My Adventures - Traveling Around Europe in 2006-2007 - How I wish I could travel more!
So back in 2006 when, then President George W. Bush, signed the Military Commissions Act (the start of the stripping of our constitutional rights) I decided to sell everything I own and go to Europe. I had a yard sale for 2 weeks straight then hoped on a plane to Athens, Greece (via a day layover in Zurich, Switzerland.
I have never really told this story before today, so here goes.
I began my trip from Miami International Airport (sorry no pics) and flew non-stop to Zurich, Switzerland. I knew it was a non smoking flight so I forced myself to stay awake for 3 days before boarding the plane. We never even left the gate and I was out like a light....I awoke when the Pilot announced we would be "dropping into Zurich momentarily" and he wasn't freaking joking....we quite literally "dropped" onto the runway. Well it had been 16 hours since I had a cigarette by the time we made it to the gate and they began de-boarding the plane....I grabbed my carry-on bags and proceeded to shove kids and little old ladies out of the way as I made a dead sprint through the airport searching for the outside. I should note that I was in shorts and a t-shirt with sandals on and it was the middle of freaking winter in Zurich. Well after passing through customs I made it outside and quickly lit a cigarette.....3 cigarettes in 5 minutes later I started back into the airport to see if there was a smoking lounge on the International Concourse and guess what I saw.....there was a freaking ashtray every 5 damn feet all the way back to my next plane. Boy did I feel like an idiot.
Image of Zurich Airport
Image of Zurich Airport
Well later on that day (about 12 hours in Zurich) I boarded my plane to Athens, Greece. For those wondering why I started in Athens, Greece.....well it was the cheapest flight I could find to Europe. In fact it was half the price to fly to Athens as it was to Zurich (on the same damn plane)....go figure....Anyway, so while on the plane to Zurich I met a French Business man who lived in Switzerland now but did a lot of work in Greece. He kept a car at the Airport in Greece he was there so often so he offered me a ride from the airport to the Hostel I would be staying at when I got to Athens.
After I arrived in Athens, it was really late but I managed to walk to the edge of The Plaka that first night to get something to eat. The place I went was really nice outside dining but the menu was entirely in Greek. The only thing I could understand was Salad so I ordered it. I didn't realize it was a greek salad with a one pound block of feta cheese on it...but I was hungry so I tried it...I ate every bite of it, including the feta cheese which I had tried stateside and didn't care for. The next day I went exploring around Athens and took thousands of pictures (see Albums below).
The Plaka - Photo Album
Syntagma Square - Downtown Athens
The Acropolis
Temple of Olympus
Panoramic of one of the Outdoor Arenas on the side of The Acropolis
Acropolis at night
After a couple days exploring Athens I decided to rent a scooter and drive out to Sounion and see the Temple of Poseidon. I had an interesting trip to say the least. It was cold as all get out that day so I kept stopping along the way, but that left me to discover some really cool things so it is all good.
Vouliagmeni, Greece - Photo Album
Temple of Poseidon - from Sounion, Greece - Photo Album
Discoveries at Temple of Posiedon - Photo Album
Sunset 42 km south of Athens - Photo Album
After returning to Athens from Sounion I got a good night sleep and then headed to the Port of Piraeus to board a Ferry to Santorini (Thera).
Port of Piraeus - Photo Album
Trip to Santorini - Photo Album
Santorini, Greece - Photo Album #1
Santorini, Greece - Photo Album #2
I spent a total of 3 days exploring Santorini. I actually took over 2000 pictures but condensed it down to 700 or so. Once I returned to Athens I met up with these guys and they took me out, my last night in Greece, and got me thoroughly fucking wasted on Ouzo. Did I mention I was thoroughly fucking wasted. Let me explain, this was the ONLY TIME in my life I got so damn drunk I couldn't remember anything the next day. To make matters worse, I woke up in a car (I didn't recognize) parked outside the main police headquarters @ Syntagma Square in Downtown Athens the next morning. I had no idea who's car it was, how I got there or why I had the keys and it was running (it was cold that night). All I could remember was I had planned to go out with them guys so I started calling them. Finally got a hold of one of them and he told me I was the only one remotely sober so I took the other two home and kept the car for the night....You should have heard him when I told him I had no memory of the night. Needless to say I went to the hostel (in his car) and collected my bags then picked him up and he took me to the airport for my flight to Rome, Italy.
While I was in Greece I met a nice young lady online named Francesca Romano who lived in Rome. She agreed to show me around when I got there. The night she took me out showing me Rome was the night before Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married. They where staying in a hotel near the Spanish Steps and a butt ton of reporters where there. Including this beautiful woman who was a reporter from the USA.
The next day I made it my mission to go to Vatican City, little did I realize it would take me 2 dang days to find my way there.....pretty sure there is not a single road in Rome that goes more than 2 blocks without turning.
Rome & Vatican City - Photo Album
After three days getting lost in Rome I was ready to get the hell out of there so I hoped a train to Venice, boy was that a mistake.....NEVER EVER EVER go to Venice in the Fall or Winter.....IT SUCKS!
Three days in Venice was ALL I COULD TAKE and to be honest I wouldn't have staid that long but there was a Rail Strike and I couldn't get a dayum train out of there any quicker. Finally, on the third day I got a train to Nice, France.
The train ride to France was nice, except the only electrical outlet I could get to work was in the toilet which was the size of a bread box.....I kept getting run out so other people could charge their devices. Finally, I made a friend who had a cabin and her power worked. So after hours on the train I arrived in Nice, France. I walked around Nice for a few hours and for some reason I still can't explain I hated (strongly disliked) the town....so I hoped the train over to Antibes (next descent town over). Antibes I loved, in fact I staid there a full month. The day I got there I went to The Crew House and talked them into letting me clean the rooms/bathrooms in exchange for a room. I had been staying in Hotels and Hostels before this but money was getting low so I did what I had to. Antibes was a beautiful city with a small town vibe, however, thanks to Bush the French fucking hated American's....especially ones with a Texas (sounding) accent. The entire month I was there I only got 1 Frenchman to talk to me. We talked almost every day for the last two weeks I was there....but if anyone got close he pretended he was offended and quit talking to me. He was the one who actually told me why no one would talk to me. While I was in Antibes I hit the Marina every day talking to the fancy yachts trying to find work as a deckhand/cook and finally landed a 3 day gig on the Aurora Motor Yacht. They needed an extra deck hand to help transport the Yacht to Cannes, France and load it on a freighter back to Fort Lauderdale, FL USA. On the way to Cannes, France we spent the night anchored off the coast of a small island named Porquerolles Island.
Nice, France - Photo Album
Antibes, France - Photo Album
Aurora Motor Yacht - Photo Album
Porquerolles Island - Photo Album
Antibes & Cannes from Sea - Photo Album
Yachts being loaded on Freighter - Photo Album
After getting the Yacht loaded and secured we went to shore and I hoped a train to Barcelona, Spain....Early am we came to an abrupt stop in La Ciotat, France due to the Spanish train engineers being on strike. So I had to spend the day there waiting on a bus to Barcelona (courtesy of the French Railway).
La Ciotat, France - Photo Album
Finally, almost two days later, I made it to Barcelona early in the morning. I immediately went to the ferry terminal but was flat broke by then so I had to panhandle money to eat and catch the ferry to Palma de Majorca. Of course the next ferry wasn't leaving until that night so I got to explore Barcelona a bit.
Barcelona, Spain - Photo Album
Palma de Majorca - Photo Album
Fireworks in Palma - 20 Jan. 2007 - Photo Album
Of course once I made it to Palma I was again broke. I spent the next 2.5 months in Majorca living on the streets or crashing in an American owned bar at night because the locals had busted out the windows a few times. I absolutely loved it in Majorca. Made friends there and would have never left if I could have found any work to speak of. I only worked 1 day in 2.5 months and that was painting the inside of a British Bar in Palma. So finally, I sold my Camera equipment for enough to hop a plane to Great Britain. The closest embassy with the funds to Repatriate me back to the States. I wound up spending a week in England (mostly in the tubes in London) before the Embassy got me on a flight back to Atlanta, GA. While I will admit I lost (sold) everything I owned to take this trip, I would gladly do it again if I could. But health issues would keep me from being this daring and adventurous again....sadly it looks like the only way I will ever get to travel like that again is if I win the Lottery (Come on Powerball).