Viareggio

Ciao!

We Intrepids are back online again, after a marathon journey from the campsite to the centre of Viareggio (MumSue, we are camping, just in a different place!) - we are about 2km from town, which usually would take mere mortals less than an hour to complete.

However, us being us, thought it would be fun to walk to the sea-front and make our way along the beach to the shops. The walk to the seafront is 1km, walking away from town, then another 2kmish to the centre from there. So with that and wandering aimlessly trying to find an internet cafe, our legs are nicely toned and we are 10% fitter than we were this morning. Oh and it was during an imminent thunderstorm, so do you see the lengths to which we go to keep you entertained? We do hope so.

Arrived in Viareggio to cloudy skies and buffeting winds, not quite the idyllic sun-filled resort we had been hoping for. Caught a bus to the campsite we had chosen (which looked nice in the brochure), which is along an avenue surrounded with trees and forest, with about 3 campsites next to each other.

As we walked in, it looked a bit run-down, but thought it was just tiredness affecting our judgement - we were shown to our 'pitch' and thereupon attempted our first tent-building. However, without a hammer, it proved tricky to get the pegs past the large underground stones and thick tree roots, so our converse trainers came in very handy, hitting the pegs with mounting frustration and anger. Pegs were bent by stones, hands were bruised by pegs, pegs ended up being thrown long distances due to afore-mentioned bending.. After the pegs were in, realised tent was on top of an angry ant's nest. So unpegged pegs, moved tent, bent more pegs, threw more pegs, hit converse trainers more.. but somehow, the tent managed to be erected.

Also realised tent was next to the railway line, with express trains threatening to derail next to the site every 10 minutes, and a busy main road with fast cars and honking scooters. Still, we thought, at least the tent is up - we can put up with the rest (grubby toilets, showers and sinks, grubby travellers (we're clean travellers), grubby amenities, ants..).

Exhausted from erecting, unerecting and erecting tent again, made our way to the amenities to have a nose around and see if we could buy some food. Found toilets - holes in ground, lovely. Went back to reception to ask after nearest ATM and was informed that we had pitched our tent in the wrong place, in between two pitches. Imagine our delight! But the kind receptionist said we could move the tent in the morning.

Decided there and then to stay one night and try another, quieter, cleaner, normal-toiletted site (this one was also 2km from the beach) in the morning. So ate at the restaurant on-site and went for an early night. Had a vague sleep-like trance state for a couple of hours, inbetween bouts of waking due to inebreated neighbours, express trains, zooming cars and wind (outside the tent, not inside) and woke, not the slightest bit refreshed, and blearily packed the tent (a hell of a lot quicker than putting it up) and exited the site by 9am.

Weaved our way down the road 10 metres and came across 'Camping Paradiso', an oasis in a sea of discontent. Log cabins, tall pine trees, pine needles in a light smattering over the sandy ground, sunlight filtering through the trees onto white-gravelled ground, normal toilets and clean showers, clean people wandering along the winding, pretty paths. And 7 euros cheaper! Receptionist had a heated debate with the guy who runs it (spitting image of Zio Beppe) as to whether or not they had room - luckily for us, she persuaded him they did, and, with a sparkle in his eye, patting random people on the head as he skipped along, he showed us to the spot.

And a lovely spot it is. Dappled sunlight falls on the tent, passing through the pine trees towering way above our heads. Pine needles cover the floor, and the pegs slid in with the greatest of ease into the sandy (unstony) ground. Nice neighbours, nice people, nice setting, very clean - lovely!

The weather yesterday was fab, sunny all day, so we made our way to the beach (just a 1kmish walk - we'll get so fit in between our tanning sessions!) and spent the afternoon there before returning to the tent and lazing about for the evening. Washed our clothes by hand which was new to both of us - you get so used to home comforts that fending for yourself makes you realise how well-off we all are!

Going to splash out and lie on the private beach tomorrow (11 euros for 2 seats and an umbrella) and do absolutely nothing. Love this travelling lark!

Will try and post in a couple of days. Looking forward to seeing you in Firenze, M,P&L!

Lots of love to all

The Getting Browner Ones xxx

Venezia

Good morning boys and girls

We arrived in Venice yesterday afternoon to blue skies and heat! Ljubljana had unfortunately succumbed to the big old raincloud that is currently passing over Central Europe so our last day and morning there was soggy, to say the least.

But our stay in Ljubljana was great, definitely one of our favourite places so far - especially the mahogany bunk beds, which were divine and very very comfortable - we didn't want to get up in the morning!

This is just a quick post to say that our plans have changed once again - we won't be going to Croatia, as the weather forecast there for the next week is appalling, with thunderstorms and showers every day, so our 'camping expedition' in Pula has been rained off.

We are now travelling down from Venice to Viareggio, on the west coast of Italy, as we have turned into sunseekers and are craving a beach and sun loungers. So we will be there for around 7/8 nights before catching the train to Florence next week.

Our posts may well be rather boring for the next 7 days or so (sun, sand, sea, etc - no sights!) but bear with us - normal operation will be resumed shortly. (May take this break to post some more photos from the last month of travelling)

Hope you're all well and good and that the weather there is nice and warm. MumMina - a little note just for you - we'll be keeping an eye on the weather, Venezia isn't looking too promising at the moment.. but all might change! We will keep a space in our tent for the both of you should you need it! Just bring your own sleeping bag and frying oil! Can't wait to see you.

Lots of love

From The Soggy Ones xxx

And the storz continues...

So.. where to start?

Sofia was lovelz, although our hostel was a bit strange - the trainspotter man who runs it became decidedlz cool with us once he realised that we were 'earlz to bed' tzpes (earlz as in before 12am) because he liked having the hostel to himself of an evening.

It was nice to see Sofia, and we visited the Alexander Nevskz (Nevsky) Cathedral - a monument built to commemorate the Russian soldiers who died during the war in 1877, the result of which was the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Its an Eastern Orthodox church, so the inside is covered with paintings and huge candelabras hanging from the domed ceiling. As with all churches, the atmosphere is peaceful, with people pazing their respects and admiring the architecture.

Came across a small flea market next to the Cathedral, which on first inspection sold jewellerz, old things and suchlike. But as we walked through, we noticed more and more Nayi (Nazi) objects - medals, brooches, cigarette tins, daggers, even an SS helmet. After our visit to Auschwity, it seemed macabre, thoughtless even, to have these things on show and to be selling them for profit. But there must be quite a market for this sort of 'memorabilia', if zou can call it that.

In addition to Superman Returns, we also went to see X-Men 3 (zes, zes, we know, 2 cinema visits in 1 countrz - but we couldnćt resist!) It was an even smaller screen than Plovdiv, with around 35 seats and 4 of us watching the film - it was great! And the film wasnćt bad either..

Also visited Sofia Archaeological Museum, which housed hundreds of Greek, Roman and Thracian artefacts from across the countrz. Also some amaying Thracian gold in a room guarded bz a securitz guard with a gun and ever-watchful ezes. A spent the entire time inspecting each object thoroughlz, occasionallz pointing out particularlz poor restorative work, with the phrase ˝I could have done better than that...˝ (It was quite poorlz done)

Left Sofia on Fridaz (found out that the taxi we'd got from the station to the hostel when we arrived had charged us 6 times the amount we paid back from the hostel to the station - we were fleeced), caught the train to Belgrade.

It all started well enough - we got on the right train, found the right seats, sat in a compartment with a lovelz Serbian couple. But after border crossings and strange delazs (which trains across Europe seem to have - the train stops for an hour or more, with no obvious reason), the train ended up nearlz 5 hours late, so we came into Belgrade at 1.30am rather than 8.30pm. As wećd onlz bought provisions for lunch and snacks, we were starved and parched - although on one of our manz delazs, we stopped next to a house, and the man who lived there took our water bottles and filled them up - running back and forth before the train started again.

We had been advised not to get taxis from the train station, as thez either charge the earth or are possiblz dangerous, so we would have to walk to our pre-booked hostel, which was over 30 mins walk across the citz. We tried to call them, but the phone seemed to be engaged all evening (images of a receptionist sitting with her feet up, painting her nails, on the phone to her new bozfriend came to mind).

After some debating, and heated discussion, we decided to find somewhere closer to the station. What a sillz idea that turned out to be. The sacrifice was that the hostel would charge us for that nights' accommodation, but it was more important to find somewhere safe and nearbz, so it seemed worth it. Ha!

We found a recommended cheap hotel in our Lonelz Planet guide, called the Hotel Astoria, which was just across from the station. It looked nice enough from the outside, and as we walked in, it looked quite posh so we were worried about the cost. A lurch-tzpe creature emerged from a small door behind the reception desk, and after us asking for the cheapest room available, he grunted that it would cost us 35 Euros for the room, which we accepted. (After all, relative comfort for just over the price of a hostel didnćt seem too bad)

We walked the four flights of red-carpeted stairs (the lift looked dodgz and old) to the 4th floor and found our room, a small twin room with a sink. Didnćt look too bad at first sight, and we dumped our bags before making our waz down the four flights of stairs again to get some water. The hotel had corridors disappearing to nowhere, little lighting, dark and dingz, hundreds of numbered doors to emptz rooms - verz verz creepz.

Lurch appeared from the reception door and grunted that we could paz in Euros (we had no Serbian Dinar), while a small group of teenage girls sat and stared at us, whispering conspiratoriallz from the corner. After an odd wink from Lurch (mazbe it was a tic), made our waz back up the four flights of stairs to our room and sat on the (nicelz made) beds. Went to the toilet (had to share a toilet and a bathroom, for which zou had to get a kez for if zou wanted a bath) and found half a dead bird in the toilet bowl. Not a particularlz good omen.

Noticed that there were a few beasties crawling around on the floor, but thought no more of it - that thez had flown in the open window during the evening. Got changed, H laz down on the crisp white sheets, screamed like a girl when a huge black spider, disturbed bz the movement, scuttled across the crisp white sheets towards her. A noticed a small cockroach-like creature on her bag, and crawling across the carpet were more, previouslz hidden, cockroach-like creatures. After inspection of the beds, found a strange zellow crust on H's, with a dirtz stained mattress under the crisp white sheets. Found chewed bits of foam from pillow on A's, indicating presence of sweet little mice in beds. We stood, pzjamas rolled up to knees, looking around us at this 'living' room.

We were exhausted, just wanted to collapse on the crisp white sheets, but just couldn't bear to. So sat, plazing cards, feet up on chairs so as to not invite afore-mentionned beasties to crawl up legs, intending to staz awake until 6am, when we would leave and sit in the train station. But couldn't last, and at 3.30am, curled up in little balls and slept for a few hours, trzing to ignore the sound of creatures crawling around us.

Woke up itching, and itching to get awaz, so went downstairs for the 'free' breakfast. Had a cup of coffee which tasted like caffeinated mud, and refused offers of scrambled eggs, preferring to have a couple of rolls and some butter. Brought hard-boiled eggs which smelt odd, so left those, ate the rolls, and high-tailed it out of there. Went to the train station, tried to find an ATM, there were no ATMs, after being informed bz (the same) Lonelz Planet guide (which we are now regarding as useless) that Belgrade was the 'citz of ATMs'. H went to find one in town, which surelz would be nearbz.

Half an hour later, and after miles of searching, found nothing but two bombed buildings (which were actuallz reallz cool) and suspicious policemen. Went back to station, A imagining H had been run over bz a bus, slightlz panicking now that we had no Dinar so no food for the 9 hour train journez ahead of us. Eventuallz changed some Euros, bought some food, got on the train, heaved a huge sigh of relief that we were still alive and about to get awaz from Belgrade for good.

Got to Ljubljana (which takes a while to learn how to spell) zesterdaz evening, around 9pm (we are now learning not to arrive in big cities in the evening) and caught a taxi (which seemed to be slightlz overpriced and run bz the mafia - shinz black audi with a mustachioed driver, and possiblz a gun in the glove compartment) to the hostel, which was miles awaz from the town centre (2.5km to be exact) and in the middle of an industrial/residential estate on the outskirts of the citz. Before going to find food, we met our roommates in the ´halls of residence´ tzpe accommodation - all 19/20 zear olds, out to partz. Lovelz people. Went out for sustinence, walked for half an hour before realising there was nowhere to eat within 1km of the hostel, so had to settle on McDonalds (ugh). The walk back was verz uneasz, with huge dark shadows and lots of places for Slovenian murderers to hide and jump out.

Got back to the hostel, looking forward to going to bed and getting the sleep we didnt manage to get the night before. Booked another hostel in the town centre for the next two nights, and went to bed. 15 minutes later, the hostel congregated outside our bedroom door and, verz drunk, got into a huge argument after our roommate said something verz derogatorz about the French (we wont repeat it, it will hurt zour sensibilities), which went on for a while before the (verz verz) drunk roommate came in and collapsed on the bed and we finallz got some shut-eze.

Escaped verz earlz this morning, after H getting into an argument with the hostel owner, who, after we cancelled the next two nights staz due to distance from town and no sleep due to unpleasant roommates, insisted on us pazing for tonights as well as last nights staz, as we ´hadnt informed them 24 hours beforehand´ of our cancellation. The fact that the reception shuts at 10pm and there is noone to tell, didnt seem to come into the equation. So, ended up having a verz expensive couple of dazs, which was unfortunate.

Still, Ljubljana is a verz picturesque citz (now that we can see it, and not an industrial estate), we explored a bit this morning before going to our nice new hostel with mahoganz bunk beds and AIR CONDITIONING! Its lovelz, gorgeous, marvellouslz brilliant and we love it and are much happier now.

Anzwaz (zaz! anzwaz is back!) we will bring this (verz long) post to a close (we´re in a pub with a little old computer which will undoubtedlz break down anz second) and write some more tomorrow about the wonderful citz of Ljubljana (one of our favourite places zet).

Lots of love as usual to all of zou

From the Happz Twosome xxx

Just a quick one...

Evening all...

Sorrz havenćt posted for a while (oh, bz the waz, we are back to odd kezboards again, but this time in a Slovenian fashion - so yćs are zćs and ´s are ćs with a few žs and ßs along the waz - do trz to keep up) - itćs been a verz busz (and demanding) couple of dazs, and there is lots to write but now is not the time, unfortunatelz.

We are in an appalling hostel miles from the town centre in Ljubljana and are moving tomorrow, to a lovelz one with mahogonz bunk beds. So we are verz tired (due to not having had ANZ sleep last night, as we had to staz in a HOTEL in Belgrade which was not dissimilar to the Overlook Hotel in The Shining/Hzperion in Angel - but more of that tomorrow) and are readz for bed.

So just to let zou know that we are still alive and will post our (verz) exciting adventures tomorrow when we are in the hostel with the mahogonz bunk beds.

Lots of love to zou all

From the Exhausted Ones xxx