Barcelona part 2

Wednesday the 14th,
I woke up a bit later than i planned onto.. thus i missed breakfast.. but i had my own food so it was alright .. I headed towards downtown on foot to Passeig Gracia the street where Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló, and Casa Milo can be found.. and just around the courner his Casa Calvet stands.

I like Gaudi's style, I can't wait to visit his park.. it ought to be breath taking beautiful. :) but I think I'll save that for a sunny day.. in barcelona.. because its been very cloudy.. and rainy since so far.. but its suppose to be sunny friday and Saturday :) I spend the afternoon running around trying to figure out the train thing so that I can get to Nantes on the 18th.. it complicated.. but I think I got it. :) and then I went to industrial park and just sat and took in the moment.

April 15th was just a quiet lazy day :)

April 16th.. i had to change room in the hostel I'm staying in.. that was a fun little process..considering i had a 3 hour gap before i could check in my next room.. Once that was done, I head to Sagrada Familia

it's a beautifully deigned church (by Gaudi)... i should read up on it, because by the name I dont think it was originally a church.. but I'll do that later.

In the afternoon I went to Park Guell (also design by Gaudi)

I spent the rest of the day there , chilling listening to local street artist trying to make a buck, and walking around the park.... lots and lots of tourist...Which is kind of a shame if you ask me.. because you don't get the feel that your actually in a different country... all tourist attractions are always set up the same.. with all these booth, selling made in China souvenir at a really high price ( that are probably only worth like 2 dollars ) and all the restaurants and shops around all tourist attractions are just as over priced.. if you backpacking..you should always walk out of the cities centers.. and go to the local grocery shops.. to stock up on food... crackers, energy bars, meal bars, water and powder multivitamins (if you can find them) lol that's what I'm living off of throughout most of this trip.
but I digress Barcelona is great. I'm really fond of it.. the whole urban city feel, mixed with historical beauty and museum, and then there's the beach literally 5 mins walking from the center! ( which i didn't go to really I just walked by.. but it deffently looked like a place one could waist days at , lying in the sun.)


( check out the pics in the photobucket under Eurotrip>Barcelona )

I'm off to Nantes tonight.. taking an overnight train to Paris. and then a regular train to nantes! Should be an experience..

Leave me comments ! Thank for following me on my travels readers ! It wonderful to know that I'm not alone... in spirit.. you guys are all with me... stuffed in my L.L.Bean backpack :)

Barcelona part 1

Espana! Espana!

I left Angelica house at 5.00am to walk to the train station.. to try to catch the train that I had read left at 6.30am... but once I got to the train station.. thanks to the SNCF strike.. it no longer existed... luckily I found other traveler (5 Chinese girls who spoke no french.. and Alexandre a french guy who was on his way to go meet up with his girl friend ) that were going to Barcelona.. and they told me there was a bus that left at 7.30am I waited with time, and chatted the time away... Once the bus got there.. we all found out.. it wasn't direct to Barcelona.. that in fact it went to figueres and from there we had to take a train to Barcelona.. ah the joy of traveling.. lol And soo we did... time went by fast.. since i ended up talking with Alexandre about France, strikes, student manifestation, music.. etc.. all very interesting.. lol he was the first french i met that wasn't fond of his home land...

I was soo exhausted once I got to Barcelona ( and it didn't help that was like 20 Celsius ) I barley had the strength to find my way thought 3 subways.. and walking half a mile to the hostel(check out their website.. its really nice here http://www.barcelonaurbany.com/ ) that i finally just crashed and slept until tree of my "roommates" came in ( which woke me up ) but it ended up being alright.. they invited me out to dinner.. it was an Irish girl, an English girl, and a french girl... that were all studying at the same school and decided to go for a short vacation in Barcelona... i went home early though so that I could finally sleep

by the time I finally woke up the next day.. they had already left.. I didn't do much that day either..I was pre-occupied with having to register for my classes next semester via the internet.. lol when I finally got that done.. I took a walk around my new neighborhood, and found a mall.. that had a groceries store.. so I bought food for the week :) by the time i got back to my room.. I had 6 new roommates ... that didn't speak any of the languages i speak.. so we don't communicate much.. but.. that's all right.. one of them.. snores horrible thought.. I wish he didn't lol but that the joy of sleeping in a hostel..

On Tuesday the 13th I was more productive.. ate some complementary breakfast at the hostel.. and I was on my way .. walking to Parc de la Ciutcalella:

which is beautiful, imagine.. this is just on of its ponds.. (check out the pics in the photobucket under Europe>barcelona) and then I walked to the tourist information center, in plaza Catalenya,to get a free map and meet up with a girl i met at breakfast that same day.. we walked around El Raval, had some lunch and then went to the Picasso Museum. I found the Picasso Museum very interesting.. they had a lot of his earlier work... like when he was 15, 16 ... back when he was in art school.. and then studying underneath an other artist... Picasso back then.. actually followed social norms.. and proportions .. and techniques.. the work he did when he was only 15.. is pretty impressive.. his attention to details.. and lighting...

this is an example.. but.. the image doesn't do it justice.. its way better in person.. The museum had a bit of all the periods in his life... it was intriguing to see how he evolved.. seeing paintings for the blue period.. I could really feel his emotions.. coming thought.. and then the red period.. one can see... clearly.. how sex, can can girls.. Paris.. influenced him... the.. superficial.. happiness.. "joy of life" I don't know maybe its just me.. but i felt it.

Montpellier

Hey Reader,
So I'm a little behind schedule with the blogging... I left Montpellier yesterday.. but I didn't have the change to blog then... so I'm blogging now :)

Once I finally got to Montpellier, I asked around to know where the closest public phones were.. I had to call Angelica.. I ended up walking into some hospital looking building.. and they kindly let me use their phone... Angelica had the dates.and days confused.. so she was actually surprise to hear my voice.. ( got me a bit worried.. ) lol but it all worked out.. she came and got me.. from where I was.. and we walked to her cute little apartment... She had a friend over(karin) .. and they were about to watch a movie.. so I joined them. Relaxed little evening.

The next day we went out to try to figure out the train schedual of my departing day.. ( since everything is .. dis-organized because of the strike.. the SNCF websites are shut down... most of the local SNCF offices are shut down too...) NO luck... But i stayed optimistic...

Then Angelica and Karin invited me on a type of school trip to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. Which is a cute medieval town up in the mountains. We walked around all day..It was beautiful, the sun was out..




(check out the pic. photobucket>Eurotrip>MOntpellier )

on Sunday we went to an outside market that had a nice little feel to it... I definitely loved the colors.. and then we went to the beach!

I was surprise how warm it was outside.. for early april.. And in btween our outings.. I got to know Montpellier's downtown

the tram system( a kind of like a train/bus above ground), some of its beautiful neighborhoods.. and its exchange student.. lol ( Angelica and Karin are Swedish girls currently studying in France. lol they reminded me of me.. in Perugia.)

CHANGE OF PLANS FOR SPAIN, I'm not longer going to Madrid.. I decided to stay longer in Barcelona, rest at this great hostel I found and enjoy it more.

Lyon

Lyon! Lyon! Is a beautiful city! I don't know if its because I missed hearing french all around me.. or because the sun was shinning 2/3 days that I was there.. but it was great. My first host Ange (Merci Lucrece) meet me at La Gare Part-Dieu and we walked to her apartment, which is literary a 5 min walk. :), to drop of my stuff, have some tea and then she took me on a "tour" around lyon, and old lyon. It was really nice! she kept telling me things( the history of some buildings, the traditions) about the city i wouldn't of figured out .. Im sure if I was walking on my own.. We saw a miniature museum, a trabule ( which as "secret path" people used to escape during the revolution) and then She brought me to a painted wall, which was a side of a building, completely painted 3D style so that it would look like the other side of a building... here's a picture.. I'm sure it makes more sense then me trying to explain it !

One example, and then here's another


The next day I ventured out on my own, to the Fourviere

(which was a nice little hour and a half walk uphill... lol I'm gonna see in better shape that the end of this.. ) It was totally worth it though because on the way there I got to see a little bite of the social life of lyon, I walked through a College and listen to all the teens talk about their lives... Later that after noon I met up with Ange and she took me around with her while she ran erans.. and then she brought me to "Parc de la Tête d'or" Which from what she told me,seem amazing... plants from all over the world, a zoo.. deers giraffes and elephants.. I which i had the energy to stay there longer and see all of that.. but traveling really takes it out of me..

The next day I was off to my my host, Izou ( a Quebecoise!) She was loads of fun! She had a bunch of food from Quebec in her apartment, So I got to drink some V8 and eat "le pettir quebec" cheese.. and we talked in Quebecois..( and yes its different than french from france.. lol ) I thought it was great ! made me miss Quebec ...
When her boyfriend got home, they brought me to Ikea! (Which looks exactly the same as the Ikea in Quebec, or the one in the States that I've been to.) I love ikea! I don't know why.. but I always like going there! SO that was an other fun experience...
At night they took me to a "typical" Bouchon lyonnaise called "La Machonnerie"
http://www.lamachonnerie.com/ Great food! ate lots of meat to give my body strength!!!
After a very long day.. I decided to push back my schedule a bit.. and allow my self to sleep in the next morning... ( super idea! ) But I'm not sure if it really made all that big of a difference for the trains that i was suppose to catch .. because since the 6th of April there has been this strike going on with the trains in France.. and on the 8th ( the day I planned to go to Montpeillier) they strike had gotten worst.. more than half of the trains were canceled.. people we're running around very chaotically .. So the fact that I got to the train station around 3.. was kind of good luck.. i guess Since i found out.. the 3 earlier trains I could of taken had been canceled.. along with the train i wanted to take.. I ended up hoping on the next train ( which was 55mins late) to Montpellier.
This train was so crowed that there was people standing in the ilse, people in the connections between trains... I ended up sitting in the hallway where the restrooms were, for 3 hours.. ( all in all it wasn't that bad.. I was laughing most of the time... listening to some music Izou gave me. ) I actually got to Montpellier at an earlier time that I was suppose to with the other train...(because the other train was regional , and the one I hoped on was a high speed train.. ) It all worked out. and now I'm here writing to you guys. :) how are you guys all doing ? leave me a comment!

(Oh side note.. I'm noticing, as I re-read these post sometimes.. that I use the words, "awesome" "great" "Wonderful" "amazing" a lot.. I hope its not obnoxious, write me a comment letting me know... maybe I'll change the style of the blogs a bit.. )

Loriol-Lyon

Claire and her youngest son Luccas(6), picked me up at the Vallance Ville station around 7 pm ( I had the two valance station confused thus I had to wait a little but no biggie! ) and brought me to Loriol ( I hope im spelling it right). Loriol is a cute little town… population around 6000 ( or that’s what I’ve been told ) it has a nice feel to it.. I got the impression that everyone new one another.. that it was some type of huge family… Claire brought me to the restaurant she worked at, to meet her boss Nono. He’s a pretty intriguing character lived in Montreal for 3 years.. and Mexico for 7 :- ). When we went “home” where I met the rest of the family the family dog (channel) and the 4 cats … ( I don’t remember all their names. But I know one of them was called chips.. lol ). It was all every nice , very nice indeed the next morning I got woken up by Channel and the cats.. laying in my bed :-) hehe We walked to meet up Claire at the restaurant , where she served us amazing food.. I ate this gigantic salad… delicious.. lol ( especially since I’ve been eating granola type crackers for the last couples of days.. lol ) Then I took Luccas to a playground for a bit. After Claire got off of work we went to visit her mother in a home. I like this whole get to know the non tourist-y aspects of towns . Later Luccas and his dad rode bikes while Claire and I walked throught one of the towns public parks.

For dinner Claire invited over her 2nd youngest son Nicholas (28) and she made us crepes! It was great.. very homey ..
Today is the 5th of april around noon time ..and I’m on my way to Lyon to see Ange I’m writing to you guys while I wait for my train.. I think this might become a habit.. writing to you guys while I’m on trains .. or waiting for them.. lol Oh. Side note.. this trip is definitely all about not being shy and ask for help.. Direction.. the time…to use peoples self phones to make a quick call .. I found the all of the the above are all great conversation starters… I wish I had pins or something with me… Rotary style to give everyone I meet a little thank you and souvenir gift… I know.. I know.. I’m going to make them cranes… ah.. pitty .. I didn’t think of this before.. I could of given claire one.. lol.. I guess I’ll start with Ange. Lol.. alright..

Well until next time readers.. stay safe . Thank you for all your facebook messages and email! Keep writing me.. ill do my best to answer as soon as possible. -Xox

Genova-Torino-Lyon

My adventures began April 2nd at 6.04 am . I got woken up by my landlady barging in my room… because Annastasia had the smart idea to tell her that we were both leaving at 7 am and that 6 would be a fine time to come in a check out the apartment and give back our keys.. this was all a grant idea of her’s… except she didn’t tell me about it.. and she wasn’t awake at 6 in the morning to let in my landlady.. and since my room was closer to the door… I got woken up first…. Wonderful! ..
So after everything was okayed by my land lady…. And Mili ( see birthday video in “lorriana in Italia” ) made me coffee, I was off to the bus stop to get to the train station to catch the 10.00 am train to Florence. Annastasia was going to Rome to catch her flight.. so we said out goodbyes at the train station.

Got to Florence at 12.. something… wondered around the train station to try to figure out what I had to go .. to buy an EuRail ticket ( cheap all around Europe ticket deals.. ) after being given the round-a-about .. for an hour I finally ended up talking to a very friendly guy that worked at the bilieteria who set everything up for me .. and sold me my ticket! Sooo I’m thinking great! I’m ready to go! First destination Genova.
To get to Genova I Had 3 transfers… for a 4.15 hrs train ride… not soo fun.. but I think this might be the way lots of my train rides are going to be… anyways.. got to genova .. around 7 pm.. walked around a bit.. and then thanks to my “traveling Europe on a budget book” I found a hotel for 25 € a night , nice single room and breakfast included… ( this is cheap. A 1 star hotel in Perugia .. cost about 60 € a night.. just as a reference.. ) Nice quiet nice.. went out .. and walked around took some pictures.. but.. not so much since it was already out by the time I came out of my hotel.

The next day, bright and early after some “free” breakfast , I was checked out and on my way back to the train station to catch the 8.12 am train to Torino where I was told there would be a transfer train to Lyon an hour after I was suppose to get there…. There wasn’t. Once I got to torino.. I was told that there was a bus.. that went to lyon.. and that I had to wait for it… but.. as you might guess.. Italian train stations.. didn’t give me any specific.. nor helpful information… I went to the nearest hotel... And the lady at the check in desk was nice enough to help me out… she gave me a map , and point me to the nearest travel agencies… BUT since.. its Easter.. tomorrow.. ( Sunday) everything was closed.. and.. feeling desperate I walked back to the train station,. Hoping I might find someone else in my situation..
Just as I was thinking of what I’t have to do if I couldn’t get to lyon today.. I saw a talk skinny brunette girl.. looking around with the same desperated look I was just I had on my face. I asked her in French if she was going to lyon.. she told me she didn’t understand me… so I asked her in English.. and she said yes , looking relieved. I smiled.. and we both headed to were we thought the bus might be stopping by… there.. we met some Italians that where going the same way… and we asked around where we could by the tickets.. to get on the bus… they had no idea… but.. told us we were the 4 people to ask them the same thing.. so they were pretty sure that there was a way to buy them aboard the bus..
Once the bus arrived.. I ran towards the bus driver and asked him if there was still some seats available and … how I could purchase a ticket… he very rudely replied in French that anyone with out tickets had to go to Station Susana ( about 20 min from where we were ) and wait there.. and if there were seats after they picked up the people from there… we could buy the tickets on board. I translated it to the English girl ( in Italian.. for some reason).. … and as I did a very nice Italian lady overhead me.. she interrupted me …and offered my and English girl a ride to station Susana, so that we’d have a chance to catch the bus there…We gladly accepted! I love how life works out sometimes… The bus had 3 seat left… once it got to Station Susana.. English girl and me got on.. and another Italian girl that had catch a ride with us to the station…
Four hour bus ride to lyon… beautiful scenery.. ? the bus dropped us off at “la Gare de Lyon Part Dieu” There I called Claire ( Merci Lucrece! ) and she told me that I had to catch a train to Vallance My adventures began April 2nd at 6.04 am . I got woken up by my landlady barging in my room… because Annastasia had the smart idea to tell her that we were both leaving at 7 am and that 6 would be a fine time to come in a check out the apartment and give back our keys.. this was all a grant idea of her’s… except she didn’t tell me about it.. and she wasn’t awake at 6 in the morning to let in my landlady.. and since my room was closer to the door… I got woken up first…. Wonderful! ..
So after everything was okayed by my land lady…. And Mili ( see birthday video in “lorriana in Italia” ) made me coffee, I was off to the bus stop to get to the train station to catch the 10.00 am train to Florence. Annastasia was going to Rome to catch her flight.. so we said out goodbyes at the train station.
Got to Florence at 12.. something… wondered around the train station to try to figure out what I had to go .. to buy an EuRail ticket ( cheap all around Europe ticket deals.. ) after being given the round-a-about .. for an hour I finally ended up talking to a very friendly guy that worked at the bilieteria who set everything up for me .. and sold me my ticket! Sooo I’m thinking great! I’m ready to go! First destination Genova.
To get to Genova I Had 3 transfers… for a 4.15 hrs train ride… not soo fun.. but I think this might be the way lots of my train rides are going to be… anyways.. got to genova .. around 7 pm.. walked around a bit.. and then thanks to my “traveling Europe on a budget book” I found a hotel for 25 € a night , nice single room and breakfast included… ( this is cheap. A 1 star hotel in Perugia .. cost about 60 € a night.. just as a reference.. ) Nice quiet nice.. went out .. and walked around took some pictures.. but.. not so much since it was already out by the time I came out of my hotel.
The next day, bright and early after some “free” breakfast , I was checked out and on my way back to the train station to catch the 8.12 am train to Torino where I was told there would be a transfer train to Lyon an hour after I was suppose to get there…. There wasn’t. Once I got to torino.. I was told that there was a bus.. that went to lyon.. and that I had to wait for it… but.. as you might guess.. Italian train stations.. didn’t give me any specific.. nor helpful information… I went to the nearest hotel... And the lady at the check in desk was nice enough to help me out… she gave me a map , and point me to the nearest travel agencies… BUT since.. its Easter.. tomorrow.. ( Sunday) everything was closed.. and.. feeling desperate I walked back to the train station,. Hoping I might find someone else in my situation..
Just as I was thinking of what I’t have to do if I couldn’t get to lyon today.. I saw a talk skinny brunette girl.. looking around with the same desperated look I was just I had on my face. I asked her in French if she was going to lyon.. she told me she didn’t understand me… so I asked her in English.. and she said yes , looking relieved. I smiled.. and we both headed to were we thought the bus might be stopping by… there.. we met some Italians that where going the same way… and we asked around where we could by the tickets.. to get on the bus… they had no idea… but.. told us we were the 4 people to ask them the same thing.. so they were pretty sure that there was a way to buy them aboard the bus..
Once the bus arrived.. I ran towards the bus driver and asked him if there was still some seats available and … how I could purchase a ticket… he very rudely replied in French that anyone with out tickets had to go to Station Susana ( about 20 min from where we were ) and wait there.. and if there were seats after they picked up the people from there… we could buy the tickets on board. I translated it to the English girl ( in Italian.. for some reason).. … and as I did a very nice Italian lady overhead me.. she interrupted me …and offered my and English girl a ride to station Susana, so that we’d have a chance to catch the bus there…We gladly accepted! I love how life works out sometimes… The bus had 3 seat left… once it got to Station Susana.. English girl and me got on.. and another Italian girl that had catch a ride with us to the station…
Four hour bus ride to lyon… beautiful scenery...

the bus dropped us off at “la Gare de Lyon Part Dieu” There I called Claire ( Merci Lucrece! ) and she told me that I had to catch a train to Vallance My adventures began April 2nd at 6.04 am . I got woken up by my landlady barging in my room… because Annastasia had the smart idea to tell her that we were both leaving at 7 am and that 6 would be a fine time to come in a check out the apartment and give back our keys.. this was all a grant idea of her’s… except she didn’t tell me about it.. and she wasn’t awake at 6 in the morning to let in my landlady.. and since my room was closer to the door… I got woken up first…. Wonderful! ..
So after everything was okayed by my land lady…. And Mili ( see birthday video in “lorriana in Italia” ) made me coffee, I was off to the bus stop to get to the train station to catch the 10.00 am train to Florence. Annastasia was going to Rome to catch her flight.. so we said out goodbyes at the train station.
Got to Florence at 12.. something… wondered around the train station to try to figure out what I had to go .. to buy an EuRail ticket ( cheap all around Europe ticket deals.. ) after being given the round-a-about .. for an hour I finally ended up talking to a very friendly guy that worked at the bilieteria who set everything up for me .. and sold me my ticket! Sooo I’m thinking great! I’m ready to go! First destination Genova.
To get to Genova I Had 3 transfers… for a 4.15 hrs train ride… not soo fun.. but I think this might be the way lots of my train rides are going to be… anyways.. got to genova .. around 7 pm.. walked around a bit.. and then thanks to my “traveling Europe on a budget book” I found a hotel for 25 € a night , nice single room and breakfast included… ( this is cheap. A 1 star hotel in Perugia .. cost about 60 € a night.. just as a reference.. ) Nice quiet nice.. went out .. and walked around took some pictures.. but.. not so much since it was already out by the time I came out of my hotel.
The next day, bright and early after some “free” breakfast , I was checked out and on my way back to the train station to catch the 8.12 am train to Torino where I was told there would be a transfer train to Lyon an hour after I was suppose to get there…. There wasn’t. Once I got to torino.. I was told that there was a bus.. that went to lyon.. and that I had to wait for it… but.. as you might guess.. Italian train stations.. didn’t give me any specific.. nor helpful information… I went to the nearest hotel... And the lady at the check in desk was nice enough to help me out… she gave me a map , and point me to the nearest travel agencies… BUT since.. its Easter.. tomorrow.. ( Sunday) everything was closed.. and.. feeling desperate I walked back to the train station,. Hoping I might find someone else in my situation..
Just as I was thinking of what I’t have to do if I couldn’t get to lyon today.. I saw a talk skinny brunette girl.. looking around with the same desperated look I was just I had on my face. I asked her in French if she was going to lyon.. she told me she didn’t understand me… so I asked her in English.. and she said yes , looking relieved. I smiled.. and we both headed to were we thought the bus might be stopping by… there.. we met some Italians that where going the same way… and we asked around where we could by the tickets.. to get on the bus… they had no idea… but.. told us we were the 4 people to ask them the same thing.. so they were pretty sure that there was a way to buy them aboard the bus..
Once the bus arrived.. I ran towards the bus driver and asked him if there was still some seats available and … how I could purchase a ticket… he very rudely replied in French that anyone with out tickets had to go to Station Susana ( about 20 min from where we were ) and wait there.. and if there were seats after they picked up the people from there… we could buy the tickets on board. I translated it to the English girl ( in Italian.. for some reason).. … and as I did a very nice Italian lady overhead me.. she interrupted me …and offered my and English girl a ride to station Susana, so that we’d have a chance to catch the bus there…We gladly accepted! I love how life works out sometimes… The bus had 3 seat left… once it got to Station Susana.. English girl and me got on.. and another Italian girl that had catch a ride with us to the station…
Four hour bus ride to lyon… beautiful scenery.. ? the bus dropped us off at “la Gare de Lyon Part Dieu” There I called Claire ( Merci Lucrece! ) and she told me that I had to catch a train to Vallance My adventures began April 2nd at 6.04 am . I got woken up by my landlady barging in my room… because Annastasia had the smart idea to tell her that we were both leaving at 7 am and that 6 would be a fine time to come in a check out the apartment and give back our keys.. this was all a grant idea of her’s… except she didn’t tell me about it.. and she wasn’t awake at 6 in the morning to let in my landlady.. and since my room was closer to the door… I got woken up first…. Wonderful! ..
So after everything was okayed by my land lady…. And Mili ( see birthday video in “lorriana in Italia” ) made me coffee, I was off to the bus stop to get to the train station to catch the 10.00 am train to Florence. Annastasia was going to Rome to catch her flight.. so we said out goodbyes at the train station.
Got to Florence at 12.. something… wondered around the train station to try to figure out what I had to go .. to buy an EuRail ticket ( cheap all around Europe ticket deals.. ) after being given the round-a-about .. for an hour I finally ended up talking to a very friendly guy that worked at the bilieteria who set everything up for me .. and sold me my ticket! Sooo I’m thinking great! I’m ready to go! First destination Genova.
To get to Genova I Had 3 transfers… for a 4.15 hrs train ride… not soo fun.. but I think this might be the way lots of my train rides are going to be… anyways.. got to genova .. around 7 pm.. walked around a bit.. and then thanks to my “traveling Europe on a budget book” I found a hotel for 25 € a night , nice single room and breakfast included… ( this is cheap. A 1 star hotel in Perugia .. cost about 60 € a night.. just as a reference.. ) Nice quiet nice.. went out .. and walked around took some pictures.. but.. not so much since it was already out by the time I came out of my hotel.
The next day, bright and early after some “free” breakfast , I was checked out and on my way back to the train station to catch the 8.12 am train to Torino where I was told there would be a transfer train to Lyon an hour after I was suppose to get there…. There wasn’t. Once I got to torino.. I was told that there was a bus.. that went to lyon.. and that I had to wait for it… but.. as you might guess.. Italian train stations.. didn’t give me any specific.. nor helpful information… I went to the nearest hotel... And the lady at the check in desk was nice enough to help me out… she gave me a map , and point me to the nearest travel agencies… BUT since.. its Easter.. tomorrow.. ( Sunday) everything was closed.. and.. feeling desperate I walked back to the train station,. Hoping I might find someone else in my situation..
Just as I was thinking of what I’t have to do if I couldn’t get to lyon today.. I saw a talk skinny brunette girl.. looking around with the same desperated look I was just I had on my face. I asked her in French if she was going to lyon.. she told me she didn’t understand me… so I asked her in English.. and she said yes , looking relieved. I smiled.. and we both headed to were we thought the bus might be stopping by… there.. we met some Italians that where going the same way… and we asked around where we could by the tickets.. to get on the bus… they had no idea… but.. told us we were the 4 people to ask them the same thing.. so they were pretty sure that there was a way to buy them aboard the bus..
Once the bus arrived.. I ran towards the bus driver and asked him if there was still some seats available and … how I could purchase a ticket… he very rudely replied in French that anyone with out tickets had to go to Station Susana ( about 20 min from where we were ) and wait there.. and if there were seats after they picked up the people from there… we could buy the tickets on board. I translated it to the English girl ( in Italian.. for some reason).. … and as I did a very nice Italian lady overhead me.. she interrupted me …and offered my and English girl a ride to station Susana, so that we’d have a chance to catch the bus there…We gladly accepted! I love how life works out sometimes… The bus had 3 seat left… once it got to Station Susana.. English girl and me got on.. and another Italian girl that had catch a ride with us to the station…
Four hour bus ride to lyon… beautiful scenery.. ? the bus dropped us off at “la Gare de Lyon Part Dieu” There I called Claire ( Merci Lucrece! ) and she told me that I had to catch a train to Vallance Ville … So now I’m on the tain .. writing this… Thus far.. this had been an interesting beginning… Stay with me.. send me some messages guys !!! So that I know that you’re with me! Keep me positive and strong while I travel around Europe by myself…

Until next time.
-Lorriana … So now I’m on the tain .. writing this… Thus far.. this had been an interesting beginning… Stay with me.. send me some messages guys !!! So that I know that you’re with me! Keep me positive and strong while I travel around Europe by myself

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LOGIN lola2314 PASS Lorriana
like always.. ( this its going to change soon thought. I'm running out of space :)

this is the plan

START - Perugia
April 2 - Florence/ Genova
April 3-7 -Lyon , France
April 8-10 - Montpellier, France
April 11-17- Barcelona , Spain
April 18-22- Nantes, France
April 23-25- Besancon, France
April 26-29- Paris , France
April 30- May 3- Brussel, Namur, Charleroi , Belgium
May 4-10 – Amsterdam
May 11-14- Berlin, Germany
May 15-16- Frankfurt, Germany
May 17-19- Munich, Germany
May 20-22- Verona Italy
May 23-30- Perugia, Italy
(I'm still going to Pisa, I think it will be a day trip thought)
May 31- June 2- Rome, Italy
And on the 2nd I flight back to NYC – END

For almost all of these placed I’m meeting up with friends, and staying with them.. So don’t worry about me.. just keep thinking positive thoughts and all will be great!

I’ll blog as much as possible…
I also plan on making.. a Pros and Cons on Italy at some point So look forward to that !!

Write to me ! Comment ! Emails.. let me know that you’re with me ! traveling with me for these next two months… !

Lots of love!

( i know I know.. this is a simplistic post.. but I'm fighting against the clock! lol trying to get a decent amount of sleep before starting this amazing adventure..)