Discovering Cagliari

After our first week of work on the wwoof farm came to an end we decided to catch a ride about 60 km away into the city with our host Enrico for the weekend. We were itching to meet people and explore some of the night life after being so secluded. A couch surfing group leader had invited me online to attend the Octoberfestival put on by Germans who live in Sardinia every year. I said yes and before I knew it I had several people writing me and calling me to see if I needed a couch for the weekend! The cs leader had connected me in a matter of seconds to a very unique group of cs host Sardinians. Little did I know just how special this group of Italian's would soon become to me.

I had arranged for us to stay at Giovanni's house in the historic district of Cagliari in the city center. Giovanni's emails were very welcoming, and easy going so I jumped on board with the plan. Also I had received another call from a guy named Eugenio inviting us to join him at the Octoberfest which I also gladly accepted. Enrico dropped us off in the square near Giovanni's house and said he would pick us up on Monday.

Giovanni is a character in a world I will not forget. It was a kind of fairytale world for grown-ups that we had just entered into......

My view from bedroom at Wwoof farm

Sardinia.... the beautiful beaches, the interesting characters

There are no amount of pictures I can take that will capture the beauty in this place. The only hope I have is write the memories down before they escape my mind. A mind so lost in translation it spills over with new found knowledge of a culture unknown to my own.

Daniel and I began our next chapter of the journey working on a farm through an organization called Wwoof (World Wide Organic Farming Organization.)We ended up on a farm just 50km east of Cagliari in Sardinia. The Italian island of Sradinia is home to approimately 1.6 million people. The farm owner Enrico, who hosted us for our three week stay near the little villiage of San Priamo was born and raised in Sardinia and so came full of the best local knowledge available. Enrico has a group of vacation villas he built on the farm and he let us stay in one of the houses that was not being rented, and brought us groceries in exchange for our work on the farm.

Of course the formentioned is only what is owed to you when you wwoof but we were far luckier than just any ordinary wwoofers in this case. Our host not only gave us a beautiful home to live in, he took us to the beach when ever he could if we could not bike, bought us the best local Sardinian wine, cheeses, brought us hiking or into the city on weekends, and showed us the best historical sights Sardinia had to offer. We spent quite a bit of time with him, and will be forever greatful to his warm extra generosity towards us.

Wwoofing work on the farm included many odd jobs such as:

Pruning olive trees, clearing trees on the land for firewood, clearing feilds of rocks, weeding, trimming vines, picking fruit, olives, veggies, and ocassionally house hold chores like mending furniture, and painting.

Work would go anywhere from two hours to four and a half hours max per day for four days a week usually. After work we would make lunch and go to the beach, hike, explore or relax.

In Roma with "The Germans" and "Where's Waldo?"

Yoga in the park in Roma

New friends..

By the second half of my first week in Roma I had made a couple friends:" The German girls" as we like to call them. The German girls were also couchsurfing with my host for part of the time I spent there. After their arrival to my Roman host's house I ended up giving them tips on the neighborhood, internet, cafe's, the no- hot water situation, and non-running toilets etc.! We all had a laugh about our "camping environment, and made the best time there regardless.

The Germans invited me to sightsee along with them around Roma, and after spending many days already walking the streets alone I jumped at the chance for some travel companions.

The three of us girls were completely unseperable from that moment on during our time in Roma. I will never forget them, and I am simply ecstatic they have invited Daniel and I to stay with them when we make it to Germany in November.

It was easy to leave them knowing I would see them again in another month or so but now

I can only await our reunion with a mix of emotions. Ecstatic to spend time together again, and saddedned by the thought of saying a "real goodbye" and never knowing if we will see each other again.

Oh mama mia!.....The joys and sadness of friendships.

"The Hole Of Rome"

One of my Italian host's took me to see what Romans call "Buco Di Roma" or in english terms "The hole of Rome." The camera does not capture nearly a fraction of what the eye can see when you look through this tiny whole overlooking all of Rome but hopefully this helps your imagination run away. If you look hard you can see St Peter's through the light at the end of the tunnel.

This particular place is not so much a tourist attraction but mostly only known by the locals. It's a little hard to find, and you won't find many people around. It was my favorite thing to see in all of Roma.

Romans and scooters are not for the faint of heart

Rome by way of scooter is the only way

Italian wine festival

Needed a salad for lunch and some Italian gelato too!

Made it to Italy!

I flew into Rome yesterday afternoon with a new friend from U.S. who currently lives in Rome and happened to also be in Paris while I was there. When we got out of the airport we stopped for some real Italian Pizza at a Pizza Rustica (A cheap pizza shop that sells pizza by the weight\or slice) .....Una vera bontà!
As soon as we parted I headed for my Couch surfing hosts house via way of trolley car. My host welcomed me into his home and we chatted away about marketing, business, and traveling until his friends came and drove us out of the city to a huge festival. It was similar to Mardi Gras(drunks everywhere) in the US but everything was very cheap. We had the most delicious pasta for dinner I have ever eaten. The wine at this particualr festival was cheap and not good at all. My new Italian friends all agreed that I must try real Italian wine while I am here.
At this moment I am sitting in an internet spot using their computers and Im about to start my day exploring Rome by myself until I meet in the evening with my couch surfing host.

My host promised to help me get my phone set up this evening, and to show me Rome by night!
Ciao!!

I have lots of photos already but these computers will not accept the card..so stay tuned for those.

......

Eiffel at night is best

New Friends

Le Louvre

Au revoir to Paris

Seine sunset

I apologize for not updating sooner:)

My week in Paris only got better as it went along. By Wednesday I was ready for some fun, and happy to be settling in somewhere new. I met my second couchsurfing host "C" and stayed through the rest of the week. Tomorrow morning I am off to Rome.

During my week here in Paris I made many new friends, learned how to ride the Paris metro (pretty well I'd say after getting lost for hours), and I now can speak enough french to get by on my own.

Just a small glimpse at some of my week for you to see.

Palace Of Versaillies gardens

Paris day one

I arrived on Monday morning in France with no sleep and not knowing an ounce of the french language. Talk about culture shock hitting you in the face bright an early. My first goal out of the airplane was to find an atm machine and score some euros. Luckily this is a record all time low for what the euro has been worth in years. I located an atm machine after a great amount of walking around amislilssely and proclaiming my first french phrase to everyone I came in contact with "Parlez-vous anglais?" later adding in extras such as "excusez-moi, bonjour ....merci."
After locating the atm I needed to purchase a phone card in order to call my host in Paris to let him know I had arrived. Next I needed to purchase bus/metro tickets and firgure out how to get into the city. Thankfully, this was pretty simple since the machine had an english button.
When I found my way to the bus I met an elder charming french woman who instantly started chatting away with me. Except here's the kicker she did not speak one lick of english. Somehow the whole hour and a half bus ride to our stop we continued to communicate with each other. She told me I was good at speaking french, well let me re-phrase that she sign languaged it and I interpreted it to be just that. I give credit to my handy "Rick Steve's phrasebook." Thank you for that MS "vous etes un ange!"
Did I mention how tired I am. I learned that one also "je suis fatigue." My backpack ended up weighing in at whopping 28llbs plus my purse with labtop and extras draped around my neck. Again a helpful french man came to my rescue. My Couch surfing host R, was kind enough to leave work for a bit to meet me and take my backpack until we met again later on.
I spent a few hours wondering around and figuring out the metro system until I met 'R' again. R took me to his university and into class with him. That was interesting considering it was all in French. The professor made a lot of comparisons to America and the way we do things. R translated telling me how the professor was "in love with amrica" sarcastically.
Once class got out we headed for R's flat where we wined and dined chatting away on his terrace until I had to retire. Day one complete!
I may go week to week with summaries after this I have not decided yet. Stay tuned for more on France:)

i have made it to paris

stay tuned

Channeling my inner Indian style...

Waiting for the beginning

I'm getting closer now to the day of my departure. Just two days until I leave this pretty little sheltered world full of horses, wealthy people, polo parties, and small town lively gossip. Don't get me wrong I love the life I have here and know exactly who I am as a woman and what I want each day as my life progresses forward. I now yearn to nose-dive out of my cushy bubble and into an atmosphere of mystery. As many do when they travel I too......seek adventure.

Goodbye dear nostalgic memories lingering down every road. I will return to you again.