Where Is Joey Today?

Benvenuto Italia... (yes I know the page is messed up, no time to fix) updated: fixed

A series of firsts for my trip to Italy. I left Seville without visiting McDonalds and I didn't miss a bus or train.

Impressive, I know.

So we left from Barcelona at 8:30, which should have been no problem. When I got my ticket in Seville, the guy at the desk never told me that from Estacio Sants (the main station in Barcelona) that I would have to travel to Estacio Franca. The ticket, I checked, said BCA/FRANCA which I (understandably) assumed was Catalan saying, I am going to Milano via France. Turned out to not be much of a problem, I jumped on Barcelona's metro (which is easy to use) and was there in 20 minutes.

Around 6am the French police get on board my train and a woman asks me, in English, for my passport. I obliged, and then she checks the cover, the photo, my town etc. then for some reason that is beyond my ability to understand she asks me if I have any luggage...in French. Two things, one, I had luggage locked to my drink holder, and B) she saw that I was an American, why the hell was she speaking French?!?! I said Je ne parle frances... "Oh..you have luggage?"
Yeah, if I have time after Italy, I will be spending time in Munich instead of Paris. It brought back every vile memory I have of France. (Edit: Turned out I liked Paris, crazy!)

On to more pleasant news, after arriving in Milano, I caught a Train to Florence with two Argentinian girls who were on my Barcelona->Milano leg. I guess because I was explaining to the guy at the ticket office that I, like those two girls, are going to Florence, he gave us one ticket between the three of us. They have family in Florence, and in Rome/Naples so they thought it was a good opportunity to travel comfortably.

Once in Florence I got a late breakfast/Spanish lunch outside of the Duomo. Just mildly impressive. I think the Cathedral that blew my mind in Seville could fit inside of this thing. I have seen pictures of it (who hasn't? It is the Colloseum of Florence) but I had no idea how huge this thing was. What made it really cool is that you don't get a good view until you are right on top of it and the scale is dizzying.

So a bit more walking until I arrived at the hostel. Not bad digs. 20 euros gets you a bed (4/room), ensuite bathroom, and a hot, real, breakfast. Today I had a cheese omlet toast, and some kind of salad with apples.


I always feel a little negative about a town when I arrive. The feeling of being lost, tired, etc. is usually a downer. Then I warm up to the place. Florence might have a record. Even with the worst possible weather on my arrival, I still enjoyed the town which is incredible (probably going to knock off Seville for top spot...so far gold, silver and bronze go to Florence, Seville, Bergen/Grenada).


I decided to save a rail day and go to Pisa on my own buck. The town is nice and the bridges look remarkably similar to Florence. I went to the Cathedral and the formerly leaning tower of Pisa. For those that haven't kept up with the news, they decided the leaning was too dangerous. Around 1973 there was a proposal to straighten it but it never "developed" and the excessive "exposure" stopped the idea in its tracks. So here is to the newly more or less perpendicular tower of Pisa.


For Lunch I had an Italian sandwich, Italian ice cream, Ciochotte (spelling is atrocious, drinking chocolate, or for Starbucks fans, it is the real Choctico). I defy you to tell me that it doesn't look good!




I told you traveling was weird... well, today inside the cathedral I met those two Argentinian girls from yesterday. The cathedral was pretty spectacular, but because I was already expecting something pretty impressive it didn't give me the same reaction the Sevilla one did.

Tomorrow to Torino at 7:51 and arriving around quarter till 1 local time.

I will add more photos later...yeah I right, I said I would put photos on my last post. Oh well, the technology over here is highly hit and miss. Edit: back in USA

Some Italian Ice Cream



--Joey