Tunesien und Italia

Yes, yes, my world watchers, I have arrived.

well, sortof not really. I'm writing this in Ellen's school, getting stuffed up by the Italian keyboard this time, whil on my right hand side i have ellen talking in a slightly crazy tone to the computer ('No! I don't want a return flight...no!?) and on the left, a smelly boy talking and whistling. Really crazy (and mmm, wafts of cigerettes)

Yeah, so my travels are not quite finished. I will give you all the proper low down when I'm back home. Either at home, or at school. bah, after 3 weeks I'm really used to sleeping in. However, before i think of THAT I have to take the bus home tomorrow...it takes 12 hours! I arrive at 5 am... ahhh!! And then I have to take a train back home. But i made it to italy all by my self ( ha-ha, wasn't that an adventure? it needs it's own blog entry...) but it was all worth it to see ellen. and italy. but ellen moreso. and ofcourse, after a week in this amazing hotel (which was jsut like being at home....sun, sea. I fell asleep to the sound of the waves. not to mention the 3 hour taxi ride across the country to get there! Just like a trip to Rocky and back, and then again...much like getting to rehearsals for combined schools concert, eh?)

but yes, just a quick update, but I will definately update the update in a few days. Ellen's italian impresses me beyond belief (always inspiring, that girl) and the gelati and pizza really are worth coming for! Plus we watched Phantom of the Opera twice, and we're always singing. And reminising. my spelling...sorry. I know there's a 'c' in there somewhere. many people don't understand our connection, and while i'm here. don't really want to leave, but ofcourse it's nice to get 'home' -- i really need to wash my clothes. : )

i wish i could say i took heaps of photos of my travels, but unfortunately the camera decided to have a storage capacity of 30 photos, and not 90, so i was really selective. but i thoroughly enjoyed myself and was one of the best things i ever did. thanks mum and dad. and amo for the email. *break a leg for the show, you sexy pink goddess, you* (you know what i mean) and sagey and dom, my little stars.

i'm gald you got my letter, lauren and jose. It got there quicker than i hoped. like i said, sorry the dodgy photo (look damn hot in the dress, don't i??) but whad did i say about not showing anyone!! :) : ) i wish I could print out some photos from the computer. i will find out and then wonderful photos for all!! huzzah.

love youse all lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots !!
alicia xxx

P.S the guy next to me is really going off....i THINK it was normal cigerettes he was smoking... ('your eyes are all bloodshot...you got POT haven't you? I'm confiscating this...this too.) Ciao!!

Back from Hamburg

Helllllloo!!

I arrived back, safe and sound from up north. Hamburg is so beautiful! Also has really terrible weather, but still! I'll try to give you the low down on what happened.

Wednesday: my friend Sigrid from Australia came to my house and slept over.

Thursday: public holiday in Bayern so Peter and Gabi took us (Siggy and I) to Neuswanstein (the castle of König Ludwig II, the one that Walt Disney took inspiration from) and then to another famous church (Wieskirche = Meadow Church. yes, it's in the middle of a meadow. Famous for it's interior). The weather wasn't the best, cloudy and rainy, but still the castle blew me away. We went on the English tour so that was good. Then when we visited the church it hailed! really hard... it hurt. we had to sprint to the car. Then we drove home.

Friday: at 7am Sig and I went to the train station and began our 7 hour trip to Hamburg. We had to change twice in Baden-Wurtemburg (without a hitch, I might add). Then from Hamburg main station (which is huuuge) we walked around the town centre for a while and then made our way to the youth hostel (which, like most youth hostels, was crap: bad food, nasty showers and toilets, etc). There were about 15 students there in total: 4 from Australia, 1 from Canada, 1 from USA, 1 from Mexico, 3 from Norway, 1 from Italy and 1 from Germany (host sister of the Canadian). We ate dinner at the youth hostel and then went to a cafe for about 3 hours and just talked, which we nice.

Saturday: after going to bed at 2am we had to get up at 7am (argh) and then ate breakfast and then to the city where we took a sightseeing bus (double-decker, we were on the top with the roof down) Luckily, it didn't rain, but it was windy and cold. Then we went to the harbour and took a boat tour. Also bloody freezing. It was the birthday of the harbour so there were heaps of boats and people and stalls about the place. Then we went to the Hamburg Dungeons, which is a sortof theme park based on Hamburg's gory history (flood, plague, fire, pirates). Then we had free time. I ate sushi. Then at 10pm we went to the plant and flower gardens to see a water and light show, which was awesome! They synconised the spurts of coloured water to music. Then we went to bed at about 1.30am.

Sunday: vicious, horrible experience waking up at 4.30am to go to the fish market (very famous hamburg thang). On the way there, I sorta fell asleep on the metro, teehehe. Then it started to rain while we were there and I couldn't stop coughing or feel my hands. We came back to the hostel to pack and eat breakfast at 9.30am (but we'd already been awake for 5 hours, so it felt like it was lunchtime!) Sig and I were sposed to stay an extra night there alone, but that was not appealing and one of the EF ladies (well, she was 18 or 19) offered that we should stay at her house, cos it was nicer and quicker to get to the train station the next morning. So that was lovely. She was in the US for a year so we talked about heaps of things. Then we ate a proper meal with her and her sister who had backpacked around Oz for 3 months. Then saw Ocean's 12 cos I'd wanted to see it for agggges (Ocean's 11 is better...) then we were all tuckered out so we went to bed.

Monday: 5.15am had to wake up and get ready to leave at 5.50am for the metro. Arrived at main station with time to find our train and with time to spare. The trip back felt longer cos I was absolutely exhausted but couldn't sleep. Read 1984 by George Orwell; wasn't too bad. Might think about it all later, though. (I actually thought they would be able to bring down Big Brother with the Proles, silly, hopeful me). So Sig and I said goodbye at a station called....Augsburg or something similar (also very famous for something...also is the 3rd biggest town in Bavaria). And made all connecting trains without a problem....wunderbar. Arrived home in Buxheim, ate lunch and went to bed. The End.

phew! I also made heaps of photos and I got some developed! I'm in the process of sorting through them and sending them to people. Oh yeah! Holidays in 3 days!! And next Thursday I'm zooming off to Africa for a week. I'll update again soon! Not enough time, as usual!

Love, alicia