Hi this is Luke Cassar posting once again studying in Switzerland.

Sooo I have been travelling a bit lately and i thought id share my trip to Italy for four days, which was quiet interesting. Ok firstly we had only planned to go to Milan and Venice, (being at Venice during Carnivale). However this did not work out as planned as hostelbookers muddled our accommodation in Venice, thus we had no where to stay for the night. Furthermore being in Venice during carnivale it was impossible to find anywhere else to stay. So we were stuffed. But our initial decision was to catch the train back to the centre of venice and stay in the city centre all night. However whilst looking at the train timetable (around midnight) we noticed a night train to Rome, so we thought what the heck lets do it. Best decision made sooo far, went to Vatican City and the Colosseum and many other magnificent places.

Ok now to Milan, we went to the famous Duoma Cathederal, catching the metro there from Milan train station. The metro escalators lead right to the front of the Cathedral, where straight away you are approached by these people we later found out were from Senegal. They approached us with these string bracelets saying it was a tradition to wear it before going in, and that it would offend people if you didnt wear it, they also said it was free. Looking around me i could see everyone was doing. So i said fine. Unfortunately as soon as they put it on me, they asked for euro’s. All of sudden i had 5 senegal men surronding me. mmm Akward. Furthermore i didnt have any change, only notes. But after complementing the senegal football side they agreed to give me change for a ten. Thank god. After the event it was quite amusing. Our second day in Milan we spent a good hour resting infront of the Duoma watching people get screwed over by these people. Quiet funny when its not happening to you 🙂 Although i was surprised that this was happening in Milan, and people are selling useless stuff everywhere and are quiet pushy.

Ok so now back to Venice, which was so awesome, people dressed everywhere in funky costumes and confetti everywhere. Masks being sold at every shop so i had to buy one! Ill let the photos describe venice though.

I’m not really sure how one goes about blogging to be quite honest, but i’ll give it a shot and include a few little cultural observations of the last three weeks!  I’m a macquarie student studying in Graz, Austria this semester, however I spent 1 week in Berlin, and then travelled down to Graz.

A few little things which I find amusing and wonderful!  Having got on the plane in 42 degree weather in Sydney, and got off the plane in -5 degree weather in Berlin, I sort of went into shock.  I realised how much weather affects your lifestyle, even from the smallest things like the fact that in Sydney, when you get water out the tap, you put ice in it to make it cold, but inevitably, the water goes warm and isn’t as pleasant to drink.  In Europe, when you get water from the tap it’s cold but it actually get colder the longer you leave it!  Not that this really affects your whole lifestyle, but it’s just an observation.  But it got me thinking, as a result of the weather at home, it’s more of a natural state to be outside; at home having meals or just relaxing or reading outside in the backyard, at school everytime you leave a classroom, the corridor is outside.  However, here in Austria (in Winter) everything except moving yourself between one centrally heated location (like uni or home) to the next must be conducted inside. 

My next observation, is kinda small and silly and probably mostly reflective of the public transport in Sydney in contrast to that in Europe.  When you miss a train at home by 1 minute, you’re annoyed because it’s going to mean waiting another 15 minutes at least.  Here, you don’t even bother running for the train because there is just going to be another one in 3 minutes anyway!!  But again, that could have something to do with the weather as well because waiting 15 minutes in -5 degree weather is much worse than waiting in 25 degree weather.

So there’s my 2 cents for the moment!!