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20 - 21 October : Taxi From Hell

Parthenon, Prostitutes & Paranoia

Trippin'.
We've been looking forward to Athens for quite some time, but Athens took us both by surprise in more ways than one-- neither of which were good. Expensive, polluted and overcrowded, time certainly have taken its toll on this great city. Today, it's overrun with rebellious teenagers, street beggars, prostitutes, dealers, users and abusers. Somewhere hidden behind the graffiti plastered walls and underneath the trash covered streets is the ancient city Greeks love to hate, which leads me to wonder what Athens was like pre- Olympics "renovation" in 2004.

But through it all, what Athens lacks in instant beauty, it redeems itself in preserved history. It's probably one of the few ancient cities where the modern and classical can coexist. For this, we managed to look past all the negatives and made the most of our stay soaking in the history, food and shopping.

Taxi cab rip off
After a long day of train and plane transfers, we arrived extremely late to Athens and were not prepared to deal with cab issues getting to our hotel. But you know our luck, we managed to land a newbie driver with no sense of direction! After a quick pull over on the freeway for a pit stop (the driver, not us-- we were still in the car), he proceeded to drive us in circles asking for directions along the way, and all the while on our running meter. But alas, after a few detours, we made it. But of course we had a dispute when it came to our bill. On top of our 20 Euro bill, we were completely blindsided by a hidden "luggage fee" of 3 Euro per person. Whether it was legit or scam, I was not going out without a fight. But I failed to reason with the non- English speaking pompous jerk and managed to only save us 2 Euros for getting us lost. G is not one to be confrontational, and looking back, it's was probably pointless to get all wild up for just a couple of bucks. It only makes us better taxi travelers for next time. Tips-- we should have had him call our hotel for directions. Most if not all taxi drivers have cell phones so why not. We did just that later in the trip when we arrived in Istanbul.

Sleeping: Art Hotel. 27, Marni Str, tel: 210 524 0501. Staff will make you feel right at home. Best of all-- free access to internet! Our latest hotel's "must have" amenities when traveling abroad.
Eating: O Thanasis. Don't be fooled by other neighboring restaurants attempting to forge the signature name that is Thanasis.
A Must: Frappe- Order up! It's like instant coffee from a can but so much better.

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18 October : Still Leaning

Day Trip to Pisa

Trippin'.
We originally planned a half day for Pisa, but when we had to transfer trains 3 different times, getting there was no easy task. Why thousands still flock here each year is beyond me. It's a shame we only spent an entire 30 minutes there, but that's all you really need. You'll probably have better results if you photoshop yourselves in. Nevertheless, we can now check it off our list.

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16 - 18 October : The Italian Riviera

Hardcore Hiking in Cinque Terre

Trippin'.
Blessed with miles of uninterrupted views, gorgeous vineyards and breathtaking trails, the Cinque Terre along northern Italy's Riviera is a magnet for tourists. Hidden no longer, it remains, nevertheless, a gem. Each village, clinging alongside the Ligurian coastline, are unique and special in their own way. It's almost unfair how much intense beauty, great cuisine and amazing aromas are jam packed into such a compact space.
Monterosso al Mare. After another heart- breaking 3 hour train delay (can't believe our luck), we arrived to Monterosso al Mare. Booked 3 nights at Manuel's Guesthouse, we were anxious to settle in after a grueling day of transit. Proved to be a small town where "everybody knows your name," we ran into Manuel himself at a local cafe and he kindly escorted us to his house-- a mere 100 plus steps (with our 50 lbs luggage) high above ground in the hills overlooking the town.
Vernazza. The most picturesque and fairytale- like of them all. Hands down our favorite. It's definitely worth the 1.5 hrs treacherous hike from Monterosso.
Corniglia. We considered it more of an "in- transit" village where we literally walked through town and headed towards the station to catch the next train to Manarola. We weren't about to hike further since we already hiked another 1.5 hr from Vernazza to Corniglia. Reaching Manarola would have been another 45 minute hike.
Manarola. Highlight of this town was our lunch. We had our hearts set on going cliff diving but Mother Nature had different plans. While the weather was perfect in the Riviera, it was just too cold to do any water activities.
Riomaggiore. We took the easy 15 minutes stroll on Via del' Amore (Pathway of Love) from Manarola. With our lock in hand, we made our mark like the hundreds before us with our very own, "GQ 2009" lock. We made it to Riomaggiore just in time to catch sunset at cliff side.

Lovin' Ligurian cuisine
I'm sure we've been ask what our favorite kind of food is and, on many occasions, I've often replied from Mexican to Japanese and everywhere in between, but never once did I ever think to say Ligurian. Well that's all about to change. In Vernazza we had dinner at Gianni Franzi, a Rick Steves' recommendation and a great one at that. I've nagged G all day about it being a must that I try mussels and fries during our stay in Cinque Terre, so imagine my delight when I saw the menu. Say no more, I'll have the mussels marinated along with a side of fries. G ordered the catch of the day baked Ligurian- style in a light broth topped with perfectly baked potato wedges.
In Manarola, after a failed attempt to find a Tripadvisor recommended restaurant, we went on a whim to Il Porticciolo which looked promising. We managed to sit next to some Americans currently studying abroad in Florence but were in the Riviera for the day and they suggested we try the lobster linguini which were to die for. In return, we offer them to try our fresh citrus lemon marinated anchovies on a bed of bitter greens. Like G always say, "Don't knock it until you've tried it." Throw away your thoughts of anchovies on pizza. This is in a category all on its own. If tomorrow seizes to exist, this would be my choice for my last supper.
Il Porticciolo, Via Renato Birolli #92, Manarola (Cinque Terre), tel: 0187 920 083
Trattoria Gianni Franzi, Piazza G. Marconi, 5, Vernazza (Cinque Terre), tel: 0187 821 003

Sleeping: Manuel's Guesthouse. The balcony room has the most breathtaking view of Monterosso.
Eating: Bar Ristorante Il Casello, Via Corone, Monterosso (Cinque Terre), tel: 0187 818 330. Best trofie pasta with pesto! The seafood salad is pure perfection.
Activity: Get out on the trails! Purchase the Cinque Terre Card and make sure not to lose it as there are checkpoints along the trails. the CTC also includes train rides between the towns.

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14 - 16 October : Buongiorno Milano

Fashionably Late in Fashion Capital

Trippin'.
San Francisco decided to pick the day we leave for Milan to have it's first day of rain and fog of the season resulting in a 5 long and agonizing hour flight delay, which of course caused us to miss our connecting flight out of Frankfurt and managed to strip us of an entire day in Milan. That leaves us with one jam packed day to see, do and eat all things Milanese. Upside? United gave out $250 certificates to all guests for the inconvenience! Hrm.. Where to next?

Milan was a great start to our trip. We arrived late and, though restless and jetlagged, we'll stop at nothing when hunger calls. Once checked in and changed, we headed back out in search of dinner at Spontini, conveniently walking distance from our hotel. Ahh.. the beauty of planning ahead. Notorious for serving one kind of pizza and only one, but what a salivating one it was-- the Margherita! Down it with a couple of Heineken and it was the perfect first meal to our 3 week trip. We spent most of the next day wandering the streets, taking time out to people watch, go shopping and, of course, refueling our appetites along the way.

I call this, "The not- so Smart Cars!"

Our Last Supper. I'm sure most are thinking, when in Milan, go see Leonardo's The Last Supper. And while we managed to book tickets months in advance, believing in the hype, I can't help but say, "Overrated and a bit disappointing." No live or audio guide, no briefing of any kind. Nothing. Just the wall and a security telling you not to take pictures. And when I look back, that won't be the Last Supper I'll remember. What I will remember was literally our last supper in Milan done in true Milanese style. We dined at Trattoria Milanese, a cozy and bustling restaurant serving authentic and traditional Milanese cuisine. Had our hotel call for a reservation which is a must! G ordered the classic osso buco with risotto while I enjoyed the breaded veal cutlet fried to perfection. Lucky for us, we sat down next to some Brazilian/ Italians and couldn't help but join in on their fun whilst getting insider's tips on what to do when we visit Brazil (slated for December 2010). A few rounds of Grappas later, we felt right at home. What a way start our vacation and to cap off Milan!
Trattoria Milanese, Via Santa Marta 11, tel: 02 8645 1991

Sleeping: Hotel Berna, Via Napo Torriani, 18. Your best bet stay in Milan. Conveniently right next to Milan Centrale Station. The best breakfast buffet I've had in Europe across the board.
Attraction & Destination Checklist:
The Duomo
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Corso Bueno Aires
Corso Como

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