Milano, dream city

I finally understood that this trip was an excellent idea on my way to Milano: at the moment when I saw Italy on the sunset from my plane.

In Milano I only planed to visit Cenacolo Vinciano, because it was my dream since I heard about it for the first time, well, I think it is really useless to describe my filings about it - it was just amazing, but it isnt for everybody)

But before going there I decided to visit castle of Milano. Honestly, I expected to see something like Louvre or Hermitage, but there was a real medieval castle! It was another my dream that came true in Milano! Near this castle there is quuite nice garden, but you can find this nice garden close to every palace in Europe)

After I went to see Cenacolo Vinciano (as i wrote before) and than i headed to the main Milan's landmark - Duomo. On my way i passed several street full of shops and russian turists who were fighting for discounts - how i love my country XD

But soon i saw Duomo and, well, It is very hard to describe it: just imagine the most beautiful cathedral that you can and it will be Duomo di Milano. When you look at it it seems like it is made from light and clouds. From the inside it wasnt as much beautiful as from outside, but what i was really interested was going upstairs to the roof! To do it you can use stairs or elevator. Memorising my Hamburg experience with going upstairs i decided to do it by stairs again - guys, i almost died there! But the view was amazing, well, i believe that e best point to see the city is the highest point - and in Milano it is Duomo)

What else did i do there? I tried my first Gelato Italiano that was an orgasm for my mouth and italian panini,after wich i forgot about ones ate in Moscow) Also i got totally lost without any people around me, but i ended up near some veeeery old church need which my host found me)

At the evening my host tought me how to cook Fritata di Macaroni (if i have good mood ill share with you one day) and also we talked about food a lot (as you can see i LOVE food) XD

What can I say about Milano? It was the first italian city i had seen and of course i loved it at that moment with all it's tiny streets, endless number of shops, too many tourists, and too many cars? what was really charming. But now i can say, that comparing to other italian cities Milan is too commercial, you cant feel real italy there, what is really important for me.

Dusseldorf

Very slowly I will write here about my big Italian journey. But firstly I have to mention my first stop that I had in German city Dusseldorf (on my way to Italy I had stop there for 10 hours).

Dusseldorf met me with awful weather, I even didn't want to leave the airport (which is simply amazing). But walking around airport for ten hours didn't attract me, so I bought some worm clothes (because it was +13 and rain outside!) and went to the city. I have to say that while planing going to Italy I didn't think what to do in Dusseldorf, that's why I arrived to city without any Idea where to go or what to do.

What did I see in the city? Buildings, churches, bridges - everything so typical for Germany that I was totally bored with it. But also I didn't see any history in this city, any spirit, what for me very important.

Totally disappointed I decided to do only one stop before going back to the airport : I wanted to see Rein (river).

Maybe weather influents me a lot or for germans historical center and "zentrum" are different places, but when I saw DuDo from the river side I almost fell in love with this city. Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to enjoy that place, but I did have enough time to change my mind about the city.

At the end i understand that Germany isnt "my country". Ive seen 4 different cities and so far liked only Berlin, but Berlin isnt Germany. For me Germany is too right, everything is in the order, is very clean. At least Im russian, i need some mess in the world around me)

13 days

Ciao,
Many days have passed since my last post here and a lot of things have been changed during this time. You remember that I planed to go USA this summer (I've been writing about it for more than year)/ Well, I'm not going there =) You can ask why. Everything is very easy and prosaic: I didn't get american visa. Why? Have no idea, honestly.
More than a month ago (19th of April, to be exact) I had an interview in USA embassy in Moscow, where nice woman told me that she couldn't give me a visa this year. Of course I was disappointed, because I've planed this trip for more than year. But I didn't give up. I didn't want to spend this summer in Moscow and I decided to go somewhere else. (Here starts most interesting part)
Since this February I've watcher a lot of movies that somehow are connected with Italy and Rome (you can already guess what I want to tell). And when I understood that I could spend my summer anywhere I thought about Italy immediately.
Do you remember that last year I went to the volunteer camp in Iceland? I decided that it would be great to participate in some camp like this in Italy to deeply imbued with its culture and save some money =) I opened site of my favourite Russian volunteer organization and found some mid term projects in Italy. Usually, if you want to participate in quite long project you have to apply for it within 2-3 months at least. But as my decision was quite spontaneous it was possible that I wouldn't be accepted in any of this camps (I expected it). My motivation letter was good or camp that  I liked most wasn't so popular but within one week I was accepted to the camp that I want most (it happened at the end of April).

Instead of waiting for invitation for a visa I started to plan my summer. I saved some money for USA and I wanted to spend them on European summer. I decided that I want to see as much as possible in Italy if I go there, plus i wanted to visit some of my friends in Europe. Firstly, I wanted to stay in Italy till August and after go to Barcelona and Paris. But when I connected all cities that I wanted to visit with time, I understood that i have to donate something. This something was Barcelona (unfortunately).
Oh, I wrote too much =) Enough words. Here is my route:

08.06-10.06 - Milan

10.06-17.07 - my project

03.07 - Brescia

05.07-09.07 - Verona

17.07-19.07 - Padova

19.07-24.07 - Venezia

24.07-25.07 - Ferrara

25.07-27.07 - Bologna

27.07-28.07 - Prato

28.07-03.08 - Firenze

04.08 - Lucca

05.08 - Pisa

06.08 - San Gimigniano

06.08-07.08 - Siena

07.08-09.08 - Orvieto

08.08 - Cita di Bagnoregio

09.08-11.08 - Napoli

10.08 - Pompei

11.08-20.08 - Roma

20.08-01.09 - Paris

Something like this) Of course everything can be changed, except flights because i already have tickets) Of course I'll try to write here about everything and of course I'll take a lot of pictures. 

I think so far it is enough

Frankfurt

I love Frankfurt! Maybe just because of company that i had there (do you remember my friend Alejandro?), but i love this city. It is beautiful, spacious, bright and it has a lot of churches (which i don't like a lot cause they rings every hour and it makes you crazy) and gardens. And also weather was amazing (+10 and sun). But i came there not at the best time - almost everything is closed there at winter, but it doesn't matter because i had an amazing time.

winter? really?

To go to Frankfurt from hamburg i decided to take a train. Do you remember that transport is very expensive here? Good, because trains are not an exception. But at least my train there was comfortable and quite fast. There are two types of trains IC and ICE. IC makes more stops, is not so fast and not so expensive (i took that one). ICE is much more faster, it stops only at the biggest cities but the price is higher. What i really liked in train is view from the window - even at winter Germany is very beautiful.

When i arrived to Frankfurt it was 7 at evening already, but because weather was good and my friend wanted to show me everything we went for a little excursion around the city (at night it look gorgeous, especially embankment). Than we went to some traditional German bar where got drunk)))

trees!!!

The next day we walked around city a lot and i saw all Frankfurt's landmarks. All the main streets there are only for people, but interesting that at the middle of this streets they have very unusual trees (they look like they are from the other planet). Also i saw a place where electronic parties started - at winter it is just a park)) Than we went to another bar (Salalitos) that looked like Papa's Place at Moscow (i miss this place))).

ICE train

The nest morning we had to go to the Heidelberg, but suddenly my friend got a call that door at his apartment at London was  hacked, of course he had to go to London. So we just bought a ticket for me to Hamburg and i left at 12 at morning.
Now i'm at Hamburg again without any idea what else i can do here =)

Bye bye Hamburg

Very spicy thai food 

I can say that yesterday was my best day in Hamburg. Do you remember that i wrote about one guy from CS who helped me with tour around Hamburg? Yesterday i finally met with him: he took me to the center, made city tour to some other parts of the city, showed me the biggest cemetery in the world, took me to the thai, indian and hamburg restaurant and told me a lot about this city. And he took me to the theater to see operetta with traditional hamburger songs  - it was really funny eve if i didn't understand a word))) Oh and also he showed local street where a lot of people who are connected with art live, and in summer they make concerts there, but at winter it didn't look so gorgeous)

here i tried traditional
hamburger sausage 

All this places (except cemetery) were situated in the Schanzenviertel district, what is like St. Pauli (red light district) but this one is quiet and there are no prostitutes))

cemetery

And the cemetery (Ohlsdorfer Friedhof) looked really great, it was big and beautiful, but also there is one funny thing about it - around this cemetery there are a lot of stores that somehow are connected with death, so i saw a discount store there)))

And today I'll just do some shopping and buy souvenirs, but tomorrow i'm going to Frankfurt where i will see my good friend Alejandro. Lebe wohl Hamburg!
And now i want to share with you some interesting facts about Hamburg that  found out)

art street

• Here is the biggest cemetery in the world 
• Here is the only one patrol station n the world that sells more liters of alcohol than of patrol (guess where it is situated)))
• Here is the one way street to the both directions (can't understand it? I'll explain - it works to the one direction from 12 p.m till 4 a.m. and to than to another)
• World famous company Nivea started here (after i found out it i bought a lot of its production)))
• Hamburg is the richest city in Germany

Welcome to Berlin

I spent almost three days in berlin and i must say that this city is just amazing! oh god, i already miss it.

To go to berlin i took a bus from Hamburg (45 euro only there and back) - never do it. German people don't know that it must be warm in the car that's why the temperature in the bus was around +4. Than i arrived to the main bus station in berlin - it was quite confusing because i immediately got lost. Thanks god my host was very passioned and kind and told how to get to the subway.  I must say that public transport system is awful here, even worst than in hamburg.

When i finally met my host we went to see some main landmarks of the city. I liked berlin much more than hamburg. Berlin is very bright, there is a lot of space there and weather is better) We saw Reichstags, berlin wall, Brandenburg gates, tv tower, and many other places (you can find all of them in the city tour))
Than we went to my host's place. I didn't expect that it will be a campus))

Next day i spent walking through the city alone - i saw the biggest part of the berlin wall, museum island and museum of modern art which is called Hamburg railway station (weather became worth when i came to this museum))). Everything there was strange but the good thing that i saw original works of Andy Warhol. It is worth of spending some time there. And don't forget to take any prove that you are student - with it you'll have 50% discount in all museums.
When i get home at evening my host told that we are going to CS party or even two)) It was crazy. I met a lot of people from all over the world, we talked about so stuff and drank a lot. I don't remember how but somewhere the the middle of night they asked me to give them a russian lesson (actually a lot of people there spoke russian more or less). Then we went to another party where everyone was drunk already) Some guy from Luxembourg decided to propose me, and german people asked me to teach them rules of drinking vodka))) But when all of them went sleep, me, my host (who lived in russia for more than year) and his friend turned on russian rock music and sang some songs)))
Next day i slept till  2 (for the first time in my life i put on alarm so late)), and went to the main bus station)
Oh, i miss berlin so much...

Hamburg again

Today i continued to explore this dark and unfriendly city =) As the weather (fog and really strong wind) was really bad i decided to go to some museums. I chose two museums that are really famous and unique.  The first one was the museum of spices (my friend know how much i like different spices). Maybe museum is unique but it is boring, the only interesting thing about it stand what tell about spices that are aphrodisiacs, but it was in german =(

But the second museum was really cool  - it was the museum of miniature countries and cities. There were several countries (Switzerland, Austria, USA) and of course little copy of Hamburg. It is useless to tell about it, you have just go and see it - it is like Alice's wonderland =)

And today i also decided to visit the tower of St.Michael's church - it wasn't the cleverest decision)) The top of this church is really very high, and usually you can have amazing view from there, but not today. Do you remember what i wrote about wind? Right, and on the top of tower it was much more stronger (i was a little bit hard to stand there). But at least it was fun because i was there alone. Do you remember that in Iceland we climbed volcano on the hardest side? I did almost the same today - i didn't notice elevator)) And when i finally climbed there bell started to ring - it scared me because was very laud) But i saw Hamburg under the fog and it was nice))

Tomorrow i'll go Berlin for three days, so i think my next post will be here in three days)

Real first day in Hamburg

Today i spent all day in Hamburg, and i have to say it was a nice day. As you remember yesterday i was a little bit disappointed in everything, that's why i decided to use my favorite site couchsurfing and it was very wise decision, because one nice german man (not all of them are so rude) offered me help: he wrote me some interesting places that i can visit. So i wrote down all information that he gave to me and went to the city. I saw several old churches (even one of them was destroyed during the second world war), the oldest bridge in hamburg, local red light district, huge monument of Otto von Bismark, port, famous fish market, took ferry round Elbe and did something else, but i don't remember =)
Thing that disappoints me is weather here - at morning it was cold, than it became so windy that i didn't feel my hands and than began to rain, after what all roads was covered with ice. But i don't want to complain) So, if you go to Hamburg don't forget to take a lot of worm and waterproof closer.
I really like public transport here, it is very comfortable,  safe, warm and goes everywhere. The bad thing is it's price - day ticket for the all transport costs 5,50 euros, but it is much more cheaper than buying a ticket every time you need to go somewhere.

And i really like Starbucks here - it is cheaper than in Moscow, has free WiFi, and they ad really a lot of cream into your coffee. But unfortunetly i've found only two and both of them are in the very center, which btw i already know very well, because it is really easy)

Oh i remembered what else i did! I found tunnel under the Elbe river (20m down). This river divides city into two parts: beautiful and old and new one, where there are only factories. But from this new ugly side you have an amazing view on the old one)
I can say that Hamburg is quite interesting city, but you have nothing to do here at winter.

Hamburg... first impression

Today was my almost first day at this old and beautiful city Hamburg. But i can't say that i'm very excited about it, honestly, i expected more. People here are rude, really. I don't feel that i'm in europe when i walk. And there are too lot of russian people everywhere. Don't matter where are you you will hear russian speech. The only one think that i really liked here was architecture - it is really amazing, especially churches (there are 5 main churches and one of them is destroyed).

But i didn't see almost anything today, because i was with people who don't really like to walk and explore. But you know what? I don't care, tmr i'll be there by myself and i'm sure that i'll be satisfied =)

Germay is coming

In two days I'll be in Germany. If you ask me about any plans there you will hear silence) I know only that i will go to Frankfurt on 8th, come back to hamburg on 12th, and go back to moscow on 13th. That's all =) Actually i even like this situation, because everything that i do there will be a surprise for me. As usually i'll write here about everything interesting and unusual that i find in this strict country, see you there guys)