's quite ironic that a place that was so full of brothels, would come to cease existence due to none other than a massive eruption. Haha. I can't contain myself.

I'll give it a minute to sink in, if it hasn't already.

And can I just point out, God seriously has the greatest sense of humor? I mean, come on, I'm not trying to be insensitive or anything [but it was over 2,000 years ago], but to destroy a place that is full of sexual sin with a giant explosion? It doesn't get any more perfect than that! But anyways, before I start offending too many people...

The brothels are just one part of Pompeii, and what struck me as the most fascinating about it all, is that you can still see the paintings that they'd put above the rooms/beds or in the brothels, of different sex positions, so the client would only have to point, and not bother with any sort of language barrier that might have existed. (P said that there's even one of a woman having sex with a goat, which I unfortunately did not see.) And according to the GTT I had, the life of these prostitutes was absolutely terrible. Which you could probably figure out anyways, but just hearing about their situations filled me with remorse. I mean, just look at the beds they had to work on!

The fact they put some sort of straw mattress on top of that massive, concrete slab doesn't make me feel like they were any less uncomfortable. (And were they really that tiny!?!)

And here, you can see an example of the illustrations that were painted around to ease the communication aspect of the interaction. 

Overall, it was a really great part of the trip, and I highly suggest popping by Pompeii if you're in that area. It'll be a nice way to get a little history and culture mixed in to the never-ending slew of gelato stops, coffees, and restaurants you're likely to indulge in whilst in Italy. 

Oh, and here's some pictures of petrified people...and a dog, sorry if it makes you cringe and/or cry. (You didn't really think I'd finish this one off without including these, did you? It was the whole reason I went!)

What a way to go, eh? I guess I've gotta say, at least it's pretty epic. And hey, in a way, they're living on -- they're on display for thousands of tourists to see each year! (Again, sorry if I'm being insensitive.)

And now that you've all dealt with my information delivery till now, I will gift you with some extra goodness in the next episode: Part Four, Capri!!!!! Island Adventures in Italy, ohhh yeahhh! :)

Blessings, Love, Light & Wonder to you all!

Travel far, love hard, live well, smile as much as possible, and hey,

It's life, don't take it so seriously, b/c in the end, you could end up like these guys!

<3

-Allison :)

Tips & Tricks for Travelling Girona & Figueras, Catalunya, Spain

Girona

1. To get from Barcelona El Prat Airport to Girona, you can take a bus directly. It runs pretty frequently, but it costs 19 euros, whereas the train costs 11 something. The train leaves from Sants station in the city, so you'd have to take the metro/train to the station, which is about 4 euros. Both take about the same amount of time, depending which one it is, so while it's an expensive bus, it's convenient. The bus is Barcelona Bus, and the hours can be found at the stop or online.
2. Go up to the tower that is on top of a hill, away from the city. The view from up there is so amazing, and you aren't going to run into hardly any people. 
3. Also, if you like hiking, there are tons of trails in Girona, and I accidentally did one, but was so happy I did. The views are so beautiful. 
4. Walk around everywhere you can, and explore everything. Girona is a really wonderful place, the people are so open, friendly, and helpful, and it's small enough that you can spend an afternoon walking around and stumble upon everything.
5. Every Saturday and Tuesday there is a MASSIVE market at the end of the park in Girona. They have everything from fruit and vegetables, to meat and sweets, to balloons, clothes, and everything in between. It is one of the larger markets I've ever seen, and the park is definitely worth passing through. It's like a little forest in the middle of the city.
6. Eat at Taj Indian Restaurant if you like Indian food. I ordered the Pollo Tikka Bhuna and rice, and it was so delicious. The only thing is, it was quite expensive (15.68 w/ a coffee), and the serving of the chicken itself was quite small. 
7. Stay in Girona for at least two nights. It's a magical place, and just being there for a day and a half wasn't enough.

Figueras/Dali Museum

1. Going from Girona to Figueras, the train leaves frequently, costs 5.45 euros, and only takes about an hour. I'd recommend the train, because you get a lot better views, and it's usually more comfortable than the bus.
2. You can walk within 5-15 minutes to the Dali Museum, depending on your pace. The museum costs about 9 euros to enter (discounts available), and is quite large, so allow a lot of time, and eat a good meal before you enter. I spent 2-3 hours in it and loved it so much, but by the last few rooms, I was too hungry and tired to pay the same attention I had in the first 20-or-so rooms of the theater/museum.
3. A lot of people told me beforehand that Figueras isn't a pretty town, and coming from Girona, I agree, but I think it would have been worth it to go for more than just the museum. 
4. Ask at the tourist info point for a map, and you can find out all the information about the places to go and things to see. But you can easily do Figueras in a day, so I'd definitely do it as a day trip from somewhere else. I'm happy I didn't go with my original idea to sleep in Figueras, and chose to stay in Girona instead.
5. Going from Figueras to Barcelona, I took the train. It was 12 euros, and took about two hours. It was a good way to go, and would recommend it. (Train from Girona to BCN is 5 something)

Taj Indian Restaurant

C/ Cort Reial, 6 / Rambla Llibertat, 19

17004 Girona. Tel: 972 22 26 55

6 Tips & Tricks for Travelling Greece

1. Don't pay for the Air Seats in the ferry from Piraeus to Santorini (or going the other way). Most people will get off the ship at the first stop, and you can switch from the cheap seats, which aren't uncomfortable, but open to all the noise and activity on the ship. And on the way back, there were so many available, we could have had our own rows if we wanted.
2. Unless you want an incredibly quiet experience, don't go to Santorini before mid-May. While it was really nice to not be stuck in traffic on the roads on our quad, or encounter mass amounts of people everywhere we went, we also did kind of want a little nightlife, and, well, the place was a little dead. And we were staying in one of the main party areas of the island. If you want good weather, also don't go before mid-May. We had a couple rainy days, a really beautiful day, and a couple cloudy ones. We were told June and September are good, because the weather is good, but there aren't too many people there with one party-goal in mind.
3. Just because Piraeus is one of the most frequented cities of Greece due to the port, it doesn't mean it's overly priced. I saw some souvenirs in Santorini that were much cheaper in Piraeus, and the food as well cost less. Don't be afraid to buy certain things in Piraeus, with the "I can probably find it cheaper somewhere else" thought in mind. And if you happen to be able to, stroll one of the local farmers markets (ask people to find out where/what day). It will blow your mind. The colors, THE OLIVE STANDS, oh my gosh. I came back to Spain, and I'm having a hard time eating the olives after what I experienced over there. :(
4. Rent a quad in Santorini! It was only 25 euros for the day (plus petrol), and it was the most amazing way to get around! We literally went from one end to the other, and it wasn't stressful or scary at all! Of course, there weren't many people around, but still, there is one main road, and it's an easy place to navigate. And with the little streets, we could easily pass. 
5. Go on the little boat tour in Santorini. It was less than 20 euros, and it was a six hour trip to the other little islands of Santorini, a hike and info on the volcano, swim in the hot springs, and time on the second-largest island, that just has one village. It's a good way to see the rest of Santorini, and learn a bit about it as well.
6. Spend more than a day in Athens. A lot of people told me not to waste too much time there, but really, I loved it. Of course, we'll all have different experiences, but I thought the center was so charming. It's overflowing with flowers, color, and life, and let's face it, there's nothing quite like being in the city, looking up at a hill, and see Acropolis sitting there in all it's ruins and remaining glory.

To read about Athens, click here!

To read about Piraeus, click here!

To read about Santorini, click here!

To read about ANNY Studios in Santorini, click here!

To read about Greece in general, click here!

Story Time & Visa/Travel Tips!

As usual, I got back into the swing of things in the writing world, just to get caught up in whatever land I happened to get lost in for a while, and now have some serious ground to cover in this post. In my last post, I went over the final things I had been doing in Los Angeles to wrap up, pack up, and move out. I have since been out of LA for quite a long period of time, living at my parents house, and since I know that they will read this, I will be kind in my assertions. No, I'm just joking, it's actually been quite an enjoyable time here. I have spent countless hours hanging out with the love of my life, my grandmother, and enjoying living a life of little to do. I realize I was only in the working force for seven months after graduating, but that many months spent in a cubicle from 9-6 really wears a gal out!

My main lady and I 

Living at home has meant: helping my grandma out with whatever she needs help with, aka Driving Miss Daisy all around town for her errands, lunches, and other sorts of "hang time," helping my dad out with the toffee/candy business we are building, and trying to unpack all my stuff (yes, that's right, it's been almost a month and I still have not put everything away, namely because there is more stuff than space, but also because it's a sad reminder of the life I gave up). Oh, and there have been lots of little trips. Most of them for the purpose of my visa and this whole moving-to-Spain process, but also some just to visit my dear friends.

But before I make you all jealous with my travels, I will start by reviewing a bit of the visa process, because it is a fairly crucial step for anyone to follow if they have the intention of going abroad for more than three months.

It's important that you find a website for the consulate of the country that you are trying to apply for a visa to because I assume they all have some sort of variations, and they usually include links to different sites you need to use, which could always vary too. Once you find the website, poke around a bit and then find what they require of you to get a visa. I recommend printing the list of things that you need so you can check them off, and do it like Santa..make the list, and check it twice! The list that I printed included nine different items, some of which include: my original passport + a copy, the visa application + a copy, a note from your doctor on medical letterhead that states you are "free of contagious diseases as per the international health regulations of 2005," a background check that has been verified by fingerprints, which must be notarized by a notary, and Apostilled by the Secretary of State (SOS), and originals and photocopies of several other things. Now, if you do all of this ahead of time and do not wait until a few weeks before you are supposed to be leaving, then you have nothing to worry about. So here is my first major travel tip: PLAN AHEAD! If you know you will be trying to leave and get a visa, plan accordingly. I would work on it at least a month in advance from when you need to have everything for your appointment (needed if applying in person, which many consulates require). You will be dealing with government entities and have no idea what kinds of hold-ups you will encounter with them, or any other part of the process. And trust me on this, because I am now in a position where I have a flight booked for the day after tomorrow, and all of the stuff I need for my visa isn't even in my possession.

I booked this flight about three weeks ago, knowing that my visa appointment was in San Francisco on the 24th of October. This would have given the Spanish Consulate 12 business days to process my paperwork and get me my visa (a reasonable amount of time). Unfortunately, I didn't look at the final steps that I needed to complete before I was ready for the appointment until a few days before my appointment, in true Allison Fedor fashion. So, the day before I was planning on leaving for San Francisco (I planned to go the night before so I wouldn't have to worry about driving there and arriving on time in one day), I went over everything to see what I still needed to get. I knew I needed to go to the Police Department (PD) and get a background check done so I could get it Apostilled, and that was the final thing I needed. I had gone to the doctor and gotten my letter saying I'm not a drug addict or walking contagion the day before, and was pretty sure it was semi-smooth sailing from there. So I went to the PD, got my paper, and then jammed. Naturally, I should have gone to the PD before the day I was planning on leaving/same day I needed to get it notarized and Apostilled, but like I said, it's me we're dealing with. After racing out of the PD like they were hot on my trail, I hopped in my car and left Stockton for Sacramento.

I was going to be pushing it on time, as the SOS closes at 5 o'clock, but knew I could make it. I got there no problem, found a parking spot that had over four hours left on the meter, and got up to where I needed to be. When the woman called my number, tragedy struck. I told her that I needed to get the background check notarized and Apolstilled (two things the information desk man said I could do there), at which point she informed me that they did not do the notarizing there. WHAM. What a slap in the face. Now, I've done this before. The last time I got a visa when I went abroad, I ran into the same procrastination-problem, and had to go and get all of these exact things taken care of in the same day, so I knew that I couldn't get it notarized there, but believed that maybe things had changed and it was now ok. It was, afterall, more than two years later. She told me that I could take it to the UPS Store and get it notarized there, but didn't think I'd make it back in time. Well, I was at the point where I was in Sacramento, about an hour and a half from SF, in an office that didn't open the next day until 9am, and my appointment for my visa was scheduled in SF for 10:30. My heart sunk and I saw my dream slip away. And then it happened, a miracle of God, the sign I had been waiting for and needing to assure me that this was the path I was supposed to travel -- there was ONE other person in that room waiting for an Apostille, and she piped up saying, "I can notarize." 8-O OH HAPPY DAYS! I couldn't believe it. I knew then and there that it was meant to be for me. She went to her car, got her notary kit, and then notarized it right there on the spot for me. It was amazing! I had to try my hardest not to jump on her with a hug. So I got it all taken care of, even got to get together with one of my best gal pals for a drink and a catch-up chat, and then hit it to SF.

When I woke up to go to my visa appointment, I was soaring so high in the sky. I knew things would work out, it would go smoothly, and I would be on a plane in two and a half weeks, ready to conquer the world and assume the role I was born to fill. Well, I've often said that things don't go the way we planned, and this was another one of those things. My heart broke as the good-looking Spaniard behind the visa desk belittled me, was rude, and told me what I'd done wrong. He informed me the letter I had from my doctor was wrong (missing five words it needed to be acceptable), and the background check that I had gotten, notarized, and Apositlled was also wrong (lacking fingerprint verification, and also not allowed to be from the City). Bottom line: every dollar and minute I had spent the day before running around, thinking I had gotten God's blessing, and everything, was essentially for nothing (other than a learning of how-not-to experience).

This is what I mean by do it like Santa and check it twice. Heck, check it three, four, five times, just make sure you read carefully and do not skip a beat, because they will nail you for it, and then you'll be forced to either cancel your flight for a 400$ fee, or reschedule it for a later date for another couple hundred dollars even though you paid for the trip insurance (my figures only, yours will vary -- don't use a cheap site if you're uncertain of your travel plans)!! So I'd learned of my errors, and got my doctor to write me the right letter, and figured out what I really needed as far as the screening was concerned. This required that I print a form and pay a fee to the FBI, and mail them the request form, with fingerprints. Now, this shouldn't be too bad, except for the fact that I sent out the form, money, and fingerprints to the FBI..... in West Virginia.... the day before Hurricane Sandy hit. Yeah, I'll give that a minute to sink in. . . . . .

RIGHT!?! How screwed am I!? As if sending something to the FBI wouldn't have taken a long time anyways, now I have a natural disaster to account for also! (Prayers, thoughts, and well-wishes to those affected over there!) So now, I play the waiting game, instead of the packing game. Instead of prepping to board at 9:30am on Friday, I am prepping to look into other alternatives and jobs. Instead of seeking out on the adventure of a lifetime, one that I have been manifesting for years, I am sitting in a green arm chair in my parents living room listening to KLOVE. (Not a bad option in retrospect, but still, you must admit that the former is a bit more exciting.) And again I repeat: PLAN AHEAD.

I have no idea when, or if, I will be going to Spain at this point. I have not heard back from the school where my job is to know if it's okay for me to arrive this late, and am unsure at this point if it's even what I'm supposed to do (big surprise). I have persevered through it all, because I refuse to believe that it's not what I'm supposed to do, and because, if at the end of it all, I've done everything I could and tried all the different things I could think of, and it still doesn't happen, I will know without a reasonable doubt I was not intended to go down this path. At this point, all I can do is wait, examine other options, and help my family as we try to grow a business, as well as pray and see what happens. It's a truly intense path of faith that I'm being sent down, which could be the real purpose in it all anyways. We'll see, my friends, we'll see.

Today's Thought: Do not live your life with expectations and thinking you can have it all figured out, because right when you think you've got all your ducks lined up, a curve ball comes and throws you off the track. It is better to just let life come as it may, and take it as it comes. Be patient, and slow to frustration and worry. Everything will work out how it's supposed to, even if it's not what you want. Let it be!

The Pre-Spain Check List & Travel Tips

As I mentioned yesterday, I will be returning to Spain next month. I still don't know when I will be leaving exactly, but I know that there is A LOT of stuff I need to take care of before I can and do go. I thought that I would shed some light on all of the things that one should do before they decide to move abroad, either as an expatriate, or a traveler. Here is the list:

• Figure out which city you will be living in, and
• Get the forms and letter needed to get a visa. (Entirely dependent on the program, ~2 weeks.)
• Get a visa (~2 week process)
• Background check
• Fingerprints 
• Appointment at the Consulate
• Other
• Book a flight
• Get out of current lease at lowest-possible-cost
• Cancel electric/gas at apartment
• Move belongings into a storage unit
• Shop around for the lowest-cost-unit
• Dental appointment for teeth cleaning
• Orthodontist appointment to have bottom retainer put back on
• Hair appointment for a long over-due hair trim
• Go to my bank and inform them that I will be leaving the country, so they don't put any holds on my account while I am there or flag anything as irregular activity.
• Go into AT&T (your service provider) and tell them you will be living in another country; try and see if there is a way to keep phone active, or determine costs/cancel service.
• Visit family
• Visit friends
• Santa Barbara
• San Francisco 
• Sacramento
• Chico
• Pack up, and ship out!

So far I have done (items in bold above):

-Looked into storage units and written down several numbers to call and find out their prices (today's task).

-Called my housing management company to tell them I lost my job and have to move out (the truth, really). I am waiting to hear back from them, and have been calling everyday since Thursday to try and figure this out with them. I may have to resort to calling my landlord's cell phone if I don't hear back today, since rent is supposed to be paid on the first and I would not like to pay if I will not be living there.

-Arranged a dental cleaning appointment and orthodontist appointment. 

-Figured out how I will go about buying my flight over to Spain.

This list will vary depending on what you have planned (living/moving/traveling), but the visa, passport, and informing your bank and mobile provider are A MUST for everyone! Another suggestion for going overseas related to your bank came to me before I went abroad a few years ago, and that was, find out if your bank has a sister bank overseas. Sometimes there is a bank that you can go to in another country that you will not get the fees that normally come with withdrawing from a non-bank ATM. This can save you a huge amount of money in the long-run! I would also suggest pulling out the maximum amount of money that you can at once, to avoid getting those charges multiple times. Also, if you're going to be living somewhere for an extended period of time as I am, opening an account at a local bank that's spread throughout the country/continent/region is helpful too, for the same reason. I didn't do this when I went abroad, and regretted it. (I will be doing it this time around, and save myself hundreds of dollars in fees [cumulative over the months].) I was also told that having a bank card without the Visa symbol was good, because if your card was stolen, they couldn't use it for anything and everything because it's only good for taking money out at ATMs. My recommendation: DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS! It was a horrible mess trying to do anything without having the Visa symbol on the card. I could only use cash, it wouldn't work online to buy flights, and I couldn't use it in any establishment. Big hassle, avoid it!

That's just the tip of the iceberg on travel tips I will be providing throughout this journey, stay tuned!

Today's Thought/Feeling: Content. I think I am moving in the right direction, and am feeling very close to God right now, so I feel very confident in my choices. It might change tomorrow or later today, but for now...feeling good!