Italia - First official port

Next morning, I took the 7 am train to Florence. I could feel it now, I am exhausted already. I arrived in Florence after switching my train in Pisa. I wanted to go see the tower, but unfortunately had no enough time. I waited for Hongyu, my Chinese friend, and then took the bus to our hostel. I was so tired that I decided to take a nap then go explore the city. Hongyu and I kept asking for the bus stop and finally made it to David's statue. Apparently, the real David's Statue is in Academia, Florence and you have to buy a ticket to see it. However, we went to an open area where there was a copy of David's statue and some tents for sellers. The view from up there was amazing. Florence at night is so beautiful. It Reminded me of Pittsburgh view from Mount Washington ( and the wonderful Jared ^_^ ) and that of Cairo from the Citadel.

Hongyu decided that she would go see Florence in the morning, but I did not want to. I was exhausted physically and psychologically. Probably a little bit homesick, tired from moving around for over a week now with no rest, disappointed from the way some of the field lab classmates interacted with us ( or did not interact with us) or maybe both. Speaking of that, the international students group bonded so well in just few hours, and maybe that was my expectation from my fellow class mates. Is that cultural shock 101 all over again, who knows? Hopefully not and it's just a very little bit of homesickness, lol. Good thing though is they had Shatafaaaa in the hostel. My fellow Egyptians will get that ;)

Anyway, Florence is beautiful if you love art. If you just appreciate art if it's there and won't run after it, like me, then Florence is a nice stop for a day or a night. The following morning, Rachel (my second roommate from Canada/Taiwan) and I took the train to Venice. She didn't buy a ticket and decided to buy one on the train since there was no time, we had only 2 minutes for the train to leave after already being delayed for 15 minutes. On the train, luckily, the conductor was kind and let her buy a ticket. It was almost double my ticket price but at least she got a comfortable chair after sitting in front of the toilet ;) And the moment has come, we arrived in Venice. My favourite Italian city!! It is simply magnificent.

We went to grab pizza and then received a text from Hongyu that she arrived. I went to see her and we then ran into Charlotte and Evilyn. We all got the day pass for 20 euros to access any water bus in Venice. One way ticket is for 6 or 7 euros, so a day pass was a better deal. We went around Venice and saw how beautiful this city is. Everything is just surrounded by water and the sides match the water perfectly well. On our way to St. Mark's square, that peaceful place full of pigeons, we ran into Brenda and Mahima (friends from Kenya and Nepal), and we were all delighted to see one another. They had a rough night on their train but at least we saw them and they made it safely ;) We walked around Venice, took pictures, rode water buses, but most importantly, enjoyed the company.

We went to the hotel, checked in, then went for dinner. Pizza and ice cream. The waiter was so nice, tried to sell us good but not expensive pizza. Brenda and Mahima had to go catch their train, Evilyn and Hongyu went to their hostel. Charlotte, Rachel and I walked around and sat by the water. Venice is beautiful at night! It makes you fall in love with it without even trying! It's definitely my favourite Italian city so far. The following day, we went to Murano Island which is famous for glass making and Burano Island which is famous for lace making. Burano Island is a small one, but I loved it. The houses are close to one another and each house is beautifully and differently coloured, blue, red, yellow…

Burano Island

Rachel and I then headed to the bus station to catch our overnight bus to Naples to meet the ship again. Rachel could not get on the bus because to get on MegaBus you must have an online ticket. (Already purchased, you can't purchase on the bus.) She spent the night in Venice and took bla bla car the next morning. (Shared a car with some people and split the ride cost)

I took the bus at 9:45 pm from Venice and arrived at 9:20 am in Naples/Napoli. Napoli reminded me a lot of Alexandria, Egypt. You can cross the streets whenever and wherever you want, a bit crowded and advertisements are everywhere. Even the entrance to Napoli looks like that of Alex, they even have Carrefour (hyper market) at the entrance like that at Alex :D I stayed at a café with Wi-Fi and charged my laptop. Hongyu joined me later and of course we had to try Napolitano pizza. Yum yummy! Walked around for a bit then went to the port and waited to board. Finally, I am on the ship!

Napolitano Pizza

Something I realized in all the Italian cities I have been to is that Italians are pretty chilled. They take their time to work, to get you food, to talk, … everything. They also have a lunch break from 1 to 4 pm in most places, and you would find shops closed at that time. Also, on Sunday, it is hard to find any open shops unless it is a very touristy area. There are also many water fountains all over Italy whether to admire or drink from. Depending on which city you are in bus qualities and their costs will differ. In Napoli for example, a bus ride is for 1 euro which is 20 cents less than that in Florence, but there is a significant difference in quality. Also, it helps to write down where you want go in case the driver or passenger doesn't get your accent.

P.S. They cancelled Turkey from the itinerary, and we are heading to Croatia next. I was a little bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong. Croatia is definitely beautiful, but Turkey was my top destination on the list. Couldn't they at least stop by Egypt instead? :D  

On board - Oh Yeah!

And the day I've been waiting for is finally here. We are going to board the ship. Praying so hard everything will go smoothly, and we will not have to go elsewhere to board the World Odyssey. (The ship's name)

The ship docked in the port already, and we were all excited to see our dream coming true. People on the last deck welcomed us. We had to go through security checks and boarded the ship one by one. Once the ship door was opened, the crew was happily screaming for our arrival. We then had to get our IDs, and I didn't even have time to go see my cabin, because I had a field trip on the same day with my International Relations class.

Reception

Haimeng, my Chinese friend, Evilyn, my Vietnamese roommate, and I were escorted to our classroom and met our Professor. We received some instructions about the trip and took the bus to Rome. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about Rome. She told us that the Romans didn't really invent anything but how to control nations in their empire. For example, the Roman Gods were a copy of the Greek Gods. She entertained us with some funny stories that happened to her with other tourists. A guy once asked about the Pope's religion and when he was told that the Pope is Jewish, he actually believed. Another guy asked about what B.C. stands for and his wife told him, "Before Clinton!"

We had a session with a Political Sciences professor at John Cabot University and with a US department of State representative in Italy. We then had a tour in Rome after eating pizza and gelato. We saw the Tiber River, the Pantheon and other beautiful places. I enjoyed that day more than the previous day in Rome because we walked in more historic and peaceful areas where the tourists were not as many as those at the Colosseum. Our guide told us that Rome will even get more crowded because of the pilgrimage season when the Vatican opens its doors. Unfortunately, buses are not so many in Rome, and there are only two metro lines because they always find monuments when they dig. She said that Rome will be unbearable in the next couple of weeks. Well, glad we are done with Rome already :D

We got back to the ship, and I finally had the chance to see my room. Yahooooooo! The room is not so big but very elegant. We have two paintings in our room and the furniture is really fancy. We have a TV, a mini fridge and a private bathroom. I unpacked, took a shower and slept.

My room door

P.S. I feel a little bit homesick but excited for the voyage to FINALLY begin :D

Finally in Italy

We ended up boarding the ship in Italy instead of France and between those two, a lot happened ;)

The next morning, we had a mini orientation at the hotel itself and Yahoooo, we flew to Rome in the afternoon, then took a bus to Civitavecchia, where our ship was supposed to dock. We finally made it to Italy! How cool is it to sleep one night in France and the other in Italy?

We stayed at Sunbay hotel which is located at a mini port itself. Super wonderful view. We had a mouthwatering Italian dinner – pasta and veal with cheese. Italian pasta is so good. Lol. So good to try the original one I mean. We had another mini orientation the other morning and then had a yummy lunch, spaghetti ;)

The Int'l crew killing it at Sunbay

We walked around Civitavecchia, and some of us went to the hot springs. Civitavecchia is a small city like PortSaid in Egypt. The buildings have that old port style. It is super cheap, and there are lots of Chinese stores. Of course, we had gelato, you get a huge one for just 2 euros! How awesome! We came back and tried the Italian tiramisu this time, it's amazing.

                 

The following day, we took the train to Rome for 5 euros. You can book at the station, but some didn't find seats and had to stand in the train. Rome is super crowded, I didn't expect it to be like that actually! We went to the Colosseum, and I could not enjoy being there because of the many tourists (I am probably one of them – cough cough) and the long walk we had to take from the station to get there. Haimeng, a Chinese friend, and I decided to go and explore the side streets of Rome where people live.

It was the best decision we made. We got to see how Italian people interact and see the Roman architecture. You would find a modern building beside an ancient one! We had Margareta pizza in one of the local restaurants and again gelato. We wanted to go to the Vatican, but it was impossible to get on the bus. Not even one spot for a foot! We took the train back to Civitavecchia and enjoyed the quiet city again. Also, when booking the tickets, the machines would aware you from pickpocketing. It's real in Rome.

P.S. I need to start reading for classes, it's hard to focus when you are by the sea and just want to enjoy the sun.

The Unknown - on the road

So guess what? The day didn't turn to be bad after all. We stayed at the port terminal and enjoyed the Wi-Fi with free French pastry. We got to know each other, and I like the group so far. We are 17 international students from Egypt, Vietnam, China, Nepal, India, Bosnia, Thailand and Kenya. A diverse group indeed. Side Note: Two of them actually know some of my fellow ALAins (ALA - my high school in South Africa) ;)

At the terminal, AIDA ship was docked. Its German captain could be simply called an angel. He is one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life. He invited us to have a tour on the ship and lunch for free. He told us that if he were a student like us, he would not like to be in that situation. That's why he wanted our few hours in the port to be memorable, and they definitely will be. Thank you Captain, you are the best! We all signed a card thanking him and that's really the least we could have done.

So where are we now? we are taking a bus to Paris. Lol, I wanted to go back but never knew it would be very soon. We are then taking a flight to Rome, and we will either stay there or head to Civitavecchia. We still don't know, but I think it will be a good week. I also just got an email from Rachel, my roommate, saying that we are lucky not to be on the ship since it is rocky and stormy. Everyone on the ship is throwing up and seasick. I hope they will all get well soon and the weather will get better. But seriously in bad luck comes good luck, and you never know what lies ahead of you. So be positive and good things will happen J

We are taking the 8:35 pm flight from Orly Airport, and we are all here now. We happily had dinner and then got the news that our flight is delayed for three hours! Gosh, help us survive this long journey :D The good thing though is that we got a voucher for 4.5 euros as compensation. So generous of them, don't you think?  

And here we are so eager to board the flight in few hours but nope, seems like Paris doesn't want us to leave. The flight got cancelled and Lindsay and Layne, the SAS representatives, had to wait in a very long line to get our baggage back and get refunded. Other passengers were so frustrated and some of them even yelled at the travel agents.

We waited at the airport for a long while, some of us slept, some walked around and others played cards. We are stuck, so the least we can do is have fun. At this point of time, I lost track of where we are, what time it is, what day it is, …. I was probably in denial because until now I still can't absorb all this.  

Luckily though, we found enough rooms for us in Ibis Orly Airport hotel and finally had a place to shower, eat and sleep. The plan for today is still unclear, but we are having a mini orientation about our classes and we might fly to Rome at 5 pm. Is this guaranteed? Welcome to the nomadic life :D

P.S. Most suitable song for this situation is "Sawah – سواح " for Abdel Halim (an Egyptian Singer) which means an aimless wanderer. 

Le Havre to board the ship, maybe not?!

Last day in Paris, Hongyu and I chilled at the hotel then left to catch our train to Le Havre. We took the metro, and of course something unexpected had to happen. My leg got stuck between the metro doors while entering. Luckily, French people are so kind and helpful, they ran to push my luggage, help me get away from the door and make sure I was okay. They even helped us move our luggage in stations, how sweet of them!

We arrived in St. Lazare station two hours earlier than the train schedule, and then other semester at sea students started arriving one by one. We met a Canadian guy who had a chat in French and English with us about France. It was nice to get a Francophone's perspective about France. Thuy was already there, Wei, Brenda, Ahmed and Mohammed then arrived. The train was not as fancy as expected, but it was okay. No space to store the luggage, so we kept them between chairs. The scenery between Paris and Le Havre though is worth every cent paid. You get a true sense of French farms, greenery and European country side like those in movies!
            

When we arrived in Le Havre, our hotel was just across the street. What else could we ask for! Just be careful when checking in on a Sunday because there was almost no one at the hotel, and we had to find our keys in the safe. Fortunately, there was a resident who opened the door for us and helped with finding our room keys.

We were a bunch of SASers there excited to board the World Odyssey on the following day. Suddenly, we received an email saying that due to weather problems, the ship would not be passing by Le Havre anymore!! Wait what? How? What will we do? I wanted to see the ship and meet other SASers. I wanted to start so bad!!

To change the mood, Thuy and I went on a walk in Le Havre and had dinner at a Turkish restaurant, which was so good, filling and just for 5 euros. So much cheaper than Paris ;) Le Havre is quiet and cool. It reminds me of Port Foa'ad in Egypt, so refreshing to walk in.

That morning, the 14^th of Septemebr, we all went to Le Havre and found two SAS representatives there waiting for us. They tried to us feel better about the next couple of days and are currently working hard to plan them well. So, the plan for now is to take a flight from Paris to Rome and either to stay in Rome or go to Civitavecchia (technically our first SAS port).

They will also work with us on adjusting classes, receiving assignments from professors and staying on school schedule. We'll have our orientation with them, and it will probably be cooler than that on the ship, because they designed it. Also, seeing the ship arriving in port will be awesome, not so many people get to witness that ;)

What we will do next is still a mystery, stay tuned! :D

Paris - The City of Lights

And here I am in Paris, the city of lights! I normally do not like big busy cities, but Paris is super unique, and that's why I will definitely come back.

Paris reminded me a lot of Down town Cairo, so busy, same architectural styles, loud people on the street … and many more. Also, like Cairo, the metro is very common to take because it passes by the major points in Paris like the Tour Eiffel, Champ Elysees and Notre Dame Cathedral. The metro and buses run everywhere which made it easier for us, Hongyu and I, to go everywhere we want. By the way, Hongyu is a Semester at Sea student from China and we stayed together in Paris.

Avec Hongyu

First night in Paris, we had Mousakka au gratin, Salmon steak and French pastry for dinner, and they were all yummy. Many French can speak English which was helpful, but of course that did not stop me from practising my French :D The following day, we took the metro to catch Big Bus (Hop on Hop off) from Tour Eiffel. Big bus is a super cool way to explore Paris, you get free coupons for some shops, and you listen to an audio about every site you pass by. It's also convenient because it almost runs by all major sites beside Tour Eiffel and the Louvre like Grand Palais and Palace de Concordes.

We started out tour from Tour Eiffel, this place just makes you happy. We fed some pigeons and met a Chinese lady who wanted to take pictures with us. She thought we are cute locals! Haha, why not? At the end of the tour, we went back to Tour Eiffel at night, and oh my Gosh, it's totally something else. Simply more magical and way more fantastic.

                    

Paris is full of street vendors, mainly Africans and Asians. They would sell you cheap souvenirs and avoid police not to arrest them. However, you find them everywhere. Homeless people can also be found everywhere! You would find them in metro stations beside a guitarist or a pianist.

French buildings are beautiful and many of their windows are decorated with red flowers. I mean no need to say anything about French architecture!! You would be walking around and see a beautiful building, a museum or even the French National Assembly on your way. And any of those would make your eyes smile from their beauty.

                 

We visited Notre Dame Cathedral which is really populated with visitors. We lit some candles and wrote in the life book "Le Livre de la vie." We went to the Grand Palais and saw the bridges close by. Even bridges are amazingly designed! We've also been to the Champ Elysees and saw the Arc de Triomphe. All over Paris, you would find many newly-weds who came to take pictures especially by the Arc de Triomphe and Tour Eiffel.

Le Livre de la vie

The Champ Elysees would remind you of Times Square but on a nicer level. Very fancy and French! Need to say more?! It's good to walk there by day and night, it's a must visit. On our way back to the hotel, I met three Kuwaitis and they asked me to help them buy their metro tickets. How ironic! If they knew that we missed our metro stop in the morning, they would have thought twice!

       

What made me love Paris more is that Egypt is highly appreciated there. Next day, we went to the Louvre and the way Egyptian antiquities are presented there is so much better than they are in the Egyptian museum! Speaking of Egypt's appreciation, I met a Moroccan and an Ethiopian who both told me how amazing Egypt is once they knew I come from there.

Going back to Paris, the Louvre is gorgeous. I loved its interior and exterior designs more than the Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities themselves. No offence! And of course, the most seen painting there is the Mona Lisa. You would have to wait in lines to closely see it. There are many wonderful paintings there that are unfortunately not as popular as the Mona Lisa, so they don't get the same attention. If you want to enter the Louvre, it's easier and faster to go from the shopping mall under or from one of the sides. Entering from the Pyramid would take hours. By the way, a lady asked me to translate for her in the Louvre, so I felt happy about my French. :D

That day it was raining, and luckily it stopped when we finished touring the Louvre. We then went on a Seine River Cruise, (thanks teta Laila for recommending it) and we loved it. You experience Paris from a very different angle. You cruise in the river known as that between two bookshelves since there are many second hand books vendors and painters on both sides.

Last day while taking the metro, we crossed a bridge and saw the Tour Eiffel. There were two people playing music on the metro. What an experience! Music while passing by the Tour Eiffel, so charming :D Paris is a very cultured city, everywhere you go, you feel the fragrant history and the beauty appreciation. Love you Paris :D

P.S. Paris is one of the most lively cities in the world but it's expensive, so be prepared. 

Stockholm - The Nordic city

Stockholm is magical from the plane!! Full of forests and trees everywhere you go. It is a small city compared to many other capitals, but once you are in Stockholm Central (or Downton Stockholm), you feel the city vibe. I stayed with a relative, Tant Hoda, in one of Stockholm's suburbs called Huddinge. It is beautiful, quiet and full of trees and green areas. At the same time, it is livelier than other neighbourhoods, because it's close to a university and a big shopping center. Buses and local trains run everywhere. Literally everywhere, even to places where almost no one lives. All you do is buy an all access card to get onto any bus or train or even ferries from and to anywhere and at any time.

Huddinge

When in Stockholm, make sure not to miss the Treehornings, Gamla Stan, Stadsholmen (Stockholm Palace) and the Royal Palace. What would be better than drinking tea at treehornings while listening to Fairouz (A Lebanese singer?) It is a beautiful place for a picnic by the lake in the forest and is so quiet. It's definitely a place to die for if you are into nature and need alone time. 

Treehornings

Treehornings

Gamla Stan means the old town. It is indeed old, but still taken care of and still has the exact same structure of an old city. It has those small tiles for paved streets, decorated houses with a 13^th century style, and even the architecture is so different from the city. It's a beautiful place and a must see! Before entering Gamla Stan, you will find the Royal Palace. Unfortunately when I was there, some construction was going on, so I could not enter. However, you still feel the royalty in the place and the palace from outside.

Alleyway in Gamla Stan

The Royal Palace

One of the things I noticed in Stockholm is that beggars and homeless people do it differently (compared to Egypt). They have signs and distribute their stories on printed paper on trains and at huge stations. You find them everywhere but mainly in train stations. Speaking of stations, Stockholm Centralization (Central station) reminded me of NYC Grand Central Terminal and that of Tokyo's as well. All are huge and very busy.

When at the station, a group of people, not sure what organization they belonged to, started preparing food, signs and different supplies for Syrian refugees who were arriving that day by train! It was nice to see the Swedish support especially from the youth who were excited to greet them. Funny thing though, a friend of my relative met her at the station, and when she knew that I am Egyptian, she asked: "You are not a refugee, right?" Well, at least she asked and didn't go like, "Welcome to our country new refugee!"  ;) :D

Waiting for the refugees

One more thing I noticed in Stockholm is the use of bikes. There are bikes lanes on streets and many people, from kids to adults, use them frequently. There are also many storage areas for bikes by the streets. You take one, use it and then park it at any storage area. So good for the environment and your health, right?

P.S. Stockholm is so developed and its nature is exotic. However, many of the people there seem individualistic. They are self-centered and would not easily help you. It's a wonderful place to visit but not to live in, but maybe that's just me. For example, they would be surprised if you talk on train and would expect you to check in on your own at the airport. If you ask about anything, they might (unconsciously maybe) make you feel stupid!