European Honeymoon: The J-Team Journal

Here are the chronicles of our 2010 trip around Eastern Europe, from Nice - Berlin.

Roughly:

Nice, France September 9 - 12

Cinque Terre, Italy September 12 - 15
Allessandria, Italy Sept. 15 / 16
Venice, Italy Sept 16 - 19

Zagreb, Croatia September 19 / 20
Split, Croatia Sept. 21 - 25
Dubrovnik, Croatia Sept 25 - 29

Budapest, Hungary September 29 - October 2
Vienna, Austria October 2 - 4
Prague, Czech Republic Oct. 4 - 6
Berlin, Germany Oct. 6 - 9

Return to Canada via Paris October 10, 2011

Honeymoon: Day Ten, CROATIAN TRAIN RIDE

JK, Sept 20 2010: Something I have meaning to write about, and which we anticipated prior to the trip, is the experience of travelling by train. While a first class Euro-Rail pass by no means guarantees first class travel, we are at present enjoying such, in a quiet cabin shared with two Aussies, Tim and Jess.

The views of Croatian countryside are pastoral and extraordinary. Small white farm houses with red clay tiled rooftops; fields of corn swathed in mist; hills of gold, brown and green ferns mottled, flashing in the sun. Many rivers here are flooded.

Honeymoon: Day Ten, VENICE - ZAGREB - SPLIT

JK, Sept. 20 2010: I am writing while on the train to Split, from Zagreb, picking up on the writing trail from our last full day in Venice. The arrival the night before offered a small peak at and taste of what was to come - great food and stunning beauty (of course).

Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb

Honeymoon, Day Ten: VENICE - ZAGREB

Jessica, Sept. 19 2010: Last night I had a dream about an old man with a new life. Isn't that strange? But I think that's Venice. Full of tourists on a Saturday, could barely see Piazza San Marco.

PHOTOS of VENICE, ITALY

Honeymoon: Day Nine, ASTI & VENICE

Jessica, Sept. 16 2010: Rose at a reasonable hour (finally) to help make breakfast and get Flavia's kids ready for school. We walked with them to their classrooms for 8:00 am. JK made scrambled eggs while Flavia made coffee. The kids are so great, and they adore JK. It's been really wonderful to spend time with Flavia, drinking wine and talking about life.

Honeymoon: Day Eight, ASTI

JK, Sept. 16 2010: As I write, we are leaving Milano Centrale for Venezia.

The lane outside our B&B in Monterosso, Cinque Terre

Yesterday morning we woke around 7:00am and began the day with a trip to the Eastern beach in Monterosso. They water was warm enough that, despite the sun having not yet crested the East slope, I swam readily and for 20 minutes or so. The water is beautifully clear and there are many small fish, though not much else.

After the swim, we enjoyed a typical Italian breakfast of pastry and coffee. Checked e-mail for our plans to meet Flavia, and window shopped to and from the post office.

We checked out at 10:00 am and went to the train station's cafe where we read until our departure to Asti. I have finished The Golden Spruce and am on to The Lost City of Z. Both are great reads, though perhaps not the most suitable for a European trip.

(Both have much to do with imperialism/colonialism, and the negative impacts of the West on Native populations in the Americas.)

A typical Italian breakfast of pastry and coffee before boarding the train in Cinque Terre

Honeymoon: Day Seven, CINQUE TERRE - ASTI

Jessica, Sept. 15 2010 7:30 am: Skinny dip in the ocean. Church bells ringing from high above. They sound heavy and ancient. Yesterday we toured through the little shops of Vernazza before hopping on the train back here to Monterosso. More bells now, from the villages too, lighter in tone and not quite in harmony but beautiful and pure anyway. Sound of waves only, when the bells stop.

We ate along the beach last night, insalata and lasagne al pesto, beer and sweet wine and biscotti.

Honeymoon: Day Six, CINQUE TERRE

Jessica, Sept. 14 2010: Changed hotels this morning - the Sirene was full tonight - and settled nicely into Da Vice, a small, tidy roof-top room in one of the narrow, winding cobblestone streets of Monterosso.

Part of the hiking trail between Monterosso and Vernazza

Had a minor heart attack when we thought our Euro-Rail passes had been lost (!!) but they had simple fallen behind the desk in our old room. Reserved our trip to Asti for tomorrow, where we'll see Flavia, and to Venice for the following day, where we'll explore the famous city.

Honeymoon: Day Five, CINQUE TERRE (JK)

View of Monterosso from our kayaks

JK, Sept. 13 2010: A full day: began with an early rise again (7-ish) and a walk along the beach trail, near the statue in Monterosso.

We had a light breakfast of coffee and pastry before renting a kayak for two hours and exploring the coast in both directions, including a small waterfall. I swam off the kayak. The exercise felt great. Kayaking was followed by pizza for lunch.

Then we caught the train to Riomaggiore, at the far end of Cinque Terre. We wandered around the village for a half hour or so, stopping to appreciate the castle, church and local flora, before hiking to Manarola and then Corniglia.

Each village has its own feel, with different
relationships to the landscape, in terms of layout and altitude, street widths, divisions of areas, amount of agriculture etc.

Honeymoon: Day Five, CINQUE TERRE

Jessica, Sept 13 2010:

This is JK's day to write, but I wanted to add this: Everything is Beautiful.

Also, there are so many tourists, flooding off the train daily and walking - no, marching - two by two through the narrow streets with their matching binoculars and loud American accents. I thought today: What would this place be like without locals? Would it still be this place? Could the natural beauty and ancient culture survive? What is a place without its people?

Rules for Honeymoon:

1. Pick up a new language
2. Swim in the ocean every day
3. Drink a bottle of wine every night.
4. Laugh a lot
5. Make love every day. If you miss a day, repeat twice.
6. Eat cheese with every meal.

Honeymoon: Day Four, Cinque Terre

Jessica, Sept. 12 2010: Woke at 3:00 am. So brutal to be exhausted by 10, but nice to be in Nice before everyone wakes up. Hopped on the train at 9:23 am, after a full breakfast and checking out of our hotel. I vowed not to eat cheese, after feeling sick from too much rich food the night before! Ah! That carbonara! Heaven!

Anyway, on to the train and fast asleep. Change at Ventimiglia, then change again at Genova, then disembark at Monterosso around 3:00 pm. The train station was so crowded - alarmingly so.

Honeymoon: Day Three, MONACO

JK, September 11 2010: Yesterday was our last full day in France before travelling to Italy. Once again, we awoke before dawn and began our day by reading, before another scrumptious buffet breakfast in the hotel. We considered travelling by boat or scooter before settling on the train to Monaco. Upon arrival, we descended upon the harbourfront, setting a leisurely pace toward the pier and Oceanographic Museum.

Monaco

Honeymoon: Day Two, NICE

Jessica, September 9 2010: We were in the pool by 7:30 am. It is indoor/outdoor with mosaic tiles all round. Inside it is a low, filled-to-the-brim pool in a dark, Roman-eque room. Swim through plastic flaps to the outside portion: a semi-circle under bright sky and surrounded by dark wicker lounge chairs, which themselves are surrounded (one level up) by the terrace restaurant.

That is where we ate breakfast. Delicious! Sausages bursting with flavour, tomatoes grilled and stuffed with bread crumbs, salmon that tastes like it was plucked from the ocean moments before, country oranges so sweet, brie, gouda, goat's cheese, fresh bread and pastries, a sour cherry tart that melts like butter ...

Honeymoon: Day One, NICE

Jessica, Sept 9 / 10 2010: JK and I awoke suddenly. It is about 5:00 am and we've been wide awake for maybe 45 minutes. Like, awake. He is reading The Golden Spruce and I am taking a break from The Lacuna to write these words.

We are staying at the Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice, right on the Promenade Des Anglais, overlooking the sea. It is the first night of our honeymoon!