Viva la France

Viva la France – that was said to me by someone already when I tried to hitchhike away from Genova. I guess he was a traveler from France. There I also met two more hitchhikers from France. They asked me if hitchhiking in Italy is ok and where would be best place to catch a ride to Pisa. Well, I didn’t want to say that there isn’t any good place, so I said that I don’t know, hitchhiking in Italy is damn hard anyway. They said to me that in France it is very easy. I really didn’t imagine. Actually, for the night I had to get to small town named Antibes near Nice. It was easy to get to Nice, but as I spent some time there, I got pretty late with hitchhiking to Antibes. I stood in bus stop, trying to catch any car, but yeah, at that time, I didn’t have any luck. Two old women came there and seeing me with a sign where was written Antibes, they tried to explain that there goes bus for only one euro. I tried to explain that it is mission for me to only hitchhike. It was amazing to see their faces, as they really didn’t understand why someone should want to hitchhike when bus ticket is so cheap. They offered me money, but then I showed that I don’t need any, I have lots of money, it is just principle. But finally, as the time when I promised to be in Antibes was getting close, I still took the bus. It was first bus ride outside the cities on this trip. But I didn’t want to leave it that way. I still wanted to hitchhike all the way through Europe. So, next day I hitchhiked back to Nice. So stubborn is my mind. But anyway, after that I was just all the time surprised how easy it is to hitchhike in France, and I was surprised of how French people seems. Don’t get me wrong, I always had believed that I find everything good and to my liking in France, but I still was surprised. How nice it all felt there, how friendly and open was people. Even language that I have learned a little bit, and therefore should be familiar with, felt just so amazing to hear after Italy, that I just felt happy all the time - finally in France. Moreover, I was surprised how many of them speak English. There are these legends about French people not really speaking English... you know, old feud and all this... that most of them even can’t speak English and those who could, they still don’t want to. This is all bullshit. On my time in France I never saw any xenophobia or anything against English speakers. True, some really can’t speak English, but they still try... even these old women in this bus stop, they didn’t speak English, but they understood some things that I spoke, and we successfully communicated anyhow. So myth about when you speak in English, they just don’t talk with you, is busted. Now Italians really started to feel xenophobic, nationalistic and even a bit stupid (of course not all of them).

After few days in Antibes and Nice, I needed to go to Marseille. I pondered for a while if I should go by coast and visit some more famous coastal cities, towns and beaches, or go straight by the highway. Marseille is quite far, so second thought won. I still hadn’t understood really how easy is to get a ride. Therefore this long way for this day took only barely half the day. But never mind, in France highways don’t have these high walls like in Italy or Austria, so you can still see some beauty of surroundings. Forest and hills, lots of forest… another legend that we have, that all the western Europe is pretty much clear of the forest and made into farmlands and plantations. This actually seemed true only in Spain, that there is no forest. Spain was almost entirely like a big desert or wasteland with forgotten roads, shabby or completely abandoned buildings and industrial thingies here and there. But now I got ahead a lot. France is truly amazing. I love the landscapes, the cliffy hills, forests, coast, these old lovely villages, medieval castles, old bridges and even churches. Also big cities, perhaps these were not as beautiful as in Austria or Germany, but they certainly had more life in them.

So, Marseille – I have a friend there to host me and show me around a bit, so it was one of the certain places I had to go on my travel. Honestly, city itself isn’t very pretty, but as I said, just French people make it another good place to travel. Honestly, in cities what really counts, are people. Well, my friend also showed me couple things they value as historic monuments and architectural showpieces, but really, if such kind of things didn’t draw me in Roma or Firenze, then certainly not in Marseille. Even in these lovely, small French towns where everything is so beautiful and old, how much can you admire that architecture. At least I need some more living attractions, something that holds me active. And my friend and Marseille made it possible for me. I got to ride the bicycle, do some free climbing on small cliffs, go to party and to beaches, I did even some parkour in the city. This is what I love. Plus some fine French social life, food in a French way, French wine, etc. And I’m also forever thankful for my friend for one art exhibition he took me. Although sometimes even art exhibitions feel too lifeless to me… to me who I’m artist and feel that without art there wouldn’t be much reason for life and human civilization, but yes, especially this exhibition was amazing. It was orientalism themed, and if you don’t know already, then I’m absolutely fanatic of orient, Asia, Africa and Islamic culture. Moreover, this exhibition was full of super masterful works, from what I could learn forever, or I could just admire the beauty of it endlessly.

My friend in Estonia through whom I got to know this guy from Marseille, wrote me that I should let him to take me to beaches and to reggae bars… that there is lots of dark beauties. Yeah, as I would need it, more enticement! But of course I was in beach most of the time, and really enjoyed watching beautiful girls. My friend there also said: “Tauno, you don’t have to go to Africa, you can get a beautiful girl from here, much closer to your home.” True, probably French girl would also be amazing, and if I would live there long enough, I might be even able to get connection with some black people, but first of all, this is not my mission, and I also said to him, that it is still not Africa, I can’t be happy here, and these black girls are not Africans anymore. I’m not interested of getting just a black girl, I simply love African mentality… and I just love some certain girls. But this doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be able to let myself free a little bit. After all, when in Kenya I felt ultimate freedom, then closest we can get to that in Europe, would be in France. So, beaches, parties and parkour.

Sadly I didn’t get to go to any reggae bar, but there was a big festival around old port one night. About ten different stages, so everyone can find something they like. Actually, I even felt that there is too much to choose. Luckily there were big screens that showed what is happening on other stages, so I could see also some people doing break dance and at the same time hear some interesting French music. Well, most of my time on this party, I stayed at the salsa-reggeton stage. This was exactly the mood I was looking for. All the people taken to the dance floor together with real professionals. This night I danced like never before on this journey, and I even caught the attention of one of these professional dancers – another beautiful black girl. We just talked few words, I thanked her for fantastic evening, and then I left. That’s how I always do now… this is not my mission; my mission is to get back to Kenya. By the way, I don’t remember if I have already wrote it, but for that time I had already got a strong feeling that I don’t know why I’m going to Spain. I felt that I’m going to wrong way. I should head to south. But of course I always also understand that I need some money to get my life going in Kenya. I can’t just hope to go there and look how I could survive then. There must be some financial security to that enterprise. Ok, but I will write about these things, these thoughts, some other time. Now I write about my time in France. Though, now I started to think what else to write.

My friend in Marseille, he said that I write a lot, and asked if maybe I’m not an artist but writer. At the time when I stayed at his place, also one Kenyan guy wrote to me, asking if I would be his mentor in writing. Well, I accepted, but I would still say, and also said to my friend that I’m not a writer. When I read something that Remarque has wrote, then I always feel that I still miss something. I am not great enough to commit myself to the writing… and that what being a writer means. But it is still nice to exchange ideas with Festus (this Kenyan guy). For example, the idea to write about my ideas about love and my relations to girls, it is going to be pretty different from what Festus has wrote in his blog, but that is what is the meaning of mutual exchange of ideas – not to agree on everything, but to get inspiration and just to write down your own thoughts. Ok, maybe I’m writer, because I write, I find that I need to write, but then again, I still am much more an visual artist, as even more than writing I need to paint, to draw, to do things from clay, and so on. Just doing art needs much more, and so I can’t do it all the time.

In Marseille I stayed about one week. One day we also rode out of Marseille, over the hills to small coastal town. I don’t really remember the name of it. It was beautiful place – would be really worth to paint. Basically we went there to swim, although to such bad swimmer as I am, swimming in a breakers near coastal cliffs, wasn’t easy. But things do not have to be easy to be enjoyable as something different from everyday. There were lots of people sunbathing nude, reminding me that I still had my white stripe under the panties. I had a plan to go to some nude beach when going west from Marseille. In Languedoc-Roussillon were supposed to be best beaches of France, so of course I had to go there. But my leaving from Marseille happened to come to be exactly on a day when in the morning there was a heavy rain. My friend said that he will take me some way out of Marseille and then there rain is going to get over already – weather forecast said so. It was hard to believe, and being used to extremely uncertain forecasting, I was extremely skeptical, but as I finally saw, forecasts in France really are accurate. Soon rain was over. But I started to doubt if it is good idea to go to beaches. Maybe there will be more rains, and actually air went much colder after the rain anyway, and I had only two days to get to Barcelona. I decided to go forward without detours to beaches. Night I stayed near the small city of Beziers that has pretty amazing big castle. It was quite hard to find a good place for tent there. Private lands were everywhere, and I didn’t want to sleep in any place. Finally I still found a small bamboo “forest” on someone’s private property. That was reminded me by about ten signs on the way – PRIVATE PROPERTY; GUARDED; LANDSCAPE PROTECTION AREA, DAMAGING THE NATURE IS PUNISHABLE, etc. But I found out that my camouflaged tent is perfectly invisible among the bamboo. From here a suggestion to backpackers – certainly get yourself a tent that is natural green or even better with army camo. Bamboo forest was perfect for another reason too. Ground under bamboo forest is pretty much clear of any other plants except soft moss. If it wouldn’t had been cold and party noises from city, followed by really big fireworks, then this night would have been best ever I have had in a tent. But yes, it was cold this night. Actually so cold that when I got to Barcelona I started to feel that I get sick. But this entry was about France, so let it end with France, where everything was almost perfect. Actually, I have more to write about France, as of course I also went back through France, but also this will be a separate entry after Spain and Portugal.

But for the end, something more about Marseille. A French joke about how big sardine blocked the port of Marseille.

C'est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille… est une expression populaire française datant du XVIII^e siècle. Elle signifie que l'histoire est estimée comme une galéjade, une exagération, une histoire à dormir debout. En fait, l'expression est basée sur une histoire vraie mais dont une coquille typographique en a fait une farce.

En 1779, le vicomte de Barras, officier commandant le régiment français d'infanterie de Marine de Pondichéry, qui avait été capturé par les Britanniques en 1778, était libéré, en vertu d'un accord d'échanges de prisonniers et rapatrié sur une frégate de la Marine du roi Louis XVI.

Le bateau sur lequel il embarqua avait pour nom le Sartine, avec un « t ». Pour assurer sa sauvegarde et son retour tranquille vers la France, il naviguait sous un pavillon de sauvegarde qui devait le protéger de toute attaque des navires de la marine britannique qui reconnaissaient l'ordre de le laisser passer. Le navire put ainsi arriver sans encombre après dix mois de navigation au large du port de Marseille.

Or, au dernier moment, le navire se présenta le 19 mai 1780 avec une inversion du code et la « Sartine » fut prise en chasse par un navire britannique qui tira contre elle deux salves de canons. La frégate française, navire imposant, finit par couler dans le chenal de l'entrée du Vieux-port de Marseille ce qui empêcha pendant un certain temps l'accès et la sortie du port à tous autres navires. (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/C'est_la_sardine_qui_a_bouch%C3%A9_le_port_de_Marseille)

So, everyone understands it now, right !? Ok… actually even I didn’t completely. Anyway, story goes about like this – British navy was on the sea in front of Marseille. There was a naval battle and after that it was organized that they exchange prisoners, and French also planned to repair one of their frigate. I didn’t quite understand if this frigate or the ship they sent to repair it was named Sartine… with strong “t”. But well, there was some confusion, and British sank the Sartine at the mouth of the port. This port has a narrow way out to the sea, so ship blocked the way out or in. There was a lot of talking about the happening, but from Sartine came sardine (the small fish), and it became an expression that sardine was blocking the port of Marseille. My friend said that basically this expression means the love of people around there to exaggerate and play with the words, and make such kind of jokes.

Wonders of the world

Sorry that I haven’t wrote for a long time. I still want to continue with my travel story, even though I am back in Estonia now. There is just so many things to say. So I continue right where I stopped in last post, and don’t do big cuts like when writing about Kenya.

Allora, last day before Genova in Italia. In this day I advanced forward so little, and otherwise I didn’t do anything special either. Walked through Livorno and then 16 km-s to Pisa. I even didn’t go inside the city. I didn’t see the damned leaning tower. And so what, it is just one tower. Nothing special in it, I’m really sure of it. I went straight to northern roads to catch a next car. It didn’t take long. Two most beautiful Italian girls stopped and said that they are going just a little bit forward. Every way forward is a good way, and especially with these girls. For Italians they were really open to foreigners like me. Usually it seemed that Italians are still somewhat xenophobic. But these girls were talkative and interested about my travel and me. Yeah, one thing was bad about that ride – that it ended so quickly. They just asked my name, but of course I gave them my contacts, also my blog address. I don’t know if they ever watched it. I was even bit disappointed, that they didn’t contact me later.

They actually put me down in a place, where they warned me not to stay the night in a tent... especially at the beach. So even when it got dark and I didn’t get a car, I decided to walk forward. That walk came to be hardest and most unpleasant part of the day. Via Aurelia - it is not highway, but there it is almost like it, and walking on the road in darkness would have been pretty much a suicide. So I walked behind guardrail where flora made moving extremely tough, and in some places even painful by old, familiar thorned plants. I had to go so about five kilometers, but it took pretty much forever. In one place there was even a truck in a stop lane, and later I started to believe that this guy said that he can take me to one nearby town, but he had really bad accent and at that moment it sounded to me that he didn’t want to move anymore. Yeah, I walked away and leaped again behind safety railing, and saw him leaving, and then in my mind his words started to play and clear a bit. Damn how angry I was about myself, for not listening well enough or asking him to repeat what he said.

Even after getting off from the big road, I walked quite a lot in search of suitable place for my tent. I planned to go to the beach, but way was too long. I was totally exhausted and needed to get up quite early if I wanted to get to Genova in a next day. Anyway, who knows if the beach there was safe. As I already said, I walked just about 5 km. I had enough of nerve stress this day. By the way, when trying to walk to beach, one car almost would have hit me, turning too close to corner.

Next day, sky was cloudy; I didn’t have much to eat in the morning and of course no refreshing swim in the sea – so day started with the wrong foot off the bed. Hitching a ride was on the same big road and it took four hours to get a car to half the way to Genova. On the way it started raining... heavily, luckily it also stopped quickly. Another four hours for another car, but at least it took me to Genova.

We rode on the highway now, but even there views got to be amazing. Via Aurelia would have taken me to coast again and surely I would have liked the beautiful beach villages and road that follows the coastline on the cliffs, but now highway rose really to the heights. Around us was like a "Lost World" – high and steep hills covered with dense forest and some small villages down in the narrow valleys that seemed more like something made by first settlers in some dense unknown jungles (just a bit exagerated... but that is what came to my mind when seeing these views). Signs showed that Genova is really close, but it was hard to understand how such a big city could hide itself in such terrain. But exactly so it was. We went through last tunnel and suddenly we were in the city. Also Genova lied on the valleys and hillsides. I have never seen a city built like that. Even now after entire journey, it is still most special city I have been. Terraces, bridges, tunnels, roads that go with sharp turns up the hill in most tight areas between high buildings. In some places it would feel that buildings are even higher, because they are just located on the hills behind other buildings that are on much lower ground. You know, when you look down from hilltops, things seem so tiny as they would be just models of real things, but looking upwards to towering houses is absolutely different feeling. And in Genova it wasn't just height of the buildings, but also the height of the hill on what they stood, that played with my mind. Like Manhattan, a concrete jungle,.. or actually, my driver compared it with Hong-Kong that is also jammed between sea and mountains. Later I felt that this comparison is fitting even better – because of lots of small alleys full of people and neon lights, because of thousands, even probably tens of thousands motorollers/scooters going on the streets between the cars like pesky mosquitoes. It was different from everything I had seen in Italy so far, and I liked it. Livelyness of this city was unbelievable. And it seemed beautiful. Even away from historic center, where modern buildings by itself didn’t have anything special, but simply all that composition, it was special. First time on my travel I really regretted that I didn’t had a camera. Of course I would have liked a camera already in awesome Austria, or even earlier, but now it seemed crazy thought to be in such a city, and not to get any photos made by myself. Luckily my host had a cam, and he was willing to lend it to me.

Every day, in morning, I walked around, making photos and exploring different sides of the city. It is so easy to get lost there. Even my host said, that although he has lived in Genova now already years, he could still get lost. Map doesn’t help much, as there weren’t different elevations marked. But it wasn’t a problem for me, as I didn’t have any certain destinations, and just accidentally finding new places, was exactly for my liking. I love that city. It was so full of life and artistic feeling. I didn’t feel lost. For example it wasn’t very unordinary to walk past an open window and hear someone singing there. And there were lots of really artistic graffities, not to mention all the incredibly original shops that also made me feel part of that place. This city talked to me, it didn't make me feel like tourist, it made me feel like artist who just was meant to come there. This city had homely feeling and yet it was so strange, so exotic. It had the spirit of old times, but it wasn't the museum. Finally something that felt like true Italy to me. True Italy - impression I have got from media and hearsays I guess. In this city this impression was true. At one side something mystical, peaceful and lovely, at the other, colourful, crazy and interactive. But greatest experience of Italy was yet to come. No, not the best ice cream I have ate, although also this was in Genova. By the way, you can't just go to any place that sells ice creams and hope that it is the famous good Italian ice cream they talk... you have to know someone who knows exactly the best place to get an ice cream. Best part of Genova isn’t its beaches. Truthfully these are stony like in most of Italy, and not special in any other way either. Not very beautiful places. And when already talking about beauty, then lets talk also about the girls. Italians are quite conservative and even if you happen to see some pretty girls in beach, then usually they are too much covered. No music in the beach, actually no life there at all... nothing much interesting and fun. Best of Genova isn’t the Italian architecture either, although you can find also really amazing examples of that there. In my opinion far better than in most Italian cities. Genovan historic center was full of very varied architecture – some absolute peculiarities and bizarre elements mixed with complex, masterfully made and beautiful facades you may see only there. Although small, Genovan parks I find to be one of nicest, most natural looking in all known world to me. Modern urban rhythms fitting so well together with old; marble plated walkways, sculptures, etc.

But best part of Genova is its lively nightlife. Ok, in streets youth parties like crazy and before morning every day city needs cleaning. This isn’t what I mean. But yes, even on streets and plazas you may find nice concerts and performances. Yet, my best night was in closed doors club. Basically it was a smoking place, so there is no sign outside and you have to knock on the door. A man opens the door and looks if he knows you. Of course he didn’t know me, but he knew my host, and my host said that we are cool. Inside there is like paradise. All kinds of people together – old and young, black, white or whatever what nationality or race, hippy kind of people, funky style looking gamblers, intelligents, artists, etc – everyone interesting types in their own way. All of them socializing like one big family. Even everything that was bought by someone, would it be weed, cigarettes, drinks, snacks, everything went for a round in a table. And then someone else bought something… again to everyone, so it went on. There was both music from cd-s and also played and singed by anyone who could play or sing. Instruments were plenty. One old school man, who especially made me feel like in old Italian movie, was absolutely fabulous comedian, just talking and talking (and that in a really good english), while I was just laughing and laughing. Entire interior of that place gave it the movie-like atmosphere. I knew that this night is going to be best already when I walked in to that place, but in the end I really couldn’t have imagined better finale for my Italian stay (Well, actually getting to France took still few days, but from Genova onwards, I was certainly happy that I came to Italy). Sadly I can’t say where this bar was, and I don’t even say the name of it – just in case,.. so that it would be safe that this place exists also in the future.

Photo collection that I finally got was good and even my host and his friends were surprised about how I showed Genova in ways they themselves have never seen yet. A proposito, I will add some photos either to this post or separately as next entry... soon. By the way, I’m interested of parkour and when I said to my host that Genova is exactly as made for purpose of doing parkour there, then he said that also he is a little bit interested of parkour, but he hasn’t seen anyone actually doing it in Genova, but it took me just two days of wandering around randomly in search of good photoshots, to find a posse of young boys and girls practicing jumps and moves. I saw them from from bridge though and didn’t go to them.

Yes, it was amazing time in Genova. And that thanks to my host. It was very special place, where I would like to go back, but I always had to leave even best places on this trip. It is not my place – that I remember always. Africa, my love, waits me back and wonders where I’m held so long already. Getting away from Genova wasn’t easy. I tried many places for hitchhiking, both to Via Aurelia and also to highway. It took me entire one day just to find a good place. I returned to Giacomo’s place for one more night to get as far as possible in next day. I actually hoped to get to France in one day, but I still had to come to understand again that hitchhiking in Italy isn’t easy thing. After a little way on highway, I got back to coastal Aurelia, and I didn’t care at all that advance forward is again so slow. Most of that time by the way, I was conflicted between wish to go to swimm and wish to get to France. Now there were also beautiful sand beaches, maybe only bit overcrowded. For a long time I hitchhiked forward through beautiful, small coastal towns and villages, past amazing nature and beaches, but in the end, evening still came and I was still in Italy. I decided to stop in a small place called Andora – not the country between France and Spain. Andora with one R was another one of these small beach towns. My last driver said that there is abandoned camping at the beach and I could easly stay there. So I did. In the morning though, I got to know that it wasn’t actually abandoned, but just not working. Some guy woke me up and said that I must pack my things and go. But it was ok, as night was already stayed over and even at first bit angry owner calmed down quickly and just talked with me a little bit about my travel. In this morning of course I did a quick bath in sea and warmed myself under sun, admireing at the same time one black young woman at the beach. This day I had lots of time.

Magic of the coast

Sorry if this entry is hard to follow as it jumps from one thing to another . It is because I have wrote it in many places and over the quite long time. It is quite unclear even for me, how things actually were, or how I should have categorized anything by themes. But I still believe, it is enjoyable reading material... probably just a little bit more like American movies that jump both in time and space.
Because after Roma I didn´t get any coach places before Genova (or truthfully I even didn´t try much... sent few requests for Pisa and Livornia), it was quite unimportant how fast I move forward or where I will end my day. And Giacomo who accepted to host me in Genova, actually requested me to show up later than the day I wrote in a request, so I had even time to waste. Then again, as I have said, getting rides in Italy isn´t easy, so I still always went forward. But still, it was much more relaxed time there because of slow advancing and of course the sea itself. Yeah, this fact that finally I was on the Mediterranean coast, changed my spirit and feeling a lot: I wouldn´t count brief meeting with the sea in Venice. Now I can camp near the beach and in the morning take a refreshing bathe. Coast was welcoming me much better than rest of the Italia. Even people who gave me ride, raised the standard of how nice the Italians were towards me. BTW, on the west coast Italy, I got my first rides with women... that was surprising, as Italians usually were much more afraid and careful than other people in other countries, yet in other countries it has never happened that any woman would dare to pick me up. Ok, first woman seemed like Gypsy, bit crazy and seemed like he wouldn´t have anything to lose, but already next ride was with two very friendly Roman women going to vacation, who didn´t seem worried at all about any possible danger. They seemed so adventurer types. And finally from Pisa I got some way forward with two extremely beautiful young girls, and even they didn´t worry at all. Maybe all of them saw my traveller´s spirit rather, than thinking that as a man, especially bald man, I might be potential danger. I like people like that... for a better world we must all trust eachother more and have some faith into goodness.
First night I stayed near really beautiful place called Santa Marinella. I placed my tent into high grass on big field in front of some grand villa. Night went peacefully and in the morning I had only ten meters to beach. It is actually undescribable how much I missed sea, especially southern sea where is tropical weather, good vibes and happy music, and beauty all around. Now holding feet in the water is so nice, that I wouldn´t even want to leave. I had walked so much in Italia (especially in Roma), that my feet had blisters, but now in water my feet feel much better.

In beach I made second new hole for my belt. I´m definately losing weight. I rerely feel hunger though. Lots of people I have met on my travel have been so nice that they buy me something to eat – same way these women from second car on the coast, and in one bar where I bought a sandwich and a beer, owner of the place brought me three pies extra for the road. And of course I try to buy myself something more serious to eat once a day. But if I quote one war movie, then reason for the weight loss is „you drink, then you dehydrate, then you drink more and you dehydrate some more“... ok, maybe quote wasn´t absolutely exact as I haven´t watched it for a long time, but idea is same.

There was also one family in the beach. They had little cute daughter to whom I said ciao, causing her to cry from embarrasment. And one more girl, older and very beautiful, but I wonder how would be possible that she would be also the daughter of this woman and man, as girl was quite dark skinned, like it is impossible to tan, but these man and woman were absolutely white. I simply admired her beauty. But yeah, now finally on the beaches I can also get some tan. That is great, as so far I have only got my hands and head brown and also some colour to legs.

For second night I planned to get to Livorno, that was quite a far away. But I still wrote now a sign with only direction, not any place name. And although in Estonia I said to Kudrun, that I will take only two signs with me to this trip... one where´s written south and another one with west, then actually now first sign with direction was to north. And it worked pretty well... especially considering that when Italians see sign with some place where they are not going, they don´t pick you up, even though maybe they go half the way or even further from the place you want to get.
I did get to outskirts of Livorno for that evening. Really beautiful place. Coastal cliffs, beautiful villas and little romantic coastal cityhouses, and there was really magical forest where I stayed a night. First I went to eat some pizza, and as there were some other people in the same table with me, I of course started talking with them. Well, they didn´t speak much English, but somehow we talked. Or well, mostly I talked about my travel. But they seemed really nice and open minded people, and interested to hear my tale. I was even thinking of asking them if I can put my tent in their yard, but finally felt that I would probably ruin perfect conversation. So I went to look for a place for a tent. Actually many kilometers back there I saw some probably pretty good places, but I didn´t want to walk so much. Also down the cliffs on the beach wouldn´t have been such a good idea. Beach is stony and in the morning probably crowded. I decided to go to hills that are really close to the coast. After a little walk I found a way up to the forests on the hills, found fairly flat ground, and put up my tent. I started writing to my notebook and soon heared that there is someone walking around. I turned my lamp to the forest and saw two glowing eyes low to the ground. Black cat, was my first thought, as houses are really nearby. But soon I heared movement all around. Ok... now it was pretty clear that I share my woods with a family of wild boars. In a car to Firenze, these men warned me, that if I will go to hills to camp, then I should be careful to look for any signs for wild boars. I know that wild boars can be dangerous, especially when there is mother with pups... or little biggies... I don´t know how they should be called. I simply didn´t expect that chance for actual encounter would be so high. I guess wild boars are much more numerous there than I believed. Anyway, at first I held my lamp on the forest and even saw few times boars running by my tent, but then I found better idea to kill my light, be silent and let them live in peace. And my respectful behaviour was answered with them. They walked around in an area for a some time, but when I woke up in the night at some time, they had really completely went their own way. Yes I even got sleep when they were still around. But my tent has camouflage and looks kind of like big dense bush probably. By the way, when you go to such trip as I, then what you should take with you: same kind of camouflaged tent, probably also a sleeping mat, as it makes sleeping so much more comfortable, big bottle of water, two if possible (and fill them in every place you can) and buy one small bottle of some isotonic sport drink with that cap that you can easily use without using hands... later you fill also this with water, you definately need needle and a thread, some metal spoon and fork and travel knife, strong sunblock, hat. Everything is pretty much optional. And marker of course if you go by hitchhiking like I.

But anyway, I still have something to write about that same night in this forest. Ok, in Estonian sense, this wasn´t forest... it was small wood, but then again, it was much more. Because yes, also having nice family night with wild animals is quite magical, but real magical thing was something else. When I still burned my lamp looking wild boars, this light called out hundreds of wisps (note... not wasps but wisps, magical fairy creatures of only energy that glows) flying silently and slowly everywhere in this forest. You can probably say that these were fireflies, but I still believe it was fairy forest. What kind of fireflies light up periodically, and what kind of fireflies basically fly hoovering slowly without any sound? At least in Estonia they make noise with their wings like any beetle or flying bug. When I shut my light, they also flew by my tent. I even expected them to fly through the fabric of my tent and prove that these are magical beings, but they didn´t. But still, even if they WERE fireflyies, than this night was so beautiful. Even now, when I´m already in Spain, I still look back to this night and say taht this was best experience in all my Eurotrip. Or maybe magical doesn´t mean that you can fly through materia. Yeah, I still believe that wisps came to guard and see if I respect the life in their wood, and later also guarded my sleep.
In the morning I was very well rest, and going to swimm made me feel even better. Well, it was windy this day and sea had quite strong waves, so I didn´t stay in the water for long. Only people in the water were two surfers, one with wave board and another one with real surfboard... and then me of course. Oh, it would be cool to get surf lessons. On my way there is so nice beaches and in some places there are really good waves, but my money is so low. In that sense I shouldn´t had made that round for Rome. But hey, I don´t regret. Everything is for a reason, and if I wouldn´t had done it I wouldn´t have been also in this magical place. Anyway, on this day I should get to the way, where I should have gone even if not this Roman round. There was only two days to get to Genova. I went through Livorno, that in some way seemed much smaller city than I expected, but then again, walk through that city took some time. Finally some worksmen with small truck took me with them to Pisa. Pisa was really close – only 16 km-s away. I didn´t go inside the city, but maybe I saw the top of the leaning tower from the bridge. I don´t know, and actually I don´t care. I went straight to the other side from south-west to north-west, and pretty quickly two girls picked me up. Just amazing girls in my oppinion. Especially one of them was such a cool and certamente prettiest girl I have seen on this trip. And when I left the car I asked their names, but somehow forgot to say mine first... but I guess this was planned, as then they asked my name and also contact. I hope they really will look up my blog and get also my e-mail from here. But yeah, they also brought me forward just a little way, and to the place that they said to be dangerous. Ok, maybe only on the beach like they said, but I didn´t want to take any chances... I didn´t see any place suitable for tent anyway. But hitchhiking on Via Aurelia didn´t go so well this time. No wonder, as it already got dark. But there Via Aurelia also had metal barriers at the sides and no place to walk. So, finally when I realised the fact that I can´t get any car, my only option was to climb over the barrier and walk about five km-s on a slope filled with all kinds of plantlife, some also with thorns. Not best end for my evening, but another level of shit I could do and tolerate. Actually when I got off the next ramp, and walked some way away from Aurelia, I found another much more hiker friendly road coming from this last place to here too. Well, late wisdom is of course „most useful“. Now I just had to find a place for my tent. As this place was also near the beach, there were lots of camping sites and this time I even considered of going there, but way was too long, and I just happened to find again one vacant lot. Before I got sleep, there was again someone walking by, and this time not wild boars, but most certainly human, but luckily I didn´t have any bad surprises during the night or in the morning. This morning I didn´t have time to walk to the beach, that still was quite a way away. With this day I had to get to Genova, and already last night showed me that getting the ride around here might become a really hard deal. So it was, but I think this is again another theme for new entry.

About Coach Surfing

http://www.couchsurfing.org/
First I will say thanks to the staff of Coach Surfing, because what you do, makes world a better place. It has also helped me a lot on my travel now. Though, there are things I want to criticize about. First of all, there is lots of people there who have certain expectations from their guests, whereas most of them say that they want to meet different people and/or have open mind. A lot of them want you to send a personalized message to see what kind of person it is they host. Ok, I would understand about security reasons, but actually I haven't heared any stories of any dangerous or any unwanted moments anyone have had. I am pretty sure, that most of them simply select someone with whom they feel some emotional security. But if you want to meet different people, you actually shouldn't select and understand that everyone is not the same as you. Open mind is not when you wish your guests to do some wrestling, like was expected by few guys who answered me in Venice area. Open mind is when you can accept people as they are. I can say without making any secret that my open mindedness is in some cases limited, because I have some certain principles that I want to hold true to. Anyway, if you understand that there are also different ways of travelling, then some people can't plan much forward, and must send lots of requests only few days before arriving their target. That means it is impossible to write personalized message. I make my further travel plans usually just two-three days before. Idea to go to Rome came impulsively. Until now, few days before leaving France, I still hadn't chosen what road I will take after Barcelona... south, north or straight for Madrid. Sometimes hitchhiking goes really badly and I wouldn't get to my host in the expected time. But this is my kind of travelling. Hitchhiking is mission for me.. I really want to make a point with that... send some messages (about that I will write later). Also I understand when host to whom I don't get in right time, can't host me later, but I simply can't write a personalized message about why I chose this person. Actually I don't choose... I let fate choose for me, and then I will see what I can do with that person or what to learn from him/her. If you really want to select, then please, I always send my blog adress in request, so if you want to learn why I maybe could be interested of meeting you, then I think my blog gives enough answers - I am really interested of DIFFERENT people. I don't need to meet someone who is copy of me or my friend or who likes to do same things as me, or even have same principles. I don't mind living few days after some rules I find weird, or even have some easy dispute of things. Don't fear that I would impose my will or beliefs on you. I have feeling of decency and tolerance. Also, reason to send lots of copy-past requests is because as a guy, I don't get answers to every one of my requests, and especially in touristic areas, lots of requests get declined, because they already have someone on the coach. You see, to get one or two positive or even maybe answers, I just have to send dozens of requests. Anyway, if sending copy-paste requests would be something unnormal by the principles of CS, there wouldn't be templates. I understand the request that traveller would read through the profile of their possible host though. I even do it usually just for my own interest. Also for coach requesters absolutely first most important thing to do is to fill their profile, and when you do that, give possibility to really see your person behind it.

Ah yes, I also disagree with the idea of some coach surfers, who say that most important thing about CS is the connection and mutual interest between host and surfer... to meet the people (and usually they even say interesting people to them). No, CS was created so that travellers can mutually help each other, making it easier to travel for all of us. Sure, this doesn't mean exploiting the host by traveller. But anyway, this site should forever, ever retain its prime reason. If you are wise enough, then you see it even written in the name of the site. Meeting nice and interesting people, to have a connection, and/or having some other gain of interest, is secondary... although usually it happens anyway. For example, I have had really different people I meet through the CS and in one or other way I really enjoy meeting them. I always learn something new. Even if I find that I don't fit with some of them at all in a personal level. Like I said, some go even so far, that they write what they expect from their guest. Ok, if it is explanation that guest must leave early with host, or don't contact me if you are allergic or vegetarian or something, but some say for example something like I am partygoing and like to meet some people like me. It is in some way very similar to say that I don't host Jews. Can't you really be together with some conservative, who is fairly tolerant to select your company, or some quite silent bohemian dude, who likes to say something more intelligent than you say yourself. A lot of guys also write that they host only girls... some also explaining that they have had bad experiences with guys. What the hell, how can you have bad experiences hosting all the guys?! It is so transparent that you are just trying to get some girl. I would even understand if girl specifies that she prefers to host women... just for privacy or security reasons, but right now using the option to specify the preference is mostly used by men. Moreover, they just don't prefer, their only certain choice is that they host only women. It is said when you are signing up for CS, that it is not dating or social site, per se! If you are really open minded, then you even don't care about possibility to have somekind of bad experience over some time. You always look something also from these. Well, I wouldn't say that I have had a bad experience, but something not best either. I was hosted by this gay guy as I wrote in the last entry, who tried to talk me to have sex with him: "Why you travel like you travel? - To have an adventure, to experience new things and learn... maybe you just haven't done it... you don't know if you like what you would experience without experiencing it." I explained that I don't want to learn that... this is not what I expect from adventure. I already learned from that conversation something. Something about myself and also about him. And although entire evening I was a little tense, as something like this has never happened to me and I felt weard to be under the interest of the gay, additionally I feared to make any unwanted signals, and therefore I felt that I can't be as free and friendly and close as with some other guys. But if this day would be again and I would know how it goes, I would still go to be hosted by him. Not only because it is free place, as actually one guy in Rome showed me also one hostel he said to be free (it seemed weird place.. and I don't know, maybe it was homeless shelter or something like that, but I could have stayed also there freely).

Ok, I said that it seemed especially weird when these guys in Venice area expected me to take part of some wrestling... otherwise they don't host. Usually I like when my host would offer different possibilities, because I as traveller don't know the place and options. But this wrestlemania is pure harassment. They really aren't normal. If someone would accept to host me, and asks what I like to do, introducing that we can go to swimming, or go out to Judo Dojo where he goes to wrestle, then sure... I even maybe would select that option. Also, there should be some understanding between host and guest. I think if host is tired, it is unthinkable, that guest would seek a way to go to party, and vice versa. Sometimes it is understandable, that host can't introduce you the place, but it would be just stupid then to expect that your guest goes out then to leave you in peace and have a good time alone in a strange city. Usually, when my host wants or has to be at home, I also prefer to rest there. Of course I try not to be disturbance then. Mutual respect and understanding is main thing.

Road to Roma

After some consideration I decided that I really must go to Rome. Otherwise I would always think that I was in Italy, but not in Rome. You know, once Rome was a synonym for Europe. And when already on this way, I should also visit Venezia/Venice and Firenze/Florence. Just as a remark - I prefer the placenames as they are locally.

So Venezia - what about it? Basically I can't say anything about it. Yes I got there, but as soon as I arrived, I also left. Some ask if I didn't like it, but truth is that I even didn't see enough to make my mind about it. I saw channel full of dirty water, lots of tourists, and over the first houses the towers of famous old Venezia. Truth is, that I don't like sightseeing so much... at least not as most of the people do that, and I already had an image in my mind about Venezia as something where wouldn't be much for me. Without local friends, without connection to local life, I feel that cities are empty, however beautiful they would be. Even true abandoned city would be more interesting for me. And yes, to Venezia or any other place nearby, I failed to find a host through Coach Surfing. Actually I understand, as these places are such a tourist magnets, and people there got so many requests; But this doesn't mean that my feeling would get better from knowing that. I still felt hoplessness and loneliness, adding to the travel stress. My stay in Udine had already stretched from few days to six (by the way I am very thankful for everyone in Udine who helped me - to have a place to sleep, to get over of this loneliness and boredness, for everything). So,  my next beacon of light and hope was in Firenze. A guy named LEonardo, who is over fifty years old and accepts lots of coach surfers at the same time, said that he has a place for me for one night. That is actually reason why I hurried away from Venice... to get to Firenze in this day. Anyway I had already lost a lot of precious time, trying to get away from Udine, as there is no good place to hitchhike. Would I had only known how will be the night, I would have still stayed in a campingsite near Venezia and gone to walk there.

I didn't get to Firenze in this day. When a car driver left me in Bologna, I didn't understood, in how bad place to hitchhike for Firenze I was. Next day I saw that there was still entire city to walk through, before getting any chance of stopping anyone going out of Bologna to south. In my oppinion, Bologna is nothing special. And I was so late there, that I even couldn't get any idea where I am or get some food. Only thing I saw, were roadside prostitutes. How much different from them am I? I too try to catch a car... not to earn money, but to get a free ride. I just don't use my body for that, but my traveller's nature.

Finally it was already too late and I gave up hitchhiking, and started looking for a place to put my tent. I planned to get to the hills that were behind the city. Only problem was that I didn't know how to get there. There were highways on my way. I did something crazy. I walked a long way on the highway, crossed it few times, walked even in the highway tunnels (well anyway it was dark, but tunnels, even though they had lights, seemed still darker and more dangerous. I did it to find off ramp somewhere at the other side. But in one tunnel there was an emergency exit, so I used this instead. I was so tired of walking and not knowing how to get to the hills, so I just went up to the roof of the tunnel and placed my tent there. It is definately craziest place I have slept.

Initial agreement with Leonardo of Firenze was only for that night, so next day I still went to Firenze without having a plan. At first I walked around my heavy bag on my shoulders, but finally decided that I should ask from Leo about if he knows any cheap place to camp and also eat. But Leo sent me answer that I can come to dinner at his place and he also knows a place for my tent. that place, as I finally discovered was on his very big balcony (I was thinking that maybe he has a garden, but balcony was good enough for me too... at least not on top of the highway tunnel), and finally I got to know that actually he can even host me for two or even three nights and that in following nights I can even move to bed. Best about that was that during this time I had a lot of company (like I already said, he hosts many people from different places, making international and intercultural contacts). Altogether in the same time as me, there were five Americans (really cool people with whom I didn't have any problem to find a common ground), a couple from UK (they stayed more on their own, but I still had chance to talk with them, and I still liked them), and one guy from Korea, who was more secluded as he didn't speak so good English. And in the last day came one couple from Argentina. This (meeting all these other travellers) finally made my stay in Firenze interesting and good time. At first I walked around a little bit, looking the amazing architecture of the city, but I still wasn't like everyday usual tourist, as I stopped a lot to sit or lay down somewhere next to one of the touristic attractions, drinked beer or ate pizza, watched other people (usually "running" from one place to another to take photos and I wrote... I wrote a lot. On this journey it is clear that most of the pictures I make with words. I was even so unusual, that one older man, who quite clearly was a tourist too, made a photo of me sitting next to the Duomo and writing as there wouldn't be one of the most known symbols of European old architecture beside me. Actually I would say because of that, that this man was a unusual tourist too... he too found something else to capture, than Duomo beside him. Second day Leonardo took some of us to little tour - some churches with mediocre art, a nice park of the palace, and Fiesole town on the hill next to Firenze (that was already on my list of things to visit in Firenze), from where was fantastic view to the entire city. In the evening I went with Americans to look for the party, we didn't find anything very good though. In the third day I went together with Leo outside of Firenze to CS barbeque party. This was really nice - really good company (first time I really felt that I communicate with Italians) and very good food. I got stomach really full. Ah yes, by the way, In last two days we cooked foods of our countries. In second evening Britts cooked together with Korean guy, and in third evening I together with three Americans. In both days we had really great dinner. So I felt that these two last days I ate and drinked all the time. But anyway, about this CS BBQ was also great thing that on the way there, Leo showed me best place to go to ask for a ride to Roma, and thanks to that I got the ride to rome in only few minutes. And when we came back from BBQ, we came another way, where I saw really good different views of absolutely charming Italian villages, small towns that had houses built storey by storey, so they looked like house built on top of another house? and usually they were about four-five floored, creating weird town on the hill side. More... nice farmfields separated by cypress strips, an old castle, beautiful roads with these amazing mediterranean pines on the roadsides, and also one of the nicest industrial zone before Firenze, because buildings were from red bricks, like from the beginning of the industrial era. Anyway... big up for Leonardo.
But then time came to leave... for all of us. I joked, that it feels again like being a soldier - at first we were rookies, having some hard time to get used to some Leo's regulations and life there, but with every day it seemed easier... Leo softened, and in the end we were veterans, welcoming new ones and knowing that it is our time to go forward. It was in one side really hard to leave others (all others went somewhere north but my road to Rome continued south), but I was also waiting to get to Rome and even anxious to see what new adventures life brings me. Somehow I knew, that on the coast I will find something different from what I had experienced so far (but lets not get ahead of things).
I entered Roma,the great city of legends and miracles, from east, and in two days I walked through Roma from one side to another. But Rome didn't welcome me with greatness. Eastern side was industrial park and wasteland and then some ghetto kind of suburbs, one worse than another. Just before getting to centre of the city, was worst part of it - really smelling maze where I even felt insecure, as there was lots of poor black people, Indians, Pakistanians, et cetera. Some homeless people looking even worse than in Estonia. Actually Even Center with great monuments and architecture from both ancient times (or actually mostly ruins from that time) and revival period, didn't seem anything especially amazing. I would prefer even Firenze and deffinitely Wien or Klagenfurt, that really were beautiful places. In my oppinion, Roma is too bad mix of everything.
Of course partly it was also fault of short time stay and nature of how I felt with my host. No, nothing extremely bad... if I would find him in CS, I would still write him a positive refference. It was very hard to find a host in Roma of course, but finally one guy wrote me. He said that if it doesn't bother me that he is gay, then he can help me. I sent him answer saying that if he understands that I am totally straight and I have a girlfriend, then everything would be good. So I got to stay at his place, and actually for a sightseeing people he would be probably best host, as he knows everything about Rome (he works in a hotel), and can tell about even symbolics of things. Well in Rome I really was like a tourist, trying to see as many of these monuments and places as possible with this short time. But problem was, that actually even though what I wrote to him, he thought that maybe he can change my mind. He said, maybe I just don't know what I want. But then after my explanation that I surely know that I simply am attracted by girls and couldn't enjoy having sex with a man... that I know that even without trying it, the same way as he simply feels that he is attracted by men... and when I explained how much I love my girl (I didn't even say to him, but actually even though I have had a lot of enticing girls on my way, I would even feel bad when I would cheat my love with some girl with whom I really would like to have sex), then he understood. He respected my choice totally and was still nice towards me. And he still teached me some things. Like really efficiently washing my cloths. I only hope that he also learned something from me. But yes, as he said that he is too much attracted by me, I can only stay one night and in the morning I'm on my own.
In the next morning I visited some places where we went in the evening, also in the daylight and went inside to few churches. I also planned to go in to the Pantheon, but somehow in the rush, I forgot that. You see what moving and thinking like a tourist does. There was also exhibition of paintings of Tamara de Lempica (one artist by whom I felt influenced a lot for a while... and certainly still one of my favourites), but ticket seemed too much and I didn't go there. Now I'm bit regretting my decision. But in general, Rome seemed dead city for me - of the new parts I don't care and old part is in ruins and lost its glory.
Quite different matter though was Vatican - holy citystate inside Rome. St; Peter's Basilica really was a masterpiece of art. When some old religious art in the churches I had visited, has pretty much sucked, then there was everything perfect and grand. Really appropriate for the centre of the Catholic, even all Christian world. I really even felt something spiritual and because of that feeling I stepped inside the praying room, where I prayed in my own way. First time in a church I didn't care that my beliefe is different from Christianity. But like one Krishnaite guy when he tried to introduce me his beliefs in Tallinn, and then I said that I already have my own beliefs, he said to me, that no problem... God is still the same, we just believe it differently. So I prayed for me and my loved one, so that my journey would take me back to her, and I gave my thanks to the God for everything. By the way, this same evening something weird happened. There was some buzzer flying to my ear and when I weved with a hand, my fingers got behind my rasta necklace and ripped it broken. How is this possible... even with force human can't break this plastic thread (you know, what fishermen use) by bare hands. So I took it as sign that God maybe accepts my kind of belief , but shows that then I also don't need a rasta necklace (as I have always said that for believing, Christians don't need a church or even ceremonies and praying, as God anyway know everything. Also from Vatican I sent postcards to my girl, to my family and to Kudrun, because she likes to collect postcards sent from travels.
And after that started again the road. This time road away from Roma. But about that in a next entry, I give just a hint that my feeling about Italy gets somewhat better and I really start to love Via Aurelia - modern version of ancient road. Just as a reminder for myself I also write here to look about other ancient roads like Via Apia, and what has come of these in modern times. But no more hints, this would just ruin the fairytale. Oh, there is still so much to write about Italy and I'm now already in France and after few days probably already in Spain. Of course I also was in Italy longer than any other country on my travel (over two weeks), but still, I have already same as much text written in my journal about Italy as about all the other countries together; This means that when writing here I have to do some selections and shorten it all the time, and lately I don't hav much possibilities to use internet for long time enough. But I always try. No worries, be happy! Ciao tutti!

We no speak Americano

Salve from Roma!

Leaving Austria was almost as hard as leaving Kenya, and that only after one week stay there. Finally on the road to Italy I saw also lots of amazing mountain views. My last stop for hitchhiking was in a fuel station about five km-s from border and this was incredible place. Right behind the fuel station and hotel was a shere wall of rock rising I think at least 800 meters. In front of it formed clouds that then slowly sailed away. I felt that I could watch it entire day. Sometimes I even didn't notice a car coming, just stared at the mountain. But on the way I saw more, and even more beautiful views. I really hope to travel to these areas again in future (although if I move to Kenya, it may become pretty impossible).

Anyway, finally I got the ride to Udine in Italy, my first station. Funny was that this car or actually small bus, carried the taxy sign, so basically it was my first time to hitch a ride with a taxi. But in this car was a Iranian family on a travel. Ok, if I understood right, they were born in Germany and boy actually still studies there. They were very friendly and ride was extremely enjoyable. Especially when we listened some traditional music from Iran. But first time after long time I had a documents check on European border, but it went quickly too.

I was actually on a road outside Udine already before noon, so I had entire day to waste. Although sky was clouded, it was very hot. What if really sun comes out. Actually from my first days in Italy I have contradictional feelings. I pretty much like what I see in the Italian cities, that different architecture and nice gardens in front- or backyard of the houses, and parks. One day when looking the roofs and narrow streets from the castle hill here, I even found some similarities with Kenya (although houses here are prettier, roofs made of stone and everything more systematic and fitting with the naighbourhood). And I certainly would like many trees and bushes and other plants from here to my guesthouse in Kenya. I haven't even seen many of these in any pictures. Variety is so great. I may also take some design examples. And probably it would be good idea to make window casements also in Kenya. Anyway, in this sense I really like Italy, but I still miss Austrian nature and amazing little cities like Klagenfurt.

I also miss Austrians. Italians seem really too cold natured for a southern people. I feel lonely quite often here. I don't get so much contact with locals. Ok, it is not like Czech, where people in city just avoided you when you go to talk, but yeah, even when I was with my host and her friends or in a party with some other coach surfers, I hardly felt as a part of it. I don't know, maybe it is also partly because of me, as now suddenly I got a little travelstress and even maybe some kind of a culture shock, and started to miss my girl and Kenya more than ever... maybe even Estonia a little bit. But then again, when in Austria everyone just started  (at least mostly) to talk in English when there were foreigners in the group, then in Italy it doesn't happen. It is hard to go to talk with some people when they talk amongst themselves in Italian. In this party only few people saw that I was lonely and then started talking with me. Moreover, in Italy it actually really seems that people are not so good in English, some even can't speak any English. In Austria you can be fairly sure that any young person can speak English (even if they say "only little bit", then actually they are quite good). I don't know about Austrian TV channels, but here everything is dubbed and probably most people don't have international channels. I think that Estonians speak English so well because we have movies and shows in original language, while at the same time subtitles help us to learn. BTW, most of the Italian TV and radio programme seems really scetchy for me. in TV and radio they pronounce very theatrically, making it all seem like soap series. In reality their language is much better sounding.
Ok.. actually I had now a really great time in Firenze, and also finally got a host in Roma for one night, so I have managed to come here, to one of the great dreamplaces of me. How exacvtly these trips were, I have to write in a next post, but know that although I want to go to France now as fast as possible, I feel quite good right now. And hopefully some West Coast Italy with beaches give even more happiness.
Ciao!

More awesomeness

Ok... in last post I didn't write much about Klagenfurt. It is really beautiful place surrounded by mountains. Yes, actually there are some really great mountains. And there of course is the Worthersee lake, surrounded by tourist attractions. Even though there is not any great place to dip yourself in, it is actually best place to have a wonderful look on nature around. Lake has light greenish blue colour that so well mixes together with woods and mountains.

And even though I don't like sightseeing, also walks in the old town are nice. Klagenfurt is much smaller than Tallinn in Estonia, but so much grander by look of it. Old town is full of people, amazing old architecture, plazas, parks, fountains and sculptures. Even new parts of town seem well to fit into the whole picture.

Wolfgang, my host there found that Klagenfurt is boring, but I had as good time there as in Vienna. Like I wrote to him in Couch Surfing - friends, beer and ice hockey or pop quiz in Irish pub, this is what's good time for me. Ok, there should be some place to go for real party too, but still it is not overly boring place either. Not places itself, but people make places special. That is why I instead of looking around try to get into normal local life, even if I have only few days for it. And I try to get to know as many local people as possible. I hope for random encounters. It was actually one day when I was sitting in park in Klagenfurt and writing. I hoped that someone comes to talk with me. Even just few words would do. But no one came. Well, there was one girl walking around in the park and taking photos of everything. Probably not a tourist as she took photos of treetops and bushes and many photos of same thing. So probably more of a American Beauty type of artistic photographer. She took also few photos from behind of the fountain, where should also be me. So I started writing of her. She taking photos and I writing about her. Kind of poetical and romantic actually. I noticeably followed her with my eyes, and she came quite close by, but past without neither of us saying anything. Maybe she hoped me to call her, but then I felt that maybe it would be bad idea. Lots of couples here make me wish for a girl to hold around too, but then I always remember my sweetie and think that it wouldn't be right to her.

But of course I still met one very enticing girl. In the last day we went to this pop quiz finally, because of what I actually was in Klagenfurt so long. And Wolfgang invited also two girls from Slovenia. One of them was so charming, sweet and funny, and actually I even gave her possibility to take contact with me. I even don't know if I'm strong because actually I haven't followed desire for now, or weak because I have so many enticements. Probably still weak, because if opportunity really would rise with such a divine girl, then probably I would give in, and that would be a mistake, as I never wouldn't forget my real love. I don't know who would get hurt, but probably someone.

Ah yes, actually I wanted to write about pop quiz. We needed a name for the team. Wolfgang proposed "Kaksteist kuud" (twelve months in Estonian) what he had heared from his friend, but noo... that would be too sick, when they say the names of teams. So I put the name "Archive of Awesomeness" instead. Yeah, we got a awesome name, that suited us, but there was another team with sick name - "Jedi Aholes". So it got a goal for me to won that team, but we didn't. At first we did good, but there were some things on what we got confused. So, when we left the pub, I said with a loud voice: "But you can't win us in awesomeness".

Now I'm actually already in Italia and I haven't missed my girl so much as now. I have also a little stress from traveling and some sort of a culture shock maybe, but Italy is already theme for next post, and hopefully for that time I have already got better feelings too.

Greatest thanks to both of my hosts (Hanna and Wolfgang) and their friends for amazing time in Austria. I will regard you always as good friends and hopefully we'll see again. Love!

Awesome Austria

Austria... it is really amazing country. Both cities and countryside with beautiful nature. People is so open and social. If you know someone, then you also quite certainly meet his or her friends. You go to parties, you are invited to dinners, to some group events with social games... they buy you beers or cakes. All the time something happens and you never feel alone (even when you actually are alone for some time). I really have started to love how German party feeling, French social commons like two kisses on cheek and Italian expressiveness and freedom are together in this country. And I started to love German language. At first I was surprised that German sounds better than I remember, but it was explained to me, that actually Austrian German is softer than real German. So that´s why. And truthfully I love girls here. They are so special and sweet. It is very hard to resist the temptation. Everyone, whatever is your taste, could find a girl that he likes here. Jürgen could get a chinese chica or for example that gorgeous half Philippino girl we met. And here are lots of black people, Arabians, Turks, Italians, somewhere probably even some Indians or Americans. Or you could fall for some pretty and nice Austrian or Swiss girl. You may find hippies, goth-metal girls, dreadheads or just old sweet vanilla flavour. I still love my girl and actually I don´t want anyone else but her, but here I simply got a crush on many girls. Especially my host Hanna in Vienna. She is such a pretty and special girl. Her energy, her laughter, the way how she takes the life, it just makes me crazy for her. Luckily she didn´t sho any such interest for me. Otherways who knows what could have happened. And Jasmine and her friend Karoline, girls from Switzerland studying music here. They invited me and Patrick (another coach surfer from USA, really awsome dude) to play minigolf and then after that to dinner they prepared. Both of them beautiful and interesting in their own way. Also Patrick has a girlfriend in USA (and as it seemed from the photo I saw, a dark skinned beauty), but sometimes it seemed to me that also he is not far from slipping. I guess that´s why he also looked the photo of himself with his girlfriend so often, to bring himself back to earth. Sometimes it really seemed that this place here is like paradise. Patrick´s favourite was clearly Jasmine, and I totally understand why. Especially when she sings, then you simply forget everything else. She is like divine creature.

But both of us, Patrick and I, we went on with our travels and hopefully it makes things easier. Actually it felt so hard to leave Vienna. Like really some magical song or laughter would chain me there. I left Vienna and I even didn´t had chance to meet Elisabeth (I think it is bad, although who knows, maybe she would have charmed me too). I still feel overpovering wish to go back.

Now I´m in another nice place in Austria. It is a small beautiful town in Alps (although not so massive mountains here as I hoped - I guess I have to go up to north in Italy... or maybe visit Switzerland), named Klagenfurt. Here my host is a guy, but my time with him and his friends is almost as amazing as in Vienna. They are great fans of ice hockey here and one day we were first in a Irish pub having plenty of beers and then two o clock in night his friends came here to watch hockey game. Today will be the same. By the way, I have never been interested of hockey, but it was still interesting to me, as guys look like Dwarves from some fantasy. They have beards (as in the end of the series it is a common not to shave), and in these teams, most of these beards were orange. Also their armor makes them look short but wide. Sport is agressive as I imagine anything to do with Dwarves would have to be. I just started imagining that they would have big axes instead of hockey sticks. Anyway, not much time to rest in Austria. So again, Estonia is a good place for resting and south here for living. Yesterday I actually took a possibility to rest and write... and today a little bit too, but actually I already hope and expect more active eavning.

Ok, I will go and check out the lake here, and maybe make myself wet. When I came to Klagenfurt, it was raining and first time on hitchhiking I got a little bit wet, but really only little, as soon a car picked me up and brought me exactly where I needed. Now it is perfect weather again. What else you can hope from life - beauty around, good weather, nice people! Katrina actually asked from me yesterday if I take my girl now to live in Austria, but I still continue with my plan to go back to Kenya. It is anyway very expensive here and making business would be even more impossible for me than in Estonia. And in winter it still gets cold here.

Ok, tschüss!

Extremities

Forget the signs with some place name like Czech Republic or Warsaw or even South or West. Take whatever comes at you. Write the sign "Anywhere" or "I just want away". Ok, they all say that Krakow is fantastic, but when a guy picked me up and after asking where I go, said that he goes to place near the Czech border, to Nysa that is away from main road, then I only said: "oh, it is perfect, lets go there". Also Nysa was beautiful. He said that before the WW2 there were 40 churches in this little town, but Russians thinking that German fort is there (although was many kilometers away), made a hard damage. Now there is only 28 churches if I remember correctly. "Only"! I have never seen such a small place with so many so grand churches and cathedrals. But yes, they say that in medieval times it was the big centre for Catholic church.

Anyway, although guy said that also from there many cars go over the border, it was maybe too peaceful. It was already evening and I still hoped to get to Brno, where David (a doctor whom we met in Kenya) could host me. David said, that he can host me only this one night. Did I regret my choice to get away from the mainstream. No - it is so beautiful around here. In Poland´s side there are wheatfields with cornflowers and swallows flying in deep blue sky. Road and houses already feel to have some Mediterranean influence. And over the border in Czech are mountains (or well, high hills). Finally! I really missed highlands.Everything is so beautiful and peaceful. One couple takes me to border. I step over to the Czech side. Otherwise I wouldn´t even realize it, but on the border I try to go to shop with polish coins still left, and I was sent away. No use of that money here anymore. So I´m finally in a totally new country for me. I have never been in Czech Republic.

I walk a bit. First village called Mikulovice seems almost like dead. But then I hear few men having a conversation in front of the local bar. Next thing I see is a small one wagon train that goes only over the border with about two people in it, and then comes back to here. This is all. I walk and car comes in about every 10 to 20 minutes and they still don´t stop. But even though I think that I again have to camp, then this time it doesn´t bother me. Weather is nice, place is silent and beautiful. Hills covered with forest. But suddenly a microbus comes and stops. There are three men and one women. All looking very bohemian. They are actually from last Polish village, but still, they remind me that in old times these areas were called Bohemia, and in Bohemia you should be the bohemian. They ask if I know djembe, and when I say that yes, I have two djembes at home, then they reveal that they are going to some drum workshop in a school nearby and ask if I want to join them. I hesitate for a moment first, but then the bohemian in me wins: "sure, I probably don´t get to my friend in Brno anyway, so lets go." Drumming is cool and additionally my new friends say that I can sleep this night there. It is nice room filled with exotic stuff and lots of tea. Doh... they call it the tea room. After saying that I´m reggae and world music DJ, they want to keep me. They said: "Why do you want to go to west? There is nothing interesting there. Stay here. We have a festival in the beginning of july. You should be there."

Morning in Jesenik. I walk through the town that seems much smaller at first than it actually is. It continues by the side of the river for a long time. It is quite the same traffic situation as was in the evening. Do I ever get to Brno? Do I have to walk over the mountains? These were the questions in my mind at that point, but I still didn´t have any regrets. Finally one car stops and ride over the hills starts with full throttle. By the road that goes up the hill like a snake and same way down again at the other side, this driver makes a real ralley. He really makes an ideal trajectory for himself in the turns, and in some places when cars come from other direction, it really depends on the masterful driving skill. It isn´t like "Need for Speed" I felt on the speedway before Warsaw, it is like craziest mountain tracks in "Colin McRae Rally" only much more crazier. Road is narrow, trees around and where is no trees, there is deep precipice going down at least 500 meters if not more. And as if this wouldn´t have been extreme enough, there was a gas tank rolling freely from one side to other in the back of a car, one tire that seemed as if it could come off if it gets a nudge strong enough, and driver just talking with me or his son, turning his look from road now and then. I of course didn´t had a seatbelt back there, but I think it wouldn´t had made a difference anyway. If driver would had made any mistake or if simply our luck would had turned us down, then probably we all would have died, whether you have a seatbelt or not. Same way as on a mountain, this guy speeded by the narrow road going through villages. He passed some cars with such surgical precision, that Polish drivers didn´t seem foolhardy at all anymore.

Sadly, rest of the Czech isn´t anything special at all. Hills are behind us, landscape mainly like in Southern Estonia, but more barren, without forests and fields just fallow. Only sad Soviet era reminding Cities and towns giving some diversity. Ok, I didn´t go to Prague, but it doesn´t even draw me so much anymore. When I went through Brno, I didn´t see anything special, if only area where poor gypsies or just gypsie looking Turks lived. Even in city centre I felt bad, as for example when I tried to ask for information, some people just ignored me, others were cold and busy... pretty much just: "Ok, ask away then, but be quick." It seems worse than Estonia. Definitely worse. So I just wanted to get as far away from this city as possible. By random coincidence I was picked up by two cool foreigners. One going to Slavakia and inviting me there (I was thinking about it, but I wanted to continue towards Austria. Another one was Polish Italian. He asked where I´m going and I explained that through Austria, Italy and France to Spain. He said that he is driving straight to Rome and was very exited of such coincidence. "So lets go to Rome?" he asked from me, but this time I didn´t want to take from this possibility. Seeing Austria has for a long time been a great dream for me, and now I wouldn´t see any Vienna, and even seeing mountains in the night, would be mood breaker. I also got a host in Vienna and she seems like someone interesting I should meet, and it anyway would feel wrong to searc a place and then just say that I don´t come after all. No, going to Italy straight feels rushing in any way. Was it Marek, my Warsawan host who said that travelling in Europe is like one day - one country, and this is exactly how it has been for me in last days. I think it is time to slow down a bit and enjoy some Austria.

Through tests of elements happily in Warsaw

Last two days in Lithuania I was on a small journey with Mykolas. At first we visited his homeplace in Kernave - a silent beautiful cultural reserve with small village. And then went to lake Sartai (that is between Utena, the birthplace of best Lithuanian beer, and Ignalina, from where even some of Estonian power comes if I know correctly), where we fished, swimmed (by the way, it was my first swimming in this year), rode with the boat, drinked Jesus brewed home beer and ate śaslikas and fish.

Last two days have been a tough test for me. I didn't get to Warsaw in one day and now it actually seems even crazy idea that I hoped, as in Poland there is lots of smaller and bigger places, where road turns. It is almost impossible to get to Warsaw in a one car. And actually in some places traffic is quite light and most cars just don't stop.

From Vilnius to Kaunas everything went as planned. I got to highway with a free Maxima bus. There I went to Kebab road stop and asked if anyone goes to Kaunas. One guy said that he can take me along if he can get going as his car just doesn't start. Finally he still got it running and I was in Kaunas already before noon. Kaunas was quite a different from Vilnius. Kaunas seemed like an industrial city with everything little bit smaller and rougher, but I liked it... it was special. Especially I liked some graffitis and massive industrial looking steel bridges.

But from there my test of earth and fire started. Test of earth was the distance that I can go by foot my heavy bag on the shoulders plus tent and still Kaubamaja (Estonian supermarket) plastic bag with food stuff in hands. Test of fire was my resistance to sun. I didn't want to spend money there for a bus ride out from Kaunas, or actually I even didn't had enough litas anymore as I had to buy Coca-Cola to get into bathroom (or actually I wanted to buy, as it is better to get a cold refreshing drink and get to WC than just pay for some crappy public toilet). Ah yes, if you wonder, then yes, today's post has quite a lot of something that smells for advertisement, but why not, these companies and shops help me in one or other way to carry through my journey. Anyway, it was quite a way to walk, especially because in one place I made a wrong choice of the road. And then I still didn't know that this day the test of earth is just beginning. Same way I didn't understand how strong is the sun this day. Already last days being on the trip with Mykolas, I got a lot of sun, but it wasn't anything compared to this day. When I had crossed bridge in Kaunas, I felt that my arms are just burning. So I quickly turned my bag upside-down and found the sunblock. The same that I used in Kenya - 50+. This day I put it I think at least four times and I still felt that my hands are getting more and more red. Temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius and on the way I started worrying about my water amount. Had to start conserving it.

Ok, anyway one guy drove me to the crossroad where he turned to Kaliningrad and my test got even worse. Before the Lithuanian-Polish border and on such roads with quite a few places good enough for stopping, no-one picked me up. I decided to walk. I think I walked about 20-30 km-s until I got to the last fuel station before the border. I already thought about putting my tent there as evening was getting close already, but didn't want to give up yet. Finally I found one truck driver who was heading to Bialystok, and he spoke english well. Ok, Bialystok is little bit away from the ideal route, but that chance I took. I wanted to get over the border in this day.

With the truck I got some way through Augustow, that is really beautiful small town close the border in Poland. After Augustow there was this crossroad where went the "straight" way towards Warsaw, and then other road south to Bialystok. And then truck driver made a stop for 45 minutes. I said to him that I go to try my luck on the other road and if unsuccessful, then I come back there in 45 minutes. I tried, but no cars stopped, but when time got close I decided that it is better to look for a place to raise my tent around there, as when we get to Bialystock it would be really dark, and I would have to walk away from the city, but this place was totally a countryside. Forest was only about four km-s away, but I decided to walk forward on the road to illusionary forest stripe in front. Actually, what at first seemed forest was some trees here and some in some other place, and mostly some houses near these little patches of wood. I walked and walked, it was getting dark. I met some young fellas on the road that still tried to catch a ride to Warsaw (probably locals), but they also had light reflecting sign. I walked still many kilometers, until finally said to myself that it is enough -  I just have to find some place however bad it would be. My sleeping place was hidden by hills from two roads and one house. From other house it was fairly hidden by some bushes. I really didn't like this first night in the tent because wind was strong and flapped reeds and bush branches against my tent - test of air, not like I thought, but still. Probably in future I get more stronger wind that makes even walking hard. Ground wasn't flat, as it was on the edge of some farm field, and road was so close that I feared that I don't get any sleep. But I slept. I woke up every few hours, because of paranoia that someone, maybe landowner, is coming, but especially because traffic noises and cold. But then again I survived. I didn't need a sleeping bag or matt. It is my kind of traveling that requires good amount of will power. When I called going to Jesus' place a pilgrimage, then this suddenly started to feel much more like the real thing. Walking, feet in front of feet, next step, do not feel the tiredness or stress or sunburn, just continue and free yourself from everything.

In the morning I didn't feel as powerful as last day. Sunburns weren't a problem like I thought, even feet weren't as bad as I feared (My shoes are really great for walking the long distances - look for advertisement some posts down. Shoes were great also on excavated walkways of Lomza today, as no pebble got into these), but shoulders and my palms that held tent and the food bag were tired and painful. Also because seeing sun in this day was at first quite a rarity I didn't have such (will) power as before.

In a new day, hitching a ride went much better though, and drivers got more and more nicer (I don't write cool anymore, as then someone might confuse it with coldness of personality). So in that sense, that when getting closer to Warsawa it got easier and more pleasant to hitchhike, Poland is very different from Latvia. Yes, in rural areas and also in Lomza I saw some discouraging gestures and some guys who  shrug the shoulders as the car would be full of people although they are alone and without any visible stuff taking the room.

I have best experience on this travel and second best on all my hitch-hikings (As when I got the ride to Viru Folk, about what I wrote in the past, was simply unforgetable). First of all, guy who took me to Warsawan speedway, made a little round because of me, and there I didn't have to wait even for ten minutes. But especially last driver was such an amazing guy as I finally found out. At first he seemed some ordinary businessman type, then my paranoid mind started saying to me that probably this guy isn't very happy because when he asked where I want in Warsaw, I said that anywhere is fine, but best would be the Center. You know, when you have a paranoid mind, then any one who talks the language that you don't understand, or times when you don't hear something well - these things start to seem suspicious. Anyway, as I already said he was the greatest. Well, he finally didn't take me to center, but still quite a way from his home to place where I can get to tram. That wasn't all of course. He gave me five żlotish to buy tickets and also gave me one of the best presents - a CD we listened in a car, about what I was curious who is singing as it is great polish music (it is his friend's band). Anyway, I learned a great lesson of not to judge people by their outlook, car, or even the way how they simply feel at first.

Oh, Warsaw is great. First big city on my way, with variety of both racially or philosophically/stylistically different people. Although Marek, my current host here, feels that blocks and houses of Warsaw don't fit together very well, I think it is at least best you can get in a country so lately been in the hands of Soviet Union. Warsaw seems basically what I have seen from plans and schemes about what Soviet Union planned for Tallinn too. For some reason, it happened in Warsaw, but not in Tallinn. And certainly Warsaw is best looking city I have visited so far. Even Stockholm, Berlin and Helsinki seem puny and unstylish in comparison, methinks. When I got to Warsaw, I think I really looked like some half-minded village person pretty much looking it all with an open-mouth. As well I could have written a sign saying "I'm from Estonia and I don't know what to do in such a big city". And in many cases I felt that people are looking me like I would be some hobo because of my dirty Kaubamaja plastic bag. Because of that I went today to find myself some bag made of cloth or cotton. I found really nice one that fits very well my shorts and overall style. It is not the biggest and because I found it at the edge of the old town, it wasn't the cheapest I recon, but I'm happy with that purchase.

Ah, and Warsawan girls are much better looking and nicer than ones in Vilnius or Tallinn. My first encounter was in this first tram. I had my ticket, but didn't see anywhere the place where to put it or what to do with it. So I asked from one girl. Actually at first just because I thought that young people know the english best, and because she was simply the closest one, but later I understood that I actually picked also the person who I liked most. And she really was nice. She smiled, talked very nicely and finally worried if I get to where I want to get. Then, when I went to eat (I chose a Kebab place, as in Italy for example I want to try Italian pasta and pizza, but Warsaw seemed like a good place to eat something Turkish), there was another young and very pretty girl who served me. She already really seemed as she would have fallen for me from the first moment. Sometimes she peeked at me from behind the corner, and she sometimes went to whisper with another waitress girl after coming from me. But, just to make all things clear, I don't have any plan to have closer contacts with girls here. For me there is now only one girl. She is really waiting me in Kenya already for almost a year and I have no plan to make something that would be unfair to her.

And I really like Marek. He is one of these very friendly Warsawians. We met already in city center, to go for a beer with his friends from office. He has bought me many beers and any other way shown the hospitality. His home is cozy and his friends are nice. I only feel sad that I can't meet his wife who is on the travel in Georgia now. We have had conversations with him on many topics and I have never felt as stranger or out of place. I feel that I should have made some present for him and his wife too, but I have such a limited money and even more limited knowledge of the city, so I don't know where to get something invaluable in meaning but cheap by price. But this is the life of hitch-hiking travellers and their hosts I guess.

Ah yes, I was talking about tests of the elements. Then there was also already small hint to the scary water tests coming in the future. Yeah, this time it only tried my psychology,.. made me fear. Already from the morning after this camping, sky was pretty much cloudy, but when I got to the speedway that goes straight to Warsaw, then sky was really dark and it was only question if I get to car before the rain or not. Anyway, as getting the car didn't take any time, I was safe in the car for about 90 km-s... 90 km-s that goes with the speed of 150 km-s per hour. So what after that... going to the rain? No I didn't have to, because just before the Warsaw, my luck smiled on me, or my faith and will payed off. Anyway, sun suddenly started to shine again. That is how it seems to be here. For example in the late evening sudden thunderstorm struck and ended soon and as suddenly as it started. But ride to Warsaw with a speed of 150 km/h in a road that still in large was one row road (for each direction) and surrounded by forests, shooting by the slower cars and dodging the ones that approach from other direction, this was quite scary. By the way, yeah what is interesting about Warsaw is that it is pretty much surrounded by forests (Marek said that three of four sides of the city is surrounded by forest), and when you come from northern Poland that was mostly empty farm land, then this seems surreal. When you are only a little bit away from city, it is hard to believe that there in the middle of this forest is a city housing millions of people, wide areas of very dense population and urban houses, especially that there are some skyscrapers in the middle.

Alright, this is all for this time and about Warsaw... tomorrow I will try to get to Brno in Czech Republic. I'm not going to Prague (what is especially sad, because I couldn't imagine, what is the old town of Prague, when already old town of Warsaw impressed me), because I get to sleep at Brno at the place of our friend David from Kenyan times.

Cześć (See you in Polish)