Our 7 hour layover in Istanbul airport was not one of the best, we managed to find a few seats and crash out for an hours sleep only to wake up feeling worse and slightly embarrassed as we were then surrounded by hundreds of people waiting for their planes. The airport is one the busiest but wifi is only free if you have a Turkish phone to be sent the password or if you can hack into one of the cafes networks, there are not many chairs and although food at airports is always pricey this must be the most expensive airport I have ever been too.
I was so happy to finally be on the last plane hopefully for at least the next few months but was surprised at how lax the flight regulations were. They didn't worry about people getting up just before the plane took off to use the bathroom or get water. They also didn't seem to care about the use of electronic equipment during take-off or landing. Thankfully it was a short couple of hours flight.
I was so happy to finally be on the last plane hopefully for at least the next few months but was surprised at how lax the flight regulations were. They didn't worry about people getting up just before the plane took off to use the bathroom or get water. They also didn't seem to care about the use of electronic equipment during take-off or landing. Thankfully it was a short couple of hours flight.
I was pretty excited to finally be in Europe after talking about it for so long. We arrived into Venice airport and were automatically dripping in sweat as we had travelled in long pants- it was time to finally put those cold weather clothes away and bring out the shorts and t shirts!! Border security and customs in Venice (and actually in Hong Kong too) was surprisingly quick. Maybe I am just used to having to fill out the NZ declaration forms, dogs always sniffing my fruit-like smelling bags in Auckland and waiting for ages in lines but it seems to easy to just get your passport stamped with no paperwork. Not that I am complaining it meant we were in Italy sooner!
An old friend, Vanessa, who did an exchange in NZ for high school was waiting to pick us up. After years of saying we would visit and her telling us to hurry up and come over we were here, just in time to watch her graduate and celebrate her becoming a doctor. We would be staying with Vanessa's parents for the first couple of nights before heading down to her apartment in Trieste for her graduation and party. Only an hour and a half away by car is the place Vanessa grew up and calls home, Marostica. She made sure we entered from a certain angle to fully appreciate the towns history. A cute little castle sits on top of a hill above the main square and is flanked by a large stone wall climbing up each side of the hill. Down the bottom in the square is another castle and a black and white stone grid used once every two years for a real life chess game with horses and all apparently. It sounds like a fun festival to come to but I hope the game is not as real as the Wizards Chess in the Philosophers Stone (you need to be a harry potter fan to understand this).
An old friend, Vanessa, who did an exchange in NZ for high school was waiting to pick us up. After years of saying we would visit and her telling us to hurry up and come over we were here, just in time to watch her graduate and celebrate her becoming a doctor. We would be staying with Vanessa's parents for the first couple of nights before heading down to her apartment in Trieste for her graduation and party. Only an hour and a half away by car is the place Vanessa grew up and calls home, Marostica. She made sure we entered from a certain angle to fully appreciate the towns history. A cute little castle sits on top of a hill above the main square and is flanked by a large stone wall climbing up each side of the hill. Down the bottom in the square is another castle and a black and white stone grid used once every two years for a real life chess game with horses and all apparently. It sounds like a fun festival to come to but I hope the game is not as real as the Wizards Chess in the Philosophers Stone (you need to be a harry potter fan to understand this).
Vanessa's parents, Federico and Giavannina, live a short drive out of the town in a gorgeous house at the base of a group of hills and surrounded by fields of fruit trees. Next time we will have to come back and visit when the cherry trees are in bloom. It is also stupidly hot and sticky here so apart from a cursory look around outside we escaped inside to cooler temperatures. Federico and Giavannina were welcoming and gracious hosts. Although Vanessa's dad does not speak English he always had a massive grin on his face and would ask if we were ok. It is always fun trying to communicate with him as Jake and I only speak English and he only speaks Italian. Vanessa's mum and older brother do speak English pretty well although Ness is defiantly the more proficient speaker. They were full of questions about our travels and life in NZ and Australia. We felt very welcomed and at ease with the family which is a good thing as we are to spend the next couple of weeks with them. To end our first day we enjoyed our first Italian gelato and some beautiful views of all the surrounding towns lights from the top of the castle.
Italian lessons at Ponte Vecchio The next day well Vanessa got her hair cut for her graduation, Jake and I went exploring a nearby town called Bassano del Grappa. Weaving though the maze of cobble stone roads and tiny side streets we arrived at a small square overlooking the covered footbridge, Ponte Vecchio. The bridge was built by the famous architect Andrea Palladio who had a really important influence on Villas in the northern parts of Italy. The bridge is a small wooden structure over a very low flowing river, surrounded by traditional style Italian homes and restaurants with bright flowers hugging the base of each window. It was a perfect spot for Jake and I to begin our Italian lessons downloaded on an app on our phone. Light showers kept us cool as we practiced some pretty bad Italian. The river was surprisingly clear and later on in the week Vanessa promised to bring us further downstream to go for a swim.
Jake earning his keep Vanessa left for Trieste to get ready for her graduation and party leaving Jake and I to catch up on some much needed sleep. We would be coming down the next day with her brother. As the temperature dropped to a more comfortable level I was able to read my book in her parents garden taking in the sweet smells of the flowers, listen to the crickets buzz and enjoying the feeling of the warm summer evening on my skin. It didn't last for long though as dark grey clouds loomed over head. Jake and I have a joke now that whenever it is a travel day the weather is amazing, I.e. the day before, then as soon as we are well rested and ready to get out and about the weather caves in on us. This time we went fussed as we were happy to hang around the house and attempt to speak to her parents with our huge language barriers. The storm rolled in fast though and Jake and I were struggling to shut the shutter and windows in our room in time. The wind was so fierce that the crane being used to build the other house on Vanessa parents property swung around wildly which was slightly scary. As quickly as it came it passed, however we were glad we didn't take Vanessa's brother up on his offer of going for a run in the hills as he came back partway through the storm soaked from head to toe.
Our first few days in Marostica were a great introduction to the Italian lifestyle but Jake and I were also ready to soak up some rays and dive into the sea to cool off. Trieste, our next destination would provide both. We were also excited to watch Vanessa graduate and happy to be able to congratulate her in person and celebrate with her friends.
Our first few days in Marostica were a great introduction to the Italian lifestyle but Jake and I were also ready to soak up some rays and dive into the sea to cool off. Trieste, our next destination would provide both. We were also excited to watch Vanessa graduate and happy to be able to congratulate her in person and celebrate with her friends.
Next stop: Exploring Trieste