ITALY

ITALY

As we are leaving for Italy, we’ve decided to do a road trip through the country ourselves. We are going to visit 9 parts of Italy. But because of the fact that we are going to do the road trip on our own, we can decide whether we stop somewhere else or drive through to the next place.

Here a short summary of our road trip through Italy. We’re going to land on the airport of Milan. There are we going to stay the day to rest out. On Monday we are going to start our road trip by making a two hour drive to Verona, were we are going to visit the Romeo & Juliet balcony.

After that we are going to Bologna and Monte Carlo. Last but not least, to end our first day of our road trip, we definitely want to see the Tower of Pisa in Pisa. And that’s where we are going to spend our second night too.

On Tuesday, we are going to visit 5 small villages who has got the name ‘Cinque Terre’. And because of the fact that it is admirable to visit them by walking near the water, we’ve decided to do this on one day.

And for our last day, Wednesday, we just want to visit Genova and Alessandria and then turn back to Milan by driving 1hour to take the airplane to leave for our next country.

Sunday the 26th of April 2015

MILAN

So, today we arrived at the airport of Milan to start our road trip in Italy. Because it is already 11 o’clock, we decided to go to our hotel to eat something and to rest a bit. In the afternoon we went to go shopping because Milan is one of the famous shopping villages of Europe. Milan is also the called the second capital of Italy and the most important village of North- Italy.

In Monastery Santa Maria we wanted to see Da Vinci’s famous mural from The Last Supper. It was amazing to see because of the f              act that we’ve seen that painting before in books, on television, on the internet, .. But now we saw it in reality and it was admirable.

It was almost 6 P.M. when we arrived at the hotel, so we decided to go to our room to take a shower so we could eat dinner at 7 P.M. So, after we enjoyed the walking-dinner, we were so tired that we went to our room to go to bed.

In the morning, we are going to leave at 7 A.M. and the hotel manager assured us that our mini-bus would be ready to leave.

Sweet dreams, everyone.

Monday the 27th of April 2015

VERONA

Good evening, guys.

So, this morning we had breakfast at 6 A.M. so we could leave at 7 A.M. Our mini-bus was waiting for us at the front of our hotel. It was exactly what we had asked for, so thanks to the hotel manager who took care of this.

After a 2 hour drive in our minibus and admiring the Italian views, we arrived in Verona. Verona is situated on the East of Milan. Since 2000, you can find the town on the World Heritage of UNESCO.

Here, we want to visit 2 things. First of all, the Roman Amphitheatre. At the entrance still are people in Roman outfits were you can take pictures with. They also give a lot of musicals and music concerts, Opera, … at the theatre. It’s an amazing feeling to stand there. Very cold, but so unique. Hundreds of people are waiting to go in there.

After we’ve seen the theatre, we walked across the shoppingstreet to go watch the balcony of Romeo and Juliet. So many people want to see this. There is security who makes sure that everyone can go in to see the balcony because it is such a small place. But it’s also ones in a lifetime experience, so when you want to visit Verona, you have to go to see the small balcony. It’s not something you want to see every year.

Bologna

The last village we wanted visit today was Pisa ofcourse. But while we are driving, there are 2 beautiful villages (Bologna & MonteCarlo, Lucca) were we stopped for a while too. People said that the views in these two villages are wonderful to see.

Bologna is the capital of the county Emilia- Romagna. It’s known by his university and all of its students and its historical center that still can behold after the urbanization at the end of the 19^th century and after World War 2.

MonteCarlo, Lucca

The second village were we stopped while driving to Pisa, is MonteCalo, Lucca. Lucca is ofcourse the county. But we have to put Lucca after the village because there’s also Monte Carlo in France. MonteCarlo has not have specific sights to visit but it’s knows as one of the most famous places to go and watch and enjoy the views and its authentic shops and small streets.

Someone said to us: “Here, you just have to see the view, once in your life.” And that’s what we did.

PISA

After we were speechless of seeing those amazing views, we drove another 45 minutes to see our last place today, The Tower of Pisa.

Pisa is a village in the region of Toscane. It’s known and famous because of the Tower of Pisa and the Catedrale of Pisa, Duomo Santa Maria. More then these two sights isn’t there to see or visit.  

The Tower of Pisa is the campanile of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa, known worldwide for tis unintended tilt to one side. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa.

The tower’s tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate fondation on grund too soft on one side to properly support the structure’s weight.

The Santa Maria Cathedral in Pisa was founded in 1064. The layout of the basilica with its classical columns and external marble decorations are thanks to the architect Buscheto, whose name is carved on a stone on the façade.

Serious damage was done to the cathedral by a fire at the end of the sixteenth century. But now, you can visit it during the specific opening hours and by paying an entry fee.

It’s a very big and detailed monument. It’s amazing to see, but because the row of people who were waiting to go inside was so long, we decided to go back to the car to search our hotel to eat and sleep.

Tomorrow is a big day. We are going to walk from village to village, across 5 villages near the water. Cinque Terre, here we come!

Sleep tight, everyone!

Tuesday the 28th of April 2015

CINQUE TERRE

So, the Cinque Terre is known by its 5 villages near eachother and the water. You can visit them by train or by walking the paths. And today we are going to walk the whole day but most of all enjoy the Italian views.

Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination.

A walking trail connects the five villages. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk") and is wheelchair-friendly. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is the easiest to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 steps.

It was though! We are broken! But on the other hand, we’re glad we did it and saw evertything that the people are talking about when they talk about the Cinque Terre. The most beautiful, wonderful, admirable, unique, … views we’ve ever seen! A-MA-ZING!

In 3 of the 5 villages we have drinken something. It was very warm and because those villages were very beautiful we decided to walk there a while too. During the walks we had our own picknic to drink or eat something.

In the last village, Riomaggiaro, we decided to eat something local, something Italian. Given its location on the Mediterranean, seafood is plentiful in the local cuisine. Anchovies of Monterosso are a local specialty designated with a Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union. 

The mountainsides of the Cinque Terre are heavily terraced and are used to cultivate grapes and olives. This area, and the region of Liguria, as a whole, is known for pesto, a sauce made from basil leaves, garlic, salt, olive oil, pine nuts and pecorino cheese. Focaccia is a particularly common locally baked bread product. Farinata, a typical snack found in bakeries and pizzerias, is a savoury and crunchy pancake made from a base of chick pea flour.

We didn’t want to drive any further, so we started to look for a hotel were we could stay for the night. Tomorrow, we have to drive back to Milan to take the airplane to Algerije. It’s just about 2 hours far from here, but we want to visit two more villages on our way back: Genova and Alessandria.

Goodnight!

Wednesday the 29th of April 2015

Goodmorning, everyone.

In addition of me writing about how our day went, I’m going to tell you today what our plans are, because tonight we will be on the airplane, so I won’t be able to write in the evening.

So, today we are driving to Milan to take our plain in the evening. But first of all we are going to visit 2 more villages.

After driving 1 hour, we should be arrived at Genova. Genova is the capital of Liguria. It’s the biggest port of Italy. In 2004, Genova got the name of the most culturel capital of Europe.

So in Genova we are going to visit Piazza Vittoria, a homage to the port, and Cathedral di S. Lorenzo.

Then we are going to drive for one more hour to visit Alessandria. Alessandria is a village in Piemonte. It’s named after paus Alexander the 3th

During the heavy bombing in World War 2, the historical heart of the city was completely ruined. And because of that there isn’t much left of sights to see. But what you can discover there is ruines, authentic places, amazing views, … basicly everything an italian needs.

And in the late afternoon we will arrive at the airport, so we will eat something over there and then at 8 P.M. we’ll take the plain to Algerije.

Thank you for following us! We will keep you posted!

Lots of Love. XOXO LIEN




Sources
http://www.italia.it/en/home.html

http://wikitravel.org/en/Italy

http://www.top10bezienswaardigheden.nl/italie/verona.htm

http://www.wandelenlangskusten.eu/Cinque_Terre/Cinque_Terre.php

Personal stories. I've already visited all these places with my family.

CRETE

21th  of April

After arriving in Kos we took a long boot trip to Agia Galini in Crete.
Because I always spend my holidays there, I wanted to show my friends what a beautiful isle Crete is and let them meet some of my Greek friends and 
visit some beautiful places.


When we arrived Jannis was waiting for us at one of my favourite places in Agia Galini, Kostas Tavern.
It's a very nice place situated by te beach were you can eat, drink and lay in the sun on the private beach.
A beautiful place where you can enjoy the sunset and eat fresh fish everyday!

After we finished dinner, we took off to our apartment near the Harrakas, 2km away from the town.
It's in the mountains and you can see the beautiful sea through the window of your apartment.
So, when we were done unpacking we went to the swimming pool and enjoyed the calm.


Kalinichta ;)




22th  of April

After a good breakfast at Kostas Tavern we took the jeep and after a 24 minutes drive we arrived in Phaistos, a municipality in south central Crete.

Phaistos is known for its Bronze Age archaeological site. The remaining ruins were once a palace that was destroyed by an earthquake.
The ruins consist of the palaces. The first palace was built around 2000 BC on a lower level than the west courtyard. The Old palace was build between 1900 and 1700 BC and has been rebuilt twice due to earthquake damage. When the palace was destroyed by earthquakes, the re-builders constructed a New Palace on top of the old one.

 


After our 3 hour visit we drove back to Agia Galini and enjoyed the rest of the day sitting by the pool, reading and planning our next trip. 

Kalispera ;)






23th  of April

Kalimera! Today I took my friends to a very special place that is very dear to me. 
A good friend of mine intorduced me to this beautiful spot but she past away 1 year ago. 

So when I came here it was a very emotional moment because, I've never went there without her. The spot that I'm talking about is actually a little bay in Agios Georgios, on
a 10-minute drive from the apartment.

Another Greek friend of mine, Georgi, has a bar/restaurant above the beach where you can relax with a Bob Marley tune at the background.

Here some more pictures of this magical place.

The menu

The bar

24th  of April

Kalimera! After waking up we took the car to the Gorge of St Antonios. 

There we went on a 5km walk true the cave and it was breathtaking! We were very lucky that there was a lot shadow, otherwise we couldn't have walk so far.

 

As reward for our trip we treated ourselves with a dinner at Drymos, a tavern near the cave.

We ate a mezze and took a swim in the river.

25th  of April

Our trip in Crete has come to an end, but we've all enjoyed it so much!
I'm very happy that I finally could show my friends this beautiful isle and its people!
But now it's time for our next stop, so we're off to the airport to take the plane to Italy!

αντίο xoxo Hannelore 

Resources: My own experiences, pictures and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaistos 

TURKEY

As we arrived in Turkey at midnight we arranged a transfer who brought us to a hotel called “WOXXIE Hotel” situated in Turgutreis. Turgutreis is about a 60 minute drive from Bodrum International Airport. Here we will stay for the next few days.

Once arrived at our hotel we slept until 12 pm.

The town we will be visiting in Turkey is Bodrum. We thought it was a very interesting city to visit because they have a massive shopping mall! But also is has great monuments and amazing views.Let me give you some history about this amazing city!

Bodrum is a district and a port city in Muğla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located on the southern coast of Bodrum Peninsula, at a point that checks the entry into the Gulf of Gökova, and is also the center of the eponymous district. The city was called Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 
Bodrum Castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller in the 15th century, overlooks the harbour and the marina. The castle grounds include a Museum of Underwater Archaeology and hosts several cultural festivals throughout the year. The city had a population of 36,317 in 2012.

17^th of april

After our beauty sleep we had the opportunity to eat something in our hotel. We were obviously very hungry. Because of our nighty flight we were still a little tired so we planned a relaxing day. We took a dolmus to Bodrum (it was 2,5 Turkish Lira) we went for a walk along the water where you could take a boat trip. We didn’t go on a boat trip because we already planned one later to Kos! But more about that in a few days. After our walk we had a drink and went back to our hotel (again with a dolmus) where we had dinner and afterwards another little drink and went to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day!

18^th of april

Hello!

We were so excited for today, we planned an excursion with a guide named Alida, she was very friendly and explained everything in dutch, wich made it easier for us to understand.

Today we visited the windmills of the Bodrum Peninsula, the Myndos Gate and The Bodrum Amphitheatre.

The windmills of the Bodrum Peninsula

The windmills are situated on a hill between two different villages, Gümbet and Bodrum.

So we had a wonderful view of Bodrum Bay on one side, and Gümbet Bay on the other.

The windmills face northwest, and would have been perfectly positioned to catch the coastal winds in their heyday. They date back to 18th century and they were used till the 70s as a means to grind flour for the local people.

The view was amazing, we took a lot of pictures! From where we were standing you could also see the Greek island Cos, where we will be in 2 days!

All the windmills have no blades exept for one. There is one rich men in Turkey who pays for the windmill and with that money they maintain the blades so they can show the tourists how they looked like in the old times. 

We drank something at the top and we got a bit of time to take some pictures. After that we got into a bus and went to the Myndos gate.

Myndos gate

The Myndos gate was built by King Mausolas also with the city of wall of Halicarnassus in 364 BC. There are still vaulted tombs of the Hellenistic and Roman periods around the gate. Because of it’s direction, the gate referred its name from Myndos.

It has a big meaning in the history of Bodrum Alida told is it was the scene for one of the greatest bloodiest battles during the siege Alexander the Great. After he liberated many cities from the Persian domination, he had strong resistance of Persians at Halicarnasus. Alexander placed his wooden towers and catapults facing to Myndos gate. Here, Persians and Carians tried to make a surprise attack which ended and it burned the wooden towers and destroyed the catapults. But strong resistance of Alexander's army made them retreat towards the Myndos gate. while they were so, the wooden bridge on the mod collapsed and many Halicanassian got drowned or got killed with the arrows coming from both sites. Trying to close down city gates, they left great number of their own friends outside of the city walls. This sudden attack caused great casualties and Persians and Carians started to retreat towards the inner citadel and while retreating they burned down the homes in the proximity of city walls. Alexander left 2500 of his soldiers and appointed queen Ada and Ptolomeus for the capture of inner fortress and left the region.

These stones were very big and really thick.

Again, we took our bus and went to our next stop in Bodrum: the Amphitheatre.

The Bodrum Amphitheatre

When we arrived at the Amphitheatre we all were amazed how huge it was.

It is one of the oldest and most beautiful ancient theatre in Anatolia built in 4th century BC during the rule of King Mausolus. The theatre restorated and hosts concerts and activities since 2002.

The theatre is another witness to the great past of Bodrum, and it is one of the best preserved structures of ancient Halikarnassus.

The Bodrum Amphitheatre lies on the road to Gumbet and is used for concerts and shows during the high season, and is also used as part of the September Festival. It is well preserved and we think it is definitely worth a visit. We think if you attend a concert that is has an amazing sound.

So this was our last stop for this day. We returned to our hotel with a normal bus, not a dolmus. So we could go to sleep for our next day in Turkey!

19^th of april

We had a really good sleep and were ready for today! SHOPPING !!!!!!

When we were having a drink in our hotel the first evening we saw an advertisement of a big shopping mall in Bodrum, called MIDTOWN. Today, MIDTOWN was our destination.

MIDTOWN as the biggest fashion and entertainment center of bodrum, bringintogether many new brands, new concepts in a strong shop mix. MIDTOWN is located on the largest zoning scale as 77.500 m2 in Ortakent which is also Bodrum’s central business district, includes many national and international brands, cinema and open-air cinema, childrens playground, café and restaurants. MIDTOWN was an amazing experience to shop where we could enjoy flavors of Turkish and international cuisine as well as shopping and entertainment.

We had an amazing time! Overall we didn't bought a lot of stuff because of our small budget...

20^th of april

Today is our last day in Turkey.. We packed all our stuff in the early morning and made a review about our trip here in Turkey.

So about Bodrum in general..

We thought the views were all absolutely amazing, we took a lot of pictures and wished you could be with us to see it with your own eyes.

The people here are very friendly, they are really nice and are whole-souled. We would recommend you to visit it one day!

We decided to take a boat to Kos wich we had reserved on our first day in Bodrum.There was a bus who brought us all to the port where we took a ferry to Kos!

It was one hour trip, the sun was shining we had our sunglasses on and we were absolutely enjoying the view. It was relaxing and very pleasant ! 

Now we have been arrived in Kos and we will continue our journey from here.

We will see you all very soon!

XOXO Céline Delbecq  

SYRIA

15th of April 2015

SYRIA

We have arrived in Syria, a land in the Middle East, Azia.

Despite they told us not to visit Syria because of all the fights and the war, we decided to go there just for one day. Because of all our preparation for our road trip, we couldn’t leave visiting Syria in our planning.

Syria has 3 international airports. One of them is situated in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Damascus is also one of the best known cities Syria has. And there is a lot of things tourists would want to see.

The country is based on an independent republic. Syrians also attach a lot importance to their believes. Most of the Syrians are Islamite but a few of the others are Christians and Kurds. And that is why there are a lot of fights and discussions with war as result.

Freedom of speech, religion and personal freedom are guaranteed by the constitution, but it’s different in practice and reality. Nevertheless, the law has introduced a new clause with the rule that the president needs to be a Muslim.    

Most of the celebrations in Syria are Islamite. The most important festivity is Ramadan. This one is situated in the period of full moon, but it varies during the time of the year. Through this month everyone fasts between sunrise and sunset. So, If you want to visit the country during this period, you have to be aware of the attitude of most of the people because of their appetite.

Syria is depending on the oil industry  and agriculture. De most important export products are crude oil, refined products, clothing, fruit and cereals. De biggest import of raw products are essential for the industry, cars and (agriculture)machines.

So, enough information about Syria. Time to tell you what we have seen and what we think about this country.

As told before, we have arrived at the airport in Damascus. Because of everyone telling us not to visit Syria, we decided not to stay here longer than just one day. So because of that, we are leaving our stuff at the airport in a safe environment so we don’t have to take care of it all day while visiting the capital.

Because of Damascus is probably the oldest inhabitant capital in the world, there are a few old sights to visit.

First of all we have visited the Big Mosque of Damascus, also known as the Omajjadenmoskee. This is the most important mosque of de Syrian capital, Damascus. It’s important because of the architecture and the religion meaning it has.  

It’s amazing how we saw everything that has been ruined because of the war and then arrive here at the mosque, which is so beautiful and admirable to see. 

It was not allowed to go in there with camera. We also had to put on a black blanket, so only our face was visible. For me personally, it didn’t felt nice. It was like we had to hide who we are. There also was a lot of security on the outside as well as on the inside.

After we had visited the mosque we all decided to go find something to eat. For us, all of the restaurants and tea-rooms looked like they needed a transformation. It was so old and their was a weird smell too. But still, we decided to try the Syrian food.

Most food was based on potatoes, onion, vegetables and meat (cow or sheep). It didn't taste bad, some things were spicy and others weren't at all. But I do prefere other food. 

It was already 4 p.m. when we left the restaurant. There was one particular thing we really had to see before we left Syria: Mount Qasioun. When you stand on the mountain, you can look all over the city of Damascus. It's highest point is 3,776 ft. The mountain has been heavily entrenched with Syrian government forces since the start of the Syrian Civil War.

The view was amazing but yet also heartbreaking. On one side you could see a beautiful city with a lot of buildings agriculture but on the other side we saw a whole village that is ruined by the war. People walking all over their own houses and children  playing all by themselves.

It was hard to see because here in Belgium we don't really know what war means and what the consequences are for the city and buildings. It was heartbreaking but yet fantastic to see.

After that we got into a bus that brought us back to the airport of Damascus so we could leave for Turkey in the night.

So, up to Turkey!

Talk to you later & see you all soon.

XOXO Lien

Sources

http://www.theguardian.com/world/syria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria