3rd September 2001

Hello everybody, 

It's just me again and I thought that is was that time again to skite about where I am!!! 

Still absolutely hooning through the countries, and I only have one left!! 
Since I last wrote from Venice, I have been to Florence, absolutely beautiful town, saw Michelangelo's David, my he has big hands!) and even experienced a 3 hour queue for a museum-a warning to you all to believe your lonely planet guide when they say there are long queues in Italy in summer! 

We ended our night with red wine, a baguette with ham and tomato (staple diet) watching the sunset over Florence, not too shabby at all!! 

Then we went to Roma!! Gotta love the Italian mummas, lovely lady who runs our hostel welcomed us with bruschetta and sangria and then the following night threw a free spaghetti dinner and drinks (good ol sangria and vodka) for the WHOLE hostel!! 

Rome really is a fascinating place, blows your mind to see buildings from like, 27 BC. so difficult to comprehend how much history is here!! 

Coliseum was amazing, WAAPA clan, thought of you all here, especially considering those of us who did our history essay on this place. Well, we must have learnt something because I was pulling out the facts, my friends were most impressed and decided to trust me and not do a tour! 

Only had 3 days here and we sure walked some ks. Saw Vatican but no pop, saw Michelangelo's artwork in the Sistine chapel, not only can this boy sculpt but he can paint too!! Saw the no. 1 poxy touristy gift, one of those snow ball shakers with....wait for it.... 
the pope's head inside!!! Very funny!! 
Also can verify that Rome has the best pizza and gelati in the world!! 

then we trained to Brinidisi to catch the overnight ferry to Greece. Fortunately hooked up with top aussie guys (who knows what ferry we would have caught if it weren't for them!!). 8pm -10am sitting on a concrete deck with uncomfy plastic chairs...how did we kill time? Drinking games of course and I slept like a baby!! (but we were not drunk enough to sleep on the deck, so we snuck inside and found couches and were woken up by all the Italian families walking pass. Classy. 

Arrived in Athens and slept.. Yippee!! Saw Acropolis and ate fresh coconut for the first time!! 
Then it was another overnight ferry to Santorini. Gotta love that!! 

Santorini was an interesting place, volcanic rock with no trees or sand. At the beach the black volcanic rock is the substitute for the sand-bizarre!! Watched an amazing sunset on the wall of a castle on a cliff looking out over the water eating fresh pistachio nuts. Not a bad way to end a day where I had been on a cruise to see volcanoes and fresh water springs. (Are you jealous yet??!!) 

Then hit Ios, party island. European summer finished last week so it was considered dead compared to how it had been, but that was probably a good thing because I hear the Italians go a little crazy and terrorize everybody!! We still managed to have fun though, there were still enough people about, and the really beautiful bungalow we stayed in overlooking the water was great. 

We have decided to skip Mykonos to give more time in turkey, so I'm currently on the island of Syros waiting for my midnight ferry to take me to the island of Samos and then to Turkey. (Can't wait to sleep on a deck again...) 

So that's where I'm at, just thought I'd keep you all posted!! 

Anyway must go and explore this island. 

Thanks so much for all the emails, I really appreciate them. Once again, sorry to do the group email thing and not always reply to you all, but I only have 17 days left of traveling!! 

Hope you are all well where ever you are in the world. 

love and lots of hugs 

Katie