My Airbnb was quite noisy Saturday night, with sounds from the bar below, but I was so exhausted after my late night at the opera that I slept like a log and had a lie in - didn't get up til 7am! On Sunday I took a day trip to Mantua (Mantova), a 45min train journey from Verona. Once again the Afro-Carribbean presence was very noticeable, with over half the people on the train being black. I don't know why but I had not expected to come to Italy and near Jamaica...

Off exploring website has been down for a few days so posting this a bit late!!I I spent Thursday in Padua (Padova). I arrived at 9am, dropped my backpack at my accommodation before heading into town. I had booked to visit Capella de Scrovegni in the afternoon but was able to bring my ticket forward. Cappella de Scrovegni is a chapel featuring frescos by Giotto that are said to be comparable to the Sistine chapel. I visited the Sistine in May and I have to say,...

I fell somewhat in love with Italy this year. I spent a week here in May (Rome, Florence & Venice) and loved it so much that within a month of getting home, I had booked to come back in August. This time I am doing the opposite trip, flew into Venice and will visit a few places in the Veneto, then the Lakes, down to Bologna before finishing in Rome. Tbh I cannot afford this trip, I've had to live off an impossibly small budget at home in order to be here. But...

No idea why the photo is sideways, I started this post from my phone and it insisted on making the photo sideways but it wouldn't let me post it without a location so am finishing this from a PC in the hostel and will edit the photo (and add my own photos to all my other entries) once I get home tomorrow. My last day in Perth was great. I was out of the hostel by 8am (of course!) and walked for an hour via St Mary's Cathedral out to East Perth, then down to the ...

I finally got to my hostel in Perth at 10:30pm last night. I was tempted at the airport to pay $15 to get the shuttle bus rather than waiting for the $4.40 regular one, but I held out and was glad I did as the shuttle had not left yet by the time my transperth number 40 had so I saved myself $10 and probably got there quicker. I was worried there might be people asleep in my dorm when I checked in so late and that it would be dark and difficult to sort my stuff o...