My first day I ran into a Canadian named Dave, who of course went to UBC and graduated the same year, same faculty as I did. We went out to dinner at a little cafe and had some meat on a hook. Portugese food by the way is also fantastic. Very.... hardy. Then we stopped by a grocery store and picked up 2 one liter bottles of beer and a bottle of wine each. Grand total..... 3 euros.
We then went back to the hostel and sat down in the courtyard and I brought out a pack of cards and we started playing. Within two hours we had about half the people in our hostel sitting with us, playing cards (it is not a big hostel, 30 people at most I think). After a few hours of that we decided to see if the nightlife in Porto is as nonexistant as we had heard. It is pretty dead, but we managed to find a place.
The next day I started some more random wandering. Porto is a great city to wander by the way. Tonnes of cool little alley ways and really breathtaking views of the entire city as it slopes down to the river bed. I then went to one of the more famous port distilleries, Sandeman. While there I ran into Tex, Edmonton and Melbourne from the night before (Isiah, Christine and Liz, respectively. Oh, and here is an odd YK connection.... Christine used to date Chris Mercredi´s brother Paul). So we all went on the Sandeman tour, learned about how port is made and did some tasting. Then we went to another tasting place and after tasting about my seventh port I decided to buy a half bottle of one I liked. It is a 1998 vintage, and should be left to age for another 4 years or so. And I have to carry it in my backpack for two more months. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
After the tasting we found a cafe to watch the Portugal-England football game. Porto LOVES its football. They have big screens set up all around the city centre, showing the football game to the public with hundreds (if not thousands) of people crowded around. But we wanted to eat, so we after some extensive searching we found one with a free table and a TV. AND.... PORTUGAL WON!!! The whole city went NUTS! The energy on the street after that blew me away.... And Tex walked along the top of a bridge walkway, teetering on the railing, ready to fall 100 feet into the river below and freaked me and Christine out.
That night was me, Christine and Dave celebrating Canada day, and handing out Canada pins and naming all who were willing honourary Canucks for the day. Good times were had. I ended the night chilling in the courtyard with some Aussies. Ainsley, Jimmy, John and Matt. They´re doing almost EXACTLY the same route I am, so I will probably run into them another half dozen times over the next two months.
In three hours I am off on the night train to Madrid. YeeHA.
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So here is the schedule:
- Madrid tomorrow, for two days
- Barcelona for one day
- Nice for two days, three if I can find some more accomodation
- Florence
- Rome
11 comments:
I DESPISE Florence. Easily my least favourite city in Europe. It, like Venice, has degenerated into a tourist theme park, only it's not nearly as interesting as the other tourist theme parks. And it's beauty is overstated (I can name about 5 or 6 cities in Italy that nobody talks about that are more beautiful than Florence).
I suppose that it's the kind of city that's better the second time around, after you've taken care of the must-see tourist shit. Unfortunately, first-timers usually want to see the must-see tourist shit. If you were planning on going to the Uffizi or the Accademica, get ready for a two hour queue...
(If I had to reccommend one, I'd say check out the Accademica. Michelangelo's David is unquestionably the most impressive sculpture I've ever seen.)
I'm pissed I didn't go to Porto now!
In Madrid: go to the Chocolateria San Gines if you're craving churros. There, you will find churros as big as logs, I shit you not. Every Madrileno will know where it is...
In terms of work, I'm homefree now, and able to meet you pretty much at any time (Wednesdays and Thursdays are bad), on reasonably short notice. Aren't you excited! Where are you going after Italy?
Hi Matt!!! i just got to read your update sitting in Renee's kitchen in YELLOWKNIFE!!! I can't help but feeling SO JEALOUS that you are across the world doing so much cool shit!!! I have been back home for 2 months and i cant believe you still HAVE 2 months to travel! woooot!!! Well, it sounds like you are having an amazing time so far...but some advice for the next little part of your itinerary...
-MADRID-
The Reina Sofia and the modern art museum are pretty sweet. Picasso's guernica, you can easily walk between the two and signage is pretty good. dont eat around them though (GAH tourist food in tourist places never good).
Instead, for food go to the area called Chueca- its also the gaybourhood, (so dont be surprised if some spanish chico's look at you...ahhaha) BUT its a really really awesome place full of fantastic food places, a happening arts and shopping district and tons of places with cheap booze. also a really good vibe, i went during the day, but yeah, not too sketchy whereas other parts of madrid certainly are.
-BARCELONA-
OMG you must go to the beach- go near the Olypiad park on the coastline. DEFINITLY DEFINITLY go to see Gaudi's stuff. the picasso museum is alright- has some early stuff and the studys of Valasquez' painting (which you could see original of at the Reina sofia). go to Gaudis park Guell, very very surreal, feels like you are in a candyland world. the Sagrada familia will hae a huge ass waiting line probably but definitly worth it to be able to see it inside, so many cool details, everywhere you look there is something so intrigueing to the minutest detail. TONS OF PICKPOCKETERS. try not to hang out too long on las ramblas. i am sure youve heard all the warnings before but yeah. ive known 3 ppl whove been robbed in barcelona. i wasnt one of them, i lOOOOVED it there, but never carried anythign on me unless it was in a money belt.
-FLORENCE-
well. yeah. Firenze is one of those places that has been overrun by tourists, but i've been 5 times, and there is a charm that if you look hard enough, you cannot deny, underneath the seething masses of ppl who are definitly NOT florentine, there is something of the old city left...not even just in the old buildings but in some of the residents who truly do value florence as a city that was once the centre of a huge empire, rivalling Rome. Firenze is also extremely easy to get around, has one of the best european markets ive been in (for gift giving sorts of things, leather, etc) and does hold a wealth of art. you CAN book a spot at the uffizzi, then you dont have to wait in a 2 hr line. the stuff in there is just too amazing to miss. renee had to miss it cuz we only had a day. i regret not making her and i wait. boo. anyhow, yes...if you can ignore all the million ppl, who are....like yourself, TOURISTS and try to imagine what it was like a long long time ago, you may realise it was probably always like this!! just with different ppl coming through as TOURISTS becuase florence has always been a busling centre whee ppl flock. sometiems a place is that way because it deserves to be.
all that said. there are many other places in europe and in italy more beautiful, but it doesnt mean you shoudl skip Florence by any means.
near florence is where i lived- One hour by train (and only 8 euros i believe) you can get to a small little town of Cortona, Arrezzo, Assissi and Siena. If you can only get to one, you should really really really try. they are hill towns, in the wine and olive growing regions, fields of sunflowers and mountainranges with medieval towers and cobblestone streets winding into huge piazzas where there are TONS of locals who are sooooo friendly ESP to canadians....tons of amazing food....ohhhh tuscany. THESE are some of the most beautiful places...so, to end my long long advice column for you dear matt...i say try to get a bit of both, which it sounds liek you have been, but honestly, do the tourist shit and enjoy it for what it is, and then do something off the beaten path...like visiting one of the hill towns in Tuscany...while youre drinking wine looking over a valley full of sunflowers and the sun beats down on you while you walk around eating gelato on the cobblestone streets while the italians mill about, you will definitly know why i suggest this venture AND why its worth it....
hugs...hope you are safe and sound, esp after a NIGHT train adventure. (blugh!)
Ciaaao!!! have fun...talk to you later.
Michelle.
don't you just love her!?
love you,
ray.
don't you just love her!?
hahaha, "gaybourhood"... thats a great term.
Damn, the reason I choose Florence instead of Venice was because I was hoping to avoid the throngs of tourists....
However, after a night train (without even a sleep car, I spent all night in a tiny chair) all I really want to do is SLEEP.
Ah, the Lisbon-Madrid overnight train! Fond memories... actually, not really.
I'm afraid there are just as many tourists in Florence these days as in Venice. Tuscany has hit it big, and Florence's tourist industry has been the main beneficiary. And in Florence, they're still there at night: most visitors to Venice these days day trip from Padova or Vicenza or Verona. Venice is practically deserted at night.
But I'm gonna stop with my anti-Florentine propaganda. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide for yourself.
I wanted to second some of the things Michelle said:
-GO to Siena, even as a daytrip from Florence. Easily one of the highlights of Italy.
-DO hang out in Chueca and Malasana in Madrid (they're right next to each other, practically the same neighbourhood); they're definitely the most most happenin' 'hoods in Madrid for eating/drinking/debauchery, as the 4 AM traffic jams on a Tuesday will confirm.
If you'd like, I can take that bottle of port back with me to England/Greece so you don't have to lug it around in your backpack. I'll be back in YK on September 18, so you'll have it in plenty of time.
Hey, got a bit of a scare when I just read "At least 34 die in Spanish subway crash." Reading on I realized it was Valencia, not Madrid.....but still.....you keep in touch!
kw 8-o
PS - as an art admirer of late.....do you only feel that you appreciate what you are seeing if you feel you understand implicitly what the artist is trying to invoke (in you)? Do you never see something, or hear something, that stirs you, despite confounding you.....or something so purely beautiful, that understanding is simply irrelevant? Anyway, food for thought......
Missing you. Thanks for the chat the other day.....looking forward to the next one.
I went to the Reina Sofia yesterday, and I don´t really understand the Spanish civil war, but I still found Picasso´s work to be very intense. In general, I like anything that invokes in me a emotional reaction, regardless of whether I entirely understand the context.
Okay, do you think Picasso would discredit your appreciation or reaction to his works because they may not be what he himself was trying to convey? Particularly, as his style moved further from the literal (is it his cubist style at the Reina Sofia?).
Art, language, music.....it's all symbols, so what is implied cannot ever be precisely inferred - even if the artist explains every detail of the creation, the audience will find alternative meanings that are no less valid because they exist for that person - but that doesn't mean the artist is any less "successful." To stir an emotion or induce further thought, about the art or the subject, is enough.
(Am I annoying you yet?!!)
Ciao, have fun.
kw :-)
Huh. I really enjoyed Florence/Tuscany for the brief time I was there. :)
And Chris Mercredi = my Chris? WEIRD!
Well, it sounds like you're having a great time! And dont forget my Greek pebble if you get there!
Hmmmmm, case in point, Vince......
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