Brannon's Euro-Trip

Final Post

2005-12-17T08:49:00.000-05:00

I'm back home in GA! After a FULL day of traveling on Wednesday, I woke up (at 5 am, I'm still a bit jet lagged) in my own bed. I left London on the train to Gatwick at 10am. My first plane left at 1:30 London time (8:30 GA time) and arrived in Michigan at 5:30. It was possibly the best plane I've ever flown in. First of all I went on the night before and managed to score window seats for BOTH my flights. The food was really excellent, though they fed us constantly and with no regard to proper times in either time zone. AND we had our own little personal TVs in which we could watch movies, or TV shows or listen to music for FREE. I've seen this before but usually they activate it for a $5 fee and its not as cool. I spent most of my time listening to music and flipping through the British trash magazines that are SO much better than American trash magazines. Twice the trash, twice the...funny terms. Then I watched at terrible movie version of Lady Windomere's Fan. And talked to the British guy next to me who was flying to Michigan for a meeting and going home the next day. Which is insane. The flights went very well. Between flights I was accosted by the hostile security lady who was very puzzled (and a little bit angered) by the fact that I had spent 3 months out of the country and all I could say for myself was "I was travelling". Traveling? Where did you stay? Hostels. Who paid for it? Me. What do you do for a living? Ummm waitressing and I work at Barnes and Noble. How much money do you make? Uhh the trip cost me about 5,000 dollars. Where did you get that money? I worked... and drug dealt on the side.
Or that's what she must have thought I said because even though we had approximately 40 minutes to get our baggage on board and find our gate, she went through every single thing in mine and Carla's bag. I met Carla in the terminal in London. It turned out that we were both going home to Atlanta. Her parents live there and she went to high school there... but she's been at Uni in the UK and spent this semester studying in Florence. We didn't have seats near one another on the train but we buddied up for the transit. She has a lovely British accent, so I figure between that and my having lived out of a backpack for 3 months we read a bit dodgy. I felt a little revenged as the lady muddled through all my trash. Poor Carla's bags were packed neatly. But I was a bit annoyed when she READ my diary. I guess its a good thing I hadn't written "Death to the USA." or "Praise Allah". I even got my bag sniffed out by the drug dog. Welcome home to me.
My parents came to pick me up at the airport at 9pm when my flight landed. Lil had her last exams the next day and so had to stay at home to study. It was a huge relief to see them. Its always nice to have your travels end in home. And not y'know death, I guess. Ha.
The last couple of days I have spent being kind of stranded. My parents and sister have the cars. But still I've managed to see several friends from Shorter and high school. I've figured up that the total cost of my trip including EVERYTHING, plane tickets, Eurail, the camera I bought for it, food, housing, souvenirs, stupidity and activities cost me: $6,461.61. I just spent a few hours figuring it up. It was a little more than I anticipated (obviously, see above) but its less than I prepared for and I came home...well, not destitute. And, honestly, it was worth every red cent. One hundred days touring England, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, and Ireland...Actually its quite a bargain. Sixty five dollars a day? How much does ordinary living cost a day? With Cable TV and electricity and house payments/rent and dog food. Well, much less you might say and you're making a bit too. Well not enough I say.
If I had it to do over again I would have forgotten the cell phone, taken some spray on smell good (instead of having to be bothered actually bathing), brought a full tube of toothpaste (turns out I go through that stuff), taken one more day in Rome and one less in Corfu but that's tricky because my favorite days in Corfu were the first two, NOT gone to Munich on a Sunday, NOT missed my train in Madrid, known the REAL ferry times but some how not missed out on the day in Ignomensia, NOT let it rain so much in Barcelona and NOT lost several things along the way. But I would have still followed my "crazy" route (it makes perfect sense, thank you very much) and kept everything else, the people, the sights, the experiences, exactly the same.
Well, this is the conclusion of my Bran's Eurotrip blog. I will leave it up for a long time. Possibly until the end of Cyberdom. I will probably start a new blog so you can all keep up with my latest mad project. I'm also going to download the rest of my pictures and label them very soon. Promise.
Signing out. Au Revoir. Adios. Ciao. Cheers.

Last Day

2005-12-13T05:27:00.000-05:00

Ahhh! It's my last day in Europe. Tomorrow I will simply wake up, eat breakfast, and get on the train for Gatwick. My flight leaves at 1:30. Yesterday I bummed around a bit. I had lunch at St. Paul's and wandered about some of the areas I hadn't been too. I read the newspaper for a bit in cafe and continued on to Leicester Square to look for theatre tickets. I once again depended on the "if I wander around something will probably fall into my lap" mentality which once again did not prove sucessful. So I went quite happily to see Narnia. Sorry Dad! I didn't get your post until this morning. I figured all you Rome people would beat me to it. But I'll go again. I thought the movie was fantastic. I may read that series after I finish The Lord of the Rings. I have a big day ahead of me today. Still loads to do on the list. Last night I did secure a ticket to go see "A Christmas Carol" starring (all the Trek-ies will be jealous) Patrick Stewart... who's the commander or whatever on The New Generation...right? So I am excited. It will be my grand finale.

I feel like maybe I should have some big revelation to tell you all about. But I haven't really. I've learned heaps of small things. Practical things. I feel like a bit more of an adult. I know now that I can survive for the three months on my own. Even if I'm a girl. Even if I don't know the language. Even if I don't eat meat. But I really knew that all along, I just hadn't tried.

Let's see, I've learned the difference between Aussie, New Zealand and English accents. And that all three can all be completely uncomprehensible.
I've learned that I'm not a loner. I don't mind being by myself but after about a day I'm ready to be with people. I feel sorry for people who are social outcasts because it's very self absorbing not to hear any thoughts but your own for too long.
I also feel sorry for anyone who has to sell something on the street. I think they get rejected more often than actors and that is no easy feat. Especially petitioners, because likely enough I'll be one at some point and I don't want to listen to them either.
I've learned that I am horribly addicted to the Internet and need to start monitering my time when I don't have to pay by the hour. I mean... I don't want it to eat my soul.
I've learned that even vacationing can be WORK and I am too often unbearably lazy.
I've learned some geography. Man, it was awful.
I've learned that I have a LOT more travelling to do. I've planned at least a dozen other trips since I've been here. There are more adventures to be had-- and I have every intention of having them. I'll keep you posted.

Back home.... in London.

2005-12-12T05:43:00.000-05:00

I got into London a couple nights ago. I still love Ryan air. Iwas put into the "local" room where all my roommates are very fun and comfortable. But they've been there for up to 5 months. Yes, there is a girl who has been living at St. Christopher's for FIVE months. She must've been around the last time I was there. Plus they all have jobs which is BO-RING. And means that everyone is asleep by 11pm and up before I wake up to get breakfast at 9am. Luckily, yesterday I met a couple of German girls at breakfast and palled around with them all day. Pia, who speaks English fluently (I thought she was American when I met her, her mom is from Virginia) and Daneilla are studying in Southern France and were on a weekend break. We went to the Tate Britain museum which I loved. I can't believe I didn't make it around there the first time. We took a free tour and spent a couple hours afterwards looking around. They have this great series of brochures that suggests a "collection" for every mood. They ranged from "happily depressed" to "hungover" to the "i like yellow" collection. I saw Ophelia and The Lady of Shallot. Afterwards I was selected to take a very important survey (how old are you? what brings you to the Tate? how did you find the Tate? would you say you really liked that exhibit?). After that we took the tube to the ice skating rink at the Someset House. It was very scenic but VERY expensive. So we just watched for a while. Then we wandered around Covent Garden and Leicester Square. We ate at a cafe and headed to see the giant Christmas tree at Trafalger. There was a Christmas concert going on...mostly just carols performed by middleschoolers but we stayed for the ENTIRE thing nonetheless. It was a nice day but COLD. Pia and I wanted to go see Narnia but Daniella didn't so we just walked home along the river. It was a good day.

Things left to do before I leave London:
Last minute shopping.
Eat Indian food.
See a play and/or movie.
Maybe ride the London Eye.
Maybe go iceskating.

That's plenty.

Dubliners.

2005-12-10T09:51:00.000-05:00

Ireland is funny...and maybe a little cruel. They have a maternity hospital named "Rotunda". And their slogan for raising money for the homeless is "The homeless are revolting!". Plus they have a "Why go bald?" neon sign. Well, I think it's funny.
I had a productive day yesterday. I went with Dean to see The March of the Penguins. Which I liked a lot. Though I'm pretty sure I dozed off at least 5 times... whenever Morgan Freeman stopped talking. I can't imagine the filming was very easy in Antartica. But it was pretty fascinating learning the about the lives of on of it's only inhabitants. Then we went to the National Gallery of Photography. It was pretty interesting full of prize-winning and political pictures from Dublin since the early 1900's. Next we went to St. Patrick's cathedral. It's enormous. Jonathan Swift is buried there. They also have a door through which a big fued was apparently brought to a truce. Because after cornering one clan the pursuing man cut a hole in the door and stuck his hand through as a sign of good will. Hmmm.
Later I hung out with some guys playing a drum outside the hostel. They were pretty good. Tonight I'll spend in London, where I started.

Ahh. Countdown: 5 days

2005-12-09T06:28:00.000-05:00

Aussie D= Dean
Filipino= Elmer
Harvey= Harry (No thanks to Dean's Aussie accent)

Yesterday I managed to waste an entire day. I had to walk down some major shopping strips... and I HAD to pop in the shops. The modern art museum I set out for will reopen in Spring 2006. I couldn't find my wax museum (though I may look again today). And I spent way too long online. Luckily I went back to the hostel and ate dinner and then Dean and I played chess (I lost...twice). Then we went out with Canadian Mike and Aussie Lauren to pub. And I moved rooms...unbeknowst to me. But I've met quite a few Americans lately they are ALL studying somewhere. Oh so typical young American tourist behavior.
Today Dean and I are going to watch March of the Penguins. The weather has been cloudy and rainy since my first day. I decided to go back to St. Christopher's for my last few days in London. I can't believe this time next week I'll be home!!

In Dublin's fair city...

2005-12-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

I've had a good couple of days in Dublin. I did manage to follow the walking tour in my book the first day I was here. I started out talking to some security cops on St. Stephen's green who proceeded to A)snatch my hat B) beat me with it and C)afterwards try to ask me out. The Irish are funny creatures. I also paid a visit to Trinity College which was scenic and bustling with students. I haven't gone to see the Book of Kels yet. When I got back from my wander I went out to a pub to watch the Liverpool v. Chelsea game with a couple guys from the hostel. We watched the Manchester game last night too. And I don't remember these boys names. One is from Queensland/Brisbon, Austrailia (I think his name starts with a D) and the other is from the Philipines but has been living in Richmond, VA for the last 6 years but is studying in Spain this sememster. Last night we also went out with one of his friends from school in Spain, Colleen. I DO remember her name...it seemed particularly appropriate. When I got back to my room the second night I had a roommate, Nikki from Portland, OR, who was working in Dublin (both her parents are Irish so she has citizenship). She's going home to Portland just a few days before me. So we hung out yesterday. While she took care of some buisness I went to The National History Museum and saw all the native Irish stuffed animals and bones of the "Great Irish Deer" (dinosaur). Then I went to the National Gallery and looked at a span of Irish paintings and sketches. All for free. Hoorah. Today I'm going to check out the Modern Art Museum and possibly the "National Wax Museum" (could it be as good as it sounds?). I think I've gotten myself a little hooked on chess. I played Nikki after we got back to the hostel and won both rounds. Then my Austrailian beat me...pretty badly. But I came back and won a game played by Harvey, who I thinkis from Spain. He gave up a little early (I captured his queen 4 or 5 moves into the game) and Aussie came in but even he couldn't salvage it. So 3 out of 4 for me. Today I might also go see a movie at the Irish Film institute. And tomorrow I am toying with the idea of taking a Irish countryside tour. Hmmm. Oh, I have new pictures up. I'm going to go ahead and apologize for not taking more. I'm out of form.

Dublin.

2005-12-06T05:48:00.000-05:00

I made it! I'm here! It took many, many long hours of travel. And I got busted for my swiss army knife. But the plane landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule and I found my hostel. I'm in a room by myself. Which probably won't last long but for right now its great. I'm about to take the "Walking Tour of Dublin" straight out of my guidebook. Thanks Let's Go. I like Dublin already. I mean .. they speak English here. I can talk to anybody. Even the bus driver. Of course I didn't take advantage of this out of habit. And simply said "One, please" and sticking out my finger in case he didn't get it. I haven't been in an a native English speaking country in close to three months. I got another stamp on my passport. I may come out looking well travelled after all. Okay, I'm off to look for fourleaf clovers, Lucky Charms, and other Irish stuff.

Josh and Charlee

2005-12-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

Friday night I arrived in Sweinfurt to be suprised (frightened) by Josh waiting at the station for me. He, of course, did not bother to say hey until I was walking past him. I wasn't expecting him, but he came and waited through 3 train arrivals for me to show up. It is amazingly good to see a familiar face. I mean its been three months since I've seen ANYONE I knew. It's nice to be with people I have history with again...not go through the same schpeil about who and am, where I'm from, and what I'm doing. They know. When I got to the apartment I washed clothes immediately. And we watched the latest Survivor episode which is probably several days old. Schweinfurt really isn't as small as I imagined. And there is still a few patches of snow on the ground though it loves to rain here.
Yesterday, Josh made us a good ole southern breakfast. Grits and all! Josh and Charlee and I were planning on going to Nuremburg but we missed the train by a few minutes and the next one would have put us there for only a couple hour trip. We went out for lattes and Josh beat me at chess and then Charlee beat him.
Then we went out and played darts (which I almost won...but Josh and Charlee actually won..a game a piece). Then we went out to a dance club (v. exclusive-- no Americans after 11 and only E5 rank soliders and above). It was a lot of fun.
Today, Josh had to work. So Charlee and I went to the Schweinfurt Christmas market for lunch. I finally had Gluwein... which wasn't bad for steaming wine. Tommorrow I have most of the day here. But I have to make it to catch my plane in, as it turns out, NOT Frankfurt-Main but Frankfurt-less-convenient. Josh and Charlee are doing well. They are waiting for their late second shipment so I've been sleeping on the couch. Which is actually superior to many a hostel bed.

To Schweinfurt!

2005-12-01T16:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is my LAST day on my Eurail Pass and thus my (perfectly timed)last train journey. From Amsterdam to Frankfurt to Schweinfurt to visit my cousin Josh. Today, I visited the Anne Frank house. I felt like the exposition I saw was more informitive. The secret annex itself is quite bare but its amazing to actually be THERE. I really want to read the diary again. They also had an interactive modern exhibit. Where it posed questions in a news-media sort of way and you got to push "agree" or "disagree" buttons. It was pretty cool. Of course the statements were occasionally spinned a certain way and "yes or no" of course is ridiculously black and white and does not leave room for the gray area in which life actually exists. But it was still a really interesting concept. It told you the percentage of people in the room that agree/disagreed and the percentage of all the people that had voted there.
The rest of the day I spent wandering around. The weather was nice and I might have rented a bike if I had found a place to do so. How strange to be home in two weeks!

Lost Earlobes and Such

2005-11-30T18:06:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I left the hostel intent on wandering Amsterdam. Then it poured. There is film festival (only documentaries) going on right now so I decided to see a film. But it was hard to choose since the descriptions were in Dutch. So things clear up and I decide to continue plan A. It turns out Amsterdam is wonderfully scenic. It is built completely around all of these canals and there are lots of flower markets. So I spent the day wandering, the weather kept alternating between sunny skies and pouring rain so I kept dashing in and out of shops. Its not as cold as Berlin. Thank goodness. On the otherhand there is no snow. I got The Two Towers. I finished the Fellowship and decided there would be no waiting until I'm at home with my pre-purchased volumes.
I made a vegetable stew. Which I think will last me the rest of my stay. It's a bit bland (and I dropped half the tomatoes on the floor) but its nice to save a bit of money on food if not on accomidations.
Today at breakfast i met an Austrailian girl, Sarah, from Melbourne. She wears green cowboy boots and doesn't seem to give too much thought to mathing...so I knew I would like herfrom the git-go. We went to the Van Gogh museum which was very interesting I thought. I was sad they didn'thouse Starry Night (is that what its called?) but they had a pretty good collection and his life story is really fascinating. He was really an eccentric character and did go mad at the end. He was pretty much a self made artist. And he wrote this amazing amount of letters almost all to his younger brother who financially supported him his entire life. And who died (of greif?) shortly after he shot himself. Theo(his brother) was only 34 and had only been married a couple of years with a one year old son (Vincent).
Then we went to see the "World Premiere" of a short doc about adopted Dutch children (7 total) who go to visit for the first time their drug addicted birth mother which turns out anticlimactic. But sadly probably not unlike many reunions. It was called "Mum" and all the kids and their Dutch parents were there. Then the main film "A Love Apart" about a Nigerian girl's arranged marriage. The ritual of her lying in a tent for weeks before the wedding not allowed to talk or move really so that she is super-weak (submissive?) for her wedding day I found a bit distressing. Of course she was willing and you can chalk it up to culture. But it many of the people of the community did not approve of arranged marriages for their own daughters and were not continuing the custom in that way. So it was interesting. Very non-Western. And the camels galloping through the desert were truely bizzare.
Tomorrow, I have loads to do. I've hardly taken any pictures. I was just inthe kitchen with 10 other people... none of the same nationality. I love it.

Amsterdam

2005-11-29T03:35:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Amsterdam last night. Our train was delayed because of "engine trouble" and we went though a fair bit of snow. But it is dry here and i did find my hostel. It's still very cold and I don't know what I want to do other than the Anne Frank house, maybe the Van Gogh museum and there's supposed to be a film festival going on right now. And shop. Ahhh. The door is open and I'm freezing. Yay for free internet and free breakfast and a kitchen. But the actual dorms are pretty cramped. Cold, its so cold.

Ausgang baby!

2005-11-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow afternoon (I´m going to cram in my daylight hours) I am leaving Berlin for Amsterdam. I will be sorry to leave because I have a had a really nice past couple of days. Yesterday, I went on the all-day walking tour. They didn´t take the all-day part lightly so I spent from 11 in the morning to 7 at night and I left a stop short because I had to make my opera. We had a pretty good group. Including an older woman I met in Prague, Rosemary (from New Mexico), who is going to Warsaw to visit her nephew and have her face lifted. Two Canadians, two Austrailians, two Londoners, two other Americans and a girl from Singapore, Kirsten, who I spent today with as well. Kirsten, is studying in Vienna this semester and is on holiday for a few days. We made it all around the city starting in the Jewish quarter and ending conveinently right next to the Opera house where all the books were burned. Our tour guide, Victoria (from Brighton but her father is German) was fantastic so I will struggle to keep in my brain some of the great stories about the history of Berlin. We went to a really good exposition on the Stasi, the secret police that went to extremes to keep incredibly detailed files on any "suspicious persons" which apparently meant a third of Berlin. Towards the end of the trip we also made a detour to a chocolate shop. Full of chocolate statues and hot chocolate... the later of which I got.
My opera was quite nice. I could see the whole of the stage if I leaned over and put my face against the railing... and I did. I don´t know where I got the idea that "Passion" was based on "Tosca"...they both have female leads of the same name but it is definitely NOT the same story. There were three acts, and three very different extravagant sets. They even had subtitles, but they were in German and absolutely no use to me. From what I could gather, Mario the handsome but cheeky young painter is in love with Tosca. He lives in a monastary for an unknown reason and is pulled out and put in prison for some dearly loved cause. Unbeknowst to him, the man who had him arrested had alterior motives. He too was in love with Tosca! And tries to use Mario and his position to take cruel advantage of her. So she stabs him to death. But not before cleverly getting him to sign something saying she can see Mario one last time. So she goes to see him and he´s happy and says something like "Tosca, my darling, even though you are a fat and middle aged opera singer and I am a strapping young man, I love you. But I cannot give up my principles!" Then he is shot to death by a firing squad. Tosca, who apparently didn´t catch what he was saying before hand. Thinks he is just playing and when she figures out he is dead... boy is she upset. So when the guard comes back she sings some high notes and jumps out the window. THE very dramatic END. I quite liked it. The orchestra was nice and they did loads of typical opera poses. Oh, and everyone bowed. And bowed and bowed. They bowed at the end of each act. And then for about 20 minutes at the end. At least. Yes, true opera fashion.
Today Kirsten and I met up and went to a flea market. This was actually much closer to the flea markets we have at home. Everyones actual old junk. Then we went to an outdoor exhibit on the Gestapo and Nuremburg trails. It was very good but WAY too cold. We only did about half of it and then read some of the books inside. We went to a Chinese/ Kabab place (everytings /Kabab here. And I had a huge portion of sweet and sour tofu. Good stuff. Then we found the Sony center where (Yeeeeeeees!) HARRY POTTER was playing! So I went to see Harry Potter and Kirsten went to see the Exorcism of Emily Rose. It was great. It took them 30 minutes to get through the commercials (all in German) and preveiws. Then we got a 10 minute intermission halfway through. The theatre was ultra modern there was a guy playing the piano where you bought your popcorn. And Harry Potter was amazing. I don´t think I could have waited.

Achtung baby!

2005-11-25T18:34:00.000-05:00

Last night I caught the train to Berlin. On the train I met a girl named Katrina, who is from Belgium but is living in Berlin working. She´s a professional cello-ist (cellist?) and was coming home from an audition. It was interesting to talk to her since she´s a bit older (29) and similarly trying to make a living of performing. But I think she´s doing quite well, she has done tons of travelling and she has a CD coming out soon. Musicians have to go through the same sorts of job seeking processes as actors. And so of course it can be frustrating. Her mother lived in Buffalo, New York for a while (though she´s originally from Germany) so we talked a bit about the States.
I found my hostel soon enough and went to sleep as soon as I could. I was exhausted.I woke up late and it was SNOWING! It´snowed all day and it´s really nice, abeit cold. I went to coffee house and had a pastry that I still have some of in my bag because it is too sweet to eat much of at one time. While I was there and warm I tried to plan my day. I started out by heading to Reichstag and then to Brandenburger Tor. Right around where the wall was. But I couldn´t tell what was remains and what was just construction. I think I´m going to take a tour tomorrow since I have such a short time here. That way I can´t have missed too much by breezing past and not seeing more than a big building or statue. Today I did a good job of sightseeing. I´m trying to take my mother´s advice and look at the rest of my trip as the start of a sizable 3 week European adventure instead of the tail end of a 3 month one. It´s hard not to get lazy with the short days. But today did a fair bit. I stuck to the Berlin Mitte section of town where my hostel is located. That´s the middle of Berlin, sort of bearing east. It used to be divided by the Berlin Wall.
I went to the opera house and got a ticket for "Tosca" the Pucchini opera that "Passion" the Sondheim musical is based on. It only cost me €4 and I´m pretty excited considering A) it´s all in Italian and B) I was assured by the man who sold me the seat that I would not be able to see a thing. Ha. Next to the opera house a giant Christmas fair is going on. They were finishing up putting a small iceskating ring up and most of the vendors and rides are all already there. There´s a ferris wheel and a roller coaster and a scrambler. And cotton candy and candy apples. And even a few cheesy/scary games you can win prizes from. So I took a stroll through. Then I went out to Museum Island. I didn´t actually go into any of the museums. I also saw the Berliner Dom which is the Protestant version of all the ornate Catholic churches I´ve seen.
I decided to go into an exhibit on Anne Frank. Partially becaues I was freezing. But it was excellent. I really like exhibits more than museums. They tend to be smaller and concentrate on only one thing. So when you leave a couple hours later you really have seen the WHOLE thing. I just feel like I learn and retain more compared to when I´m overwhelmed and scattered. It was in German but I watched a 30 minute documentary in English and the English guide covered almost all of the writing on the exhibit. I knew quite a bit of the information having read Anne Frank´s diary at least twice and having studied the Holocaust. But it´s still so striking to realize that these things, that to my mind are just distant stories, actually happened. It´s spooky. In the background of the pictures of Hitler and the Nazi soliders there were many of the same sights I saw today.At several times during the exhibit I had a pang where I either felt I might throw up or cry. One of these times was looking at a replica of was the newspaper ad Otto Frank put in (among a thousand others) looking for his daughters. He lost his entire family. And this is only one persons story. One of six million. It´s just bewildering. And the really disturbing part to me is it wasn´t that long ago. 100 years ago Anne Frank wasn´t even born. I know there have been many, many other atrocities in history and some are still going on. And it seems they all come down to people making the assumption that THEY can say that one life is more valuable than another. Whether because of religion or race or lifestyle or just fear of something different than themselves. It´s a dangerous line of thought. And it is prevelant in our society.
Off the soap box. After the Anne Frank exhibit I went to the supermarket so I am about to go back to the hostel and eat. I´m up to date on my pictures! Hoorah. I should have downloaded that Easy Upload thing MUCH sooner.

Mock Thanksgiving in Prague!

2005-11-24T10:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I spent all day with my new friend Jackie. She is from L.A. (originally Mexico) and traveling almost the exact same time/route as me! But she's leaving in a week instead of three. We explored the Old Town Prague. The weather is still not holding out for me. It's cold and cloudy but no snow. On our way to Old Prague we wandered into a Aqua-Therm convention. We suspect that the lady didn't make us pay because she could tell we had no idea what we were trying to get into. Which was true. We thought it was a fair type thing. We at the park looking for the ferris wheel and iceskating promised. But we found an aquatherm convention about heating and toilets and such. It was great. A mingle with real Czechs who had no idea what we were doing there.
I got new glasses. And so have lessened my reliance on duct tape. Also tons of yarn and wooden knitting needles which are way better than metal or plastic as it turns out.
We decided to fix ourselves a little Thanksgiving dinner last night... since neither of us will be home or anywhere especially conducive to the holiday today. We made mashed potatos, green beans, a zucchini and tomato dish, rolls, salad (that we never made it around to eating), she made chicken, and wine out of box for less than a dollar. It was delicious. It was classy. It was fun... though the preparation was a bit long. Then we went downstairs where we listened to real Irish folk music. Courtesy of three wee lads from Ireland, Cormmack, Rory and Brian. These boys imparted the little Thanksgiving knowledge that it was NOT infact Chris Columbus who discovered America. (No!!!) IT WAS an IRISHMAN (of course). A monk by the name of Saint Brandon. He rowed across the Atlantic on a little boat. And they even sang us a song about it. And I can't laugh about it because it isn't funny IT'S TRUE. But our box wine was hilarious. We had a really good/late night hanging out with our Irish blokes. They even sang a few songs I knew. Vincent (Don McLean) and the Tiny Sparrow song (I don't remember the actual name). And Cormmack knew Eva Cassidy. I tried to tell them about Peter, Paul and Mary and American folk music. Rory wrote all the names I gave him down. But he's not a Bob Dylan fan so that caused a bit of a rift in the relationship. At least for me. So then I had to make him write down a list of terrific Bob Dylan songs that everyone should love. I think he will be won over yet.
Today I'm heading to Berlin. And we have heaps of left overs to eat before we leave. In the Thanksgiving tradition.

In Praha

2005-11-22T11:13:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Prague last night. I actually tried to blog twice in Budapest and the computer shut down on me halfway through TWICE. Different computers even. I guess it wasn't meant to be. The last day in Budapest I spent wandering around Buda and Margit Island (the huge-island park where everyone goes on sunday to bring their dogs/children). It was snowing in Budapest when I left. And its not snowing here! But its cold and cloudy so maybe it will come. The train was long. I got crammed in with a bunch of students and a teacher it looked like. I coulnd't understand anything they were saying but they were very funny. Halfway through the trip they broke out the alcohol and offered me a drink.
When I arrived in Prague it was dark. The metro seemed nice but everything else seemed sketchy. Luckily I found an Austrailian couple going the same place. Ironically as soon as I got into my room, in walked another Austrailian couple I had met in Corfu. Beck and Rob (thats not his name but someing like that. So now I've seen 3 backpackers twice by mere chance. Really only two since these are together. There seems to be tons to do here. Second hand stores and ice skating (I never made it to the one in Budapest) and loads of cafes and sights. I think I'll go for a bit of a wander.

Et tu, Saturday?

2005-11-20T09:17:00.000-05:00

So I didn't do much yesterday. I didn't manage to make it out of the hostel until after 1. And things start closing at 1, 2, and 3 on Saturdays... if they are open at all. Which I didn't really prepare for. So I'm here another day! Hoorah. I did use my few hours of sunlight yesterday (it's dark at 4:30) to trek around down Vaci utca. The pedestrian street with all the shops. So I got a scarf and tobaggon (beanie/touke) and some postcards and other odds and ends which mean that I have to go back to the ATM machine to fund myself today. It was nice and the weather was gorgeous again. And I looked at the weather in Prague and it said "Snowstorm". I hope I see snow! Today I'm taking care of business. And going ice skating.

The Baths

2005-11-19T11:43:00.000-05:00

Madeleine and I met up yesterday and followed through with our plan of going to the baths. Despite the fact the weather was gorgeous. As it is today. I have never been happier that CNN.com is completely inaccurate about the weather in Budapest. The baths were amazing. It was crowded. Mostly old people and tourists. First we went to the outside ones (yes, OUTSIDE) which took a bit of nerve. The air was cold but the water was HOT. At least in the first pool. The worst part was getting up the courage to get out and try to make it to the next outdoor pool. The second outdoor pool we did not get in because it was the lap pool and did not have an acceptible warmth factor. The third was a current pool. Meaning (I just made up the name) there were currents that pushed you along in it. There was a circle in the middle. The inner circle became a jacuzi, bubbling every 10 minutes or so. The outer was a whirl pool. It was a little like a ride because the water shooting out was enough to make you loose control and go faster than you meant. We were ran into and did some running into people ourselves. Then we went to the indoor pools. Which were ten fold. I didn't really count but there were a bunch. Each seemed to be a different temperature. There were people doing water aerobics and a whirlpool that was not warm enough. There were also saunas which are not for the faint of heart.
We didn't end up leaving until nearly 6. And we got there about noon. So it took a full day. We splurged a bit on Hungarian pedicures which it turns out has not much to do with painting your nails. More taking off your skin. It didn't hurt or anything, actually feels nice now...but we were a little freaked out.
Then I went home and ate dinner at my hostel and took a nap. I ended up going out with a big group last night. We didn't even leave until nearly 2. So I walked home through Budapest at 6 o'clock this morning with a Serbian and a Bulgarian. I won't pretend I'm not proud I can say that. Just try to trump it. Needless to say I am tired. I have so much left to see here and only one day! I honestly would probably stay another if I thought anything would be open on Sunday. Apparently "Hello" in Hungarian is pronounced "See you".

Pest

2005-11-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Despite being promised 5 days or rain and flurries, today was a beautiful day in Budapest. I met up with Madeline but it was too pretty outside to go to the baths just yet..plus she hadn't bought a bathing suit. We're going tomorrow. Today we did a bit of wandering. We found an amazing, huge market. Food on the bottom, clothes and souveneirs on top. I'll probably go back and grab some fresh produce. We went by the Danube river which was windy and cold. Then we went by St. Stephen's Bascilica and saw the good saint's mummified hand. Which was a bit gross, though beautifully incased. Then we went by the famous Opera House... where we are going to either see Romeo and Julia (yes Julia in Hungary), the ballet or Rigelleto. Then we walked down to the city park past many famous buildings that we didn't bother checking on the map. In the park there is an ice skating rink (also a plan) and the baths that we are going to tomorrow. We ate at a nice restuarant. Mostly because we were starving. I got vegetable soup and ravioli with paprika cream sauce. I hear they put paprika in everything here so I didn't want to miss out. After that we went on a quest for a bathing suit. And I visited Madeline's hostel which got an influx of 12 Spanish boys.
I've already decided to stay an extra day. I love my hostel. It is very laid back. Last night I did yoga with the other lodgers, led by the guy in the bed next to me (for Dad: duh,not the same bed). I can't really figure out if he works here or is just lodging here extensively. He's practically a contortionist and loads us up on loads of Eastern thought and strange foods. Right now I am waiting for my laundry to run. I just can't face going back to handwashing everything. Tomorrow, I want to go to the Statue park. And take a communism tour. We didn't cross the river to Buda today but stayed in Pest. I want to go the island in the middle of the river especially if I get another sunny day. Flurries are still in the forecast.

Budapest.

2005-11-16T02:57:00.000-05:00

I'm here! At an internet cafe. I should be at my hostel using the free internet except for I didn't write down the correct directions and so spent an hour wandering around. But one strange apricot-and-chocolate-bits McFlurry later, I am feeling up to trying again. I met a girl from Florida on the train this morning, Madeline. We also met Walter Frey, an old German man who practiced his English on us. Madeline and I are meeting up tomorrow to go to the thermal baths. OOh.

Salt (eng. traslation) burg

2005-11-15T20:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I slept most of my day away. I decided to go out at 4 and buy some clothes. I bought: a coat, socks (which is good because I only had 1.5 pairs left and had been wearing the same ones for almost a week), these funny cotton tights, gloves, and a longsleeve shirt. Now I feel much warmer. Even last night I saw several things (a church I think we sang at and the mountain wall and the Mozart museum) that I recognize. Which is a bit odd to think about since I only saw them once and it was 8 years ago. The familiarity is nice. Though its a distant one.
I almost went out with some funny Londoners and Aussies in my room but I had a headache from all the talking. But this morning I woke up feeling much better and the sun was out! So I rented a bike. Salzburg is very bike and pedestrian friendly. It´s almost un-European of them. Everyone stops at stoplights and the walkers don´t start walking until the little green man lights up. Anyway at first I couldn´t get anywhere. I kept on winding up close to where I started. I set out again and found the downtown area. I climbed the many, many stairs to go inside the fortress. The oldest complete castle in Europe or something like that. Their claim to fame is that the castle has NEVER been successfully attacked. What they mean is that it was only taken once, surrendered without a fight to Napoleon. I took an audio tour. My first. Because I´m cheap and this one was included. It was pretty interesting. And I saw the Salzburg Bull... the Organ, which my guide book says is called that because its horribly off key. The audio guide admitted it only playd F major triads but mentioned nothing about that being unpleasant. The fortress also had a marionnette museum. Marionettes are creepy. It also had spectacular veiws of Salzburg.
Everyone is decorating for Christmas. A tree had even been erected in the time it took me to get back off the mountain. And there was iceskating. I biked around a bit while the sun went down and of course got myself lost just in time for complete darkness. But with the help of two friendly Salzburgers and my trusty map I managed to make it home, albeit cold.
I decided to spring for the (sort of pricey) hostel dinner. Everyones been talking about how good they are. The portions are huge. I got vegetable and spinach and cheese schnitzel or struddle or something like that. And salad. And potatos and veggies. It was terrific. And now I´m fat and happy and I want to sleep. I´m going to wake up early tomorrow morning to catch the first train to Budapest.

Officially Ill.

2005-11-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday proved frustratingly nonproductive. It turns out Germany closes on Sundays. So I had loads of clothing stores, T-mobiles (with one particularly big T-mobile) and supermarkets just sitting there mocking me. I seriously considered staying the night in Munich and going to Salzburg later today. But I couldn´t be bothered to change my plans. And I was too cold to stay in Munich any longer. I took a big walk around the city. Saw the glockenspeil and the castle and somesort of marching band parade. Stopping in at the occasional Starbucks or McDonalds to regather my strength.
I got into Salzburg around 7 and found my way to the hostel fairly easily. I met a Canadian brother/sister wonder team (Lucas and Ashley) who I talked to and exchanged money with (they had just been to Budapest). Then I turned in for an early night. I haevn´t seen much of Salzburg yet (except the inside of C&A... but didn´t buy much because they don´t take credit cards...I´ll have to go back). I think I´ll take a look around this afternoon and maybe go for a nap. I want to see the city... but its SO cold.

In Munich

2005-11-13T07:32:00.000-05:00

I got in to Munich about an hour ago. Paid €1.10 to use the W.C. ( I tried to rectify the situation by stealling half a roll of toilet paper to blow my nose on). Yesterday was a very COLD day in Venice. So instead of doing any of the planned things I mostly wandered around trying to decide on warmer clothes to buy. This wasn´t altogether bad since it turns out there´s not too much to do in Venice but shop. Karen left around noon so from then on I wandered around the city. It started getting darker and colder around 4pm so I got on the nearest ferry and took it to the end of the line. This happened to be the island Lido. Which I think would be nicer on a warmer meeting. As it was I found a shop to try on several winter coats and hats but came away with nothing. I also stopped by the attached grocery store for dinner. Paid €2 for 20 minutes of internet which was the best deal I could find. That´s even with discount. Now I´m paying €2 for 2 hours. Which is more like it. Plus this was the only thing open at 6:30 when I got into town. It was an uncomfortable night on the train. I chose a €5 seat over a €25 couchette. Which I stand by. But they came and checked my ticket FOUR times. These Germans/Austrians don´t mess around. Then when I finally was able to lay down for a bit these 4 dressed up Germans came busting in, chain smoking (in the closed compartment) and trying out new cellphone rings. It´s 4:30 in the morning. Just as I think I´ve come up with a plan to ruin the guy-accross-from-me´s all white tux I realize they´ve gotten quiet and not too much longer they leave. I think I´m coming down with a cold. And my bleeding heart gave away two cold medicine pills to one of the funny guys (studying in Milan...not dodgy)I met in the train station last night. Never again. I also met a girl and her grandmother from Indiana last night in the train station. They were going to Zurich. Today my goals are clear: buy warm clothes (within budget and within storage space), wear said clothes, maybe see a sight, get to Salzburg.
Ja.

Pace.

2005-11-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

Karen and I got a beautiful day today in Venezia though when we got up and were kicked out of our hostel (9:30 am) the fog was still too thick to see. We went to the market to get stuff for lunch and ran into (several times today) children banging pots and pans. And singing occassionally. They turned out to be raising money for their school. We had 24 hour passes on the vaporetti (waterbuses) so we decided to take a long one down the canal to see what we could see. We met an Aussie couple from Sydney on a month long around-the-world honeymoon. Venice is truely amazing... I really have no idea how it is not all underwater.
Later we went to Murano and saw some glass blowing. Then we wandered into the "show room" and then basically told we weren't supposed to be there but we could stay anyway. So we took a quick walk back to the door and left. Then the guy came and found us in the little gift shop and insisted we come back and see the show rooms. There were glass light fixtures/chantelliers everywhere. He took us up to see these glass horse heads which cost about $100,000 American. We got to talking to the guy (who told me his name...I'm pretty sure it began with an F and ended with an O)Maybe Fabritzio. He was dreamy. And he says he's a stock broker and is trying to sell his house in West Palm. I look exactly like his girlfriend from when he was 18. So I got a kiss on the head and a marriage proposal out of him so all together it wasn't a bad haul.
We spent most of the evening wandering around Venice proper. We went to San Marco where the pigeons will cover you for a little bit of feed. We didn't do it...but it was fun watching everyone else be attacked. Then we went on an hour long trek to retrace our steps and find this chocolate cake we saw in the window of a bakery. Man, it was good.
Tomorrow I'm spending another day in Venice and then taking the overnight to Munich just for the day. I'll spend the next night in Salzburg. Probably at the Yoho, Mom and Dad.
I finished "The Hobbit" and am debating whether to just continue on and go through "The Fellowship of the Rings". Decisions.

In Venice!

2005-11-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

Two straight days of travelling later...I'm alive. After my last post in Corfu karma kicked in and it was cloudy. But we watched DVDs and played dominos and went to the beach all the same. And Karen (from Alberta, Canada) moved into my room and we decided to travel to Venice together. Our ferry plans took a frustrating turn yesterday. We woke up to catch a taxi at 5:15am to catch the 7:00am ferry to Venice that didn't sail that day. In fact there were NO ferries at all to Italy from Corfu (off-season is a bit of a hassle on Greek islands). So we went to Igoumenitsa where we caught the 8:00 PM ferry overnight to Ancona where we caught the noon train to Bologna and then Venice. We actually spent a nice day in Igoumenitsa with Sam (New Zealand) and Mike (from Poland). The sun came out and we rented a car and went to the beach and exploring around the island. Sam broke her arm in 3 places while at the Pink Palace so they were just finally making it off the island. We also had a good cheap meal at a port restuarant.
The ferry wasn't as nice as the one on the way over here. By which I mean they actually made me sleep on the DECK. Like outside. On plastic benches. Luckily, the deck steward took pity and let us sleep inside next to the stairs/elevator. It was still pretty uncomfortable and cold. Also we were on the same part of the ships as the dogs. Everyone looked like hobos. It's been a rush of trains since. We got into Venice around 5pm and took the waterbus to our hostel. Which is pretty nice and just across the canal from the center of town. My new schedule is as follows: Munich, Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt(Sweinfurt), Dublin, London. I may add Budapest. Karen went and says was nice, safe, and cheap. Love!

Corfu

2005-11-07T11:02:00.000-05:00

As it turns out Corfu is somewhat of a ghost town except in the summer (when its wild). The first night I was here I went down to the village (The Pink Palace is not actually in Corfu town) to try to find an ATM and NOTHING was open. It was almost spooky because you can tell things WERE open not so long ago. But all their aren't drinks in the coolers and there are newspapers over the doors. I found one Mexican resturant and a couple of people rummaging inside a dark travel agency building.
Yesterday I met three Canadian guys at breakfast and we all went "quading". This is the equivalent of 4-wheeling. It was tons of fun. And I got to see a huge part of the island I wouldn't have seen otherwise. They have really cool trees here. And everythings hills and valleys. We found 13th century Byzantine fortress ruins and an abandoned monastary which seemed to be at the highest point around. We could see the end of the island. We ate lunch near the lake/cove. There is a really good chance we were the only customers all day and definitely up to that point. There was a small sign saying they were open and when we asked the woman if she served food we got a "sure, why not?" sort of answer. It was funny. The food was very good. The boys got kabab type things and fries and I got a veggie pizza. There was no menu we had to try to negotiate the menu with the woman and her English was very broken...and of course our Greek was nonexistant. She had a very hard time understanding that I didn't eat meat:) There were a huge amount of cats around. We ate out side. The woman's mother who she told us "is 80 years old" helped get the table ready. The guys, John(ny), Pete(r), and Mike are all in the Salvation Army brass band at home. Trombone, tuba, and 1st cornet respectively. They are really good guys. While we were getting our quads ready a guy came in on the Pink Palace bus who Johnny knew in high school. It was very bizarre. He was starting his first day of work there.
It got sort of cold last night after a nice warm day as usual. I'm paying 7.50 euro right now to have everything that is cloth washed. Seriously, my rain jacket and the clothes I have on now are the only things that made it out of the pile. I think I've been a bit spoiled lately on the clothes washing thing. I'm planning on ditching some of my summer clothes and obtaining some wintery ones as soon as I get off the island.
It gets dark SO EARLY here. The sun is going down by 5:30 and its as pitch-dark-as-it-will-get by 6:30. Free dinner, which is FANTASTIC (and a relief because nothing else is open), starts at 8:30 and I'm always starving. Today for breakfast we had a Greek omlets. I still have my room to myself... and I really think it will keep. Which is so nice for a change. Luckily I don't have much to spend money on as I don't have much because there are no ATMs. I may have stayed too long here because the day I was planning on travelling you can't actually catch a ferry until midnight. Oops. I hope the weather holds. I'm heading down to the beach!

Tropical Island Paridise? Check.

2005-11-05T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm in Corfu! And it only took 12 hours and 50 euro to get here! I'm staying at the Pink Palace. Where I got a free shot of bright pink ouzo when I checked in (about 8:30 in the morning my time) then I got free breakfast.And it was eggs! But I'm going to ask them to leave out the hotdog tomorrow. And I get dinner free too. They have a vegetarian option and I hope hope its Greek Salad. Because I've heard those are amazing in Greece. I just spent 3 hours on the beach reading The Hobbit. Its getting good. Right now I have the room all to myself. There are only 3 other beds(no bunks) and we have a little porch. Man, this is great. I haven't met anyone yet except the guy from Florida who picked me up and the very funny owner of the hostel, Magda who drove only me on the big Pink Palace van/bus listening and singing to loud Greek music and swearing at her brother on the phone. I had company on the train from Rome, a guy named Julio, who gave me the name of an easy to make Tuscan veggie soup. He's studying in Switzerland but is from Italy. Last night in Bari I met this another guy named Lemi who helped me find my way to the ferry. The first ferry was very posh and it was exciting to watch BBC World News in English. Of course it was the only thing to watch so it started repeating. I kept sleeping on limbs and had to wake up at 4am to get off the ferry at Igomenistia so it wasn't altogether comfortable. I had to take ANOTHER ferry to Corfu, less huge. It was very disheartening to walk of ferry #1 and see only a huge parking lot. I ended up having to walk to the other port which wasn't too far and luckily it was almost 6 Greek time.But still dark. I've had the greatest weather lately. I hope it keeps. I thought I got myself a dog this afternoon. "Spice" or "Mogly", a black and white dog followed me around for hours. The water is completely clear here. Also there are lots of jutting rock formations. Pebbles AND sand. Mostly sand. Hoorah. Also I saw a random donkey in feild next to the beach. The Pink Palace is huge.

In Short.

2005-11-04T00:24:00.000-05:00

Still having a great time in Rome. Yesterday I went to see the Collesseum, the Forum, did Anceint Rome up right. Today I went with Robyn (from Salt Lake City) and Julie (from Wisconsin) to the Vatican. I thought the Sistine Chapel would be bigger... and rounder. But still very cool. Having great weather. Sorry so short, 1am curfew. Also, probably won't be able to call tonight Mom. Sorry, I'm hopeless. Tomorrow I'm catching the overnight ferry to Greece! Hoorah for Corfu and the beach! Yeeeeeees. I love Rome... did I say that?

Roma: Day 1

2005-11-01T18:29:00.000-05:00

Last night I checked into my hostel, Gulliver's House. Which is very nice and centrally located (Thanks Peggy!). I met a girl from North Carolina who left early this morning to catch her flight home and is probably already there now... which is mindboggling. Also two Aussies who are travelling together who I may go with to Vatican City tomorrow. Today, I wandered around on my own. It was overcast and even started to rain a bit but I managed to do some sightseeing anyway. I took a Let's Go walking tour. A bunch of things were closed today because it's "All Saint's Day". And they didn't do much for Halloween that I could tell. Sarah says that "Rome is still too Catholic for Halloween". I hope I am never that Catholic. So I walked down Via Nationale to Museo Capitolini. Then back to watch Monsters Inc. at the hostel because it was getting dark. Today I saw the Spanish Steps, The Pantheon (which I got into just in time to look around before they closed), Plazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain (if you throw in two coins you are supposed to fall in love in Rome... which I didn't do... couldn't risk it), this chubby Italian boy playing the accordian and singing which was hilarious/adorable and I ran by the Collesseum. I really like Rome. It's nice to be back in a big city. I probably said that about getting out of the big cities at some point but now I'm happy to be back in. Mom and Dad, I promise to call tonight. So sit by your phone.

Halloween In Roma

2005-10-31T14:32:00.000-05:00

I just got into Rome. Since Gulliver's house has a lock out until 4pm and I was a unsure how to get there I decided to stop and use the internet. I really enjoyed my half day in Perugia. The hostel I stayed in was super-nice, but run by an old persnikety Italian man, who didn't want to be bothered to run my credit card. Plus it has a 1 am curfew...which isn't so bad considering they kick you out at 9:30 am and don't let you back in until 4. But it was only 13 euros a night and right ontop of the hill that is the city with a great terrace. When I got into town I only had a euro and a half to my name and wound up stiffing the bus and walking up the last part of the mountain. Then I found these underground escalators which lead to the city centre and a gift shop. It was cool but I never figured out what the underground city bit was about. I met a Welsh/ Italian girl on the train who was going to visit her grandmother. She told me there is somesort of holiday going on and that a lot of things might be closed. There was a market going on in the main square and some guy drew me a map to my hostel. When I finally found it I just waited on the steps for an hour for it to open... I just couldn't carry my pack around anymore. I met two girls from Adelade, AU, Lizzy and Catherine, who are very funny. Then in my room were two sisters from Kansas ciy, Amy and Kristen, who I went out with for dinner and chocolate dining. I still have a couple *very expensive Perugian chocolates but I don't expect them to make it too much longer. Apparently Perugina is famous for their Bocio, or "kisses". This is highly amusing to the 5 or 6 year old boys in the candy store making kissy noises. They are dark chocolate covered hazelnuts. Not bad at all. Why didn't someone warn me about day-light savings!?

Perugia

2005-10-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

I was intending on going to Seina... but I want to spend the night there and the onehostel listed in my guidebook isn't online. So I'm going to Perugia. Same direction. Umbria instead of Tuscany. But they are supposed to have famous chocolate. And that is always worth checking out. I'm finally up to date on pictures! Unfortunately in my haste to get 300+ pictures off of my camera I overlooked up to 18 shots of Interlaken. Boo. Most of them I can replace with similar ones from Cassie... but still I'm very frustrated with myself.
Yesterday I went to see "David" at Academia and went through the markets again. It was worth a look. I'm looking to send a package home soon to get a load of souveneirs,ect off. But my guidebook says sending packages in Italy is a gamble... so I'm a bit hesitant. I think I'll still try to send one from Vatican city. That's supposed to be the safest bet. This morning I've walked around a bit more than I intended. I overshot the train station and am working my way back. Ah well. Tomorrow in Rome.

This is where Lucy wants to go...

2005-10-29T00:23:00.000-04:00

in "While You Were Sleeping". I've had beautiful weather so far in Florence. Yesterday I wandered around and saw the copy of David and the fronts of many famous buildings. I went to the Leonardo DaVinci's machines museum...which was something I wanted to do in Toledo... so I was glad to do it here. It was really cool. The mechanical knight at the door actually moved when you came near and everything. DaVinci really was a genius. I particularly liked the British women behind me who kept saying "Well, isn't that clever" to everything including the worm screw... which is indeed pretty clever. I also went to several piazzas and Ponte Vecchio, the bridge. I'm going to try to look for a way to walk by the river... I didn't see a pedestrian path yesterday. Today I'm going to head to Academia to see the real David and then try to get inside the duomo. If you climb it there are supposed to be really good veiws of Florence. Last night I got to watch High Fidelity on DVD on someones laptop. It was great. It's been a while since I saw a movie. I'm staying with David and Tom one more night and then heading tomorrow to Seina. Then Rome. Ciao, baby.

Firenze

2005-10-28T10:51:00.000-04:00

I'm in Florence. Yesterday Christabel and I hiked the easiest trail and went to the beach. The pebbles are smaller and more like what I imagined, but they still hurt my feet. I think sand trumps pebbles. On my way to Florence I made a detour through Pisa. Saw the tower...took the cheesy pictures required... thanks to the Laurens I met when I got there. I hung out in Pisa with two American girls named Lauren. They are from California, went to college in Santa Barbara. Pretty nice girls. We saw the sights and then went out to dinner. I got the gnocchi... which is potato filled pasta. It's very filling. If a little weird. When I got to Florence the hostel I was planning to go to was all full up. I hope just because of Halloween weekend. So I called up the guys I met in Cinque Terre and crashed on their couch. They had offered so I took them up on it. They have a really nice apartment and its very central... right next to the duomo. There are 6 people total there but at the moment just me, Tom, and Dave. I think I'm just going to trespass on them one more night and try to get a hostel. They don't reserve in advance so its a bit tricky. Where am I supposed to stay in Rome again? I proabably need to go ahead and try to make that reservation. Right now I'm at the "Net Gallery" which is very nice paintings and internet access. I hope to download a few more pictures and then get out and see the sights. This morning I did a little browsing through the street markets. I got a "Ciao Bella" so I feel like Italy probably is going to love me.

Other Bloggers!

2005-10-28T06:29:00.000-04:00

Here are the blogs I didn't succeed into making into links because all of the Blogger instructions have turned Italian.

Steph: (from Toronto, Canada) stephineurope.blogspot.com
Jess: (Perth, AU) travelswithjess.blogspot.com
Louise: (Sydney, AU) louiseineurope.blogspot.com

I met these girls in Interlaken. So they all have Paragliding/Skydiving stories. Now you can read about a few other girls travels through Europe!

Yay! It's sunny!

2005-10-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, when I got back to the room, my two American boys had been replaced by an Aussie girl from Melbourne, Christabel. Christabel is 23 and on a 4 month trip. We've been away from home roughly the same amount of time. So I spent all day yesterday with her. Part of the hiking trail was closed yesterday because of bad weather... but we're hoping to hike the dell amore part today. Because its so romantic. And easy. We made it to 4 of the 5 towns yesterday. We're staying in Riomaggoire which is the last (or first one, depending on how you look at it). Today we're going to hike to the one we missed, Manarola, and go to the beach for a bit. Last night Christabel made dinner. Which was essencially garbanzo beans (ceci), tomato sauce, a bit of pesto, with onions and garlic. I need to remember this because its cheap and vegetarian. Plus its not bread, cheese, and tomato. Which are the only food groups I've known for quite a while. I'm planning on leaving around 4pm to go to Pisa and from there Florence. I think I may miss my Sunday in Rome. Unless I decide to spend only 2 days in Florence instead of 3. Oh well. I need to book in advance. Christabel is going today and apparently some hostels are full for the weekend. This computer won't let me download my photos...which I feel is pretty misleading and decietful. Time to get out and enjoy the weather. Arrivederci!

CNN.com- Where is my sunshine?

2005-10-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

I'm in Cinque Terre on the Italian riviera. I missed my train. Again. Luckily this time there were no reservations so I just had to wait around for an hour and a half...no money lost. I arrived last night without reservations...which wasn't my fault. I was under the impression I had reservations... but my confirmation email turned out to be a "we don't reserve less than a week in adavnce" email. Luckily it was easy enough to navigate around and I met two American boys from California on the train who I followed back to their hostel... which turned out to be more like a 2 bedroom apartment. So I got a bedroom all to myself. No bunks. It's great. And I'll have the apartment all to myself tonight because the boys left this morning. Tom and David. They're studying until May in Florence... so I may catch up with them there. Today I'm planning on trying to do the entire Cinque Terre hike. And if tomorrow is sunny I'll go to the beach. If not I may head on. I think I'll stop by Pisa to see the tower on my way to Florence. The guys had just been and they said you can do it in a few hours and it's worth it. Plus its on the way. And maybe on the way to Rome I'll spend a day in Seinna. Italy is beautiful. It was sort of strange coming in because the men checking passports had dogs and went through this poor Frenchman's luggage. I wish I were more comfortable with Italian. Maybe I'll learn Spanish and then Italian. They are similar. It was gray and hazy and I was promised "Sunny". But once we got into the more populated hills the scenery was much nicer. I can see the ocean. I'm in the top part of the tourist office, where internet is overpriced but not Switzerland overpriced. I'll try to post some more pictures soon.

I'm a extreme sporter!

2005-10-24T20:01:00.000-04:00

Well if you count "extreme" as leisurely sitting by while a very nice Swiss man does all the work, then sort of gliding in on your face when it comes to landing, being dragged about a bit much to the amusement of anyone passing by. I went paragliding! And it was amazing. Definetely worth the price. I went up a few days ago with my friends. Today I was the ONLY one. And I only booked less than an hour before. So I had my own personal driver and personal attention from my paragliding guide. It was so nice. Really quite unbelievable. I got loads of pictures and two movies. Then I landed on my face. In the cow feild. I guess something ungraceful had to happen. It was really so bad. He told me to stand up and walk a few steps when we landed. Instead I fell over and was dragged a few feet by the parachute. It was hilarious. I was so glad my friend Claire (Cambra, AU) was there to watch and take pictures. I had just washed my pair of pants (one of the two) and they are now COVERED in mud. Later Claire, Jess, and Louise and I went on a hike. I use the term loosely. Jess and Louise took the train up to a town that had snow. Louise had never touched snow before. Claire and I walked back to Interlaken... well the first 10km. Then we caught the bus. It was a beautiful walk though some of it was through the cow trenches. My shoes are soaked. Jess and Louise one-up-ed me and went sky diving. Overall great day. Im not too sure what this picture is of... I just took a guess since all I'm looking at is file names. I think its the one he took right before I went. I have to rush. Swiss internet is tres expensive. They say Danke-Merci here. Odd. But speak mostly German. I have to go so I still have a franc left to cook scrambled eggs tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is an all-day train ride to La Spezia-Cinque Terre. The weather is supposed to be good.

Boo! Rain.

2005-10-23T12:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was fantastic... but today is a rainy day in Interlocken. Luckily I'm rooming with a great bunch of girls. Cassie, who I've been with since Nice, we're finally parting ways, which is always a bit sad. She's taking the night train tonight to Veinna. Steph, who I met in Madrid, she's the first hostel person I've run into again. Jess and Louise, who are travelling together from Australia (Perth and Sydney respectively). And Claire, from Cambra, Australia (the forgotten capital). Yesterday morning I went with Steph, Cassie, Louise, and Claire to take pictures of their paragliding ascent. It looked so amazing. I think I got the best deal. Getting to drive up there for free and see all the scenery and excitement. But I'm thinking about going myself on Monday. It's expensive. 160 Swiss. But I think it might be worth it. I'm going to try to justify it in my budget. And then get over the fear of it. The food is too expensive here NOT to cook... so I'm saving a bit of money that way. Later in the day Jess, Louise, Cassie and I rented bikes and went around the lake...until it started going uphill...then we turned around. It's just so beautiful here, all the leaves are changing. Outside my window I can see one mountain covered in fall leaves and another covered in snow. Then we "sun-baked" in the back yard of the hostel. I'm not sure how much "baking" occurs when you're fully clothed with a "beanie" over your face. Ha.
I have a cough. And I've taken all my medicine. I bought some multi vitamins but they are the type that disolve in water, otherwise known as my worst nightmare. Maybe I could just eat them and it would be o.k. There were 3 (sort of loud) Canadian girls who are au pairs in Geneva in our bunk last night. It is amazing how good their French is... I think it's a shame that American education doesn't put more of an emphasis on learning another language. Of course everyone in Europe is so close to each other. It is really necessary to be fluent in at least one other. But still. I feel a little cheated. I think I'm of normal intelligence. I should be able to speak at least one other language.I might have said this before, but yeah, I still feel that way. I also feel its a shame that more young Americans don't travel. We're really a little under-represented. Plus we make really laughably irritating old people travelers.
The hostel I'm staying at has a giant plastic chess set on painted outside tiles. It's kind of like Harry Potter...but more cheerful. I have new pictures up!

In Interlocken

2005-10-22T04:12:00.000-04:00

It's beautiful here. Everything is expensive. I'm about to watch all my friends go paragliding...I'm too chicken but I still have 3 days to work up the nerve. The hostel here is really cool. As soon as we got in I saw a girl I met in Madrid, Steph from Canada, and so Cassie and I are hanging out with her and three other Aussie girls in our room. Last night we went dancing at the underground bar "The Metro" which was fun. I'm using the complimentary 6 minutes of internet so must go. German is so different and hard.

Marseille et Lyon

2005-10-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Cassie and I woke up to a dull, gray day in Nice. It was raining and a bit of a pain to get to the train station. But Marseille and Lyon are sunny and beautiful, so maybe I`ve escaped the foul weather at last. We spent the day yesterday in Marseille and took the last train out to Lyon (better Eurail milage) that night. Marseille was very nice. We ate lunch at the port and took the tourist train to the church ontop of the hill. It had gorgeous panoramic veiws of the town, the bay, and the mountains. Then we wandered around through stores and such and had a coffee and headed back to the station. The hostel in Lyon also has great veiws due to being ontop of a large hill. That we have to climb. It's clean and nice enough. The kitchen is small and there aren`t 10 cereal options at breakfast. And most of the people there actually speak French. But it`s not bad for a couple nights. I`m back to the French keyboard... after getting aquainted all over again with the American. Today, we mostly slept and wandered around. I got BonBons! Like the ones we had in high school. Except they didn`t have watermelon flavor. I got strawberry and apple and peach and banana (by mistake, I wanted citron) tey also had coconut and passion fruit ones. We got into the Musee des Beaux Arts for free as students. It was very nice... a lot like the other French museums I`ve seen. It`s really nice to have someone to travel with for a while. Tomorrow we`re going to train to Interlocken. I bought a jumper (Australian for sweater)but not a beanie (tobaggon). I hope it coupled with my fleece and rain jacket will get me through the October Alps. I don`t want to have to buy a warm coat until I get out of Italy.

2005-10-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

I spent yesterday in Monaco and Monte Carlo with Cassie and Elizabeth (from California). We went to the aquarium... something I would have never done on my own. But it turned out to be really cool. We got to see the "largest green eel in the world". We don't know how they KNOW its the biggest eel. Surely all the green eels have not been tracked down and measured. It was neat to see the kinds of fish found in the Medterranian. Aquariums are a good place to see evolution in action. Did you know that if you blind a camoflauge fish it can no longer blend in with its background? And it only turns the color/texture of the bottom on the side of its body with the eyes. Yep, I learned it at the Monaco Oceongraphic Museo. Honestly I took the most pictures of the guy in scuba gear cleaning the tanks... the sweetest janitorial position ever.
Then we went up to see the Monte Carlo Casino... which was very posh. And quite a climb. We made dinner last night. Spagetti and veggies and bread with olive oil. Less than 4 euro a peice. I made the track from the grocery holding a baguette in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. I felt very French. They have a great glassed in kitchen area here. We ate outside on the patio. It was very nice.
I booked one more night in Nice. So I can actually check out the town of Nice today. I also need to do some cold weather clothes shopping before I go to Interlocken. I'm debating spending a day in Marseille and in Lyon with Cassie before heading to Interlocken. I had rationalized this to myself by thinking I will get to do a round about and train through different territory, instead of going there and back the same route. I'm a little concerned that I will start running out of travel days towards the end. But the detour would really only cost me 2 days. I'm doing a stay 4 nights pay for 3 in Interlocken. My plan right now is to go next to Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Corfu, Venice, Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdaam, and then Frankfurt (just passing thru to see Josh in Schweinfurt which I believe is very close). From Frankfurt I can fly cheaply to London OR if I get ambitious Dublin. I've mapped this out very specifically but I'm sure it will change.
Last night I met a girl named Annie who is from D.C. and just graduated as a Theatre and Psychology major. She is only staying abroad a month because she got a job understudying in a new show in D.C. She says D.C. is the third largest theatre venue in the States (I guess behind New York and Chicago) so I may be coming to visit you, Carlyn. I think we are going to go out with her tonight. Elizabeth also did theatre in college (not as a major) and Patrick, it turns out, is a clown. He does juggling, and balloon animals, and balloon swallowing (much like sword), and balancing chairs on his chin. Crazy.
That's about it. I really like this hostel. I think its second only to Cat's. The computers are seriously tempromental but they have an all you can eat breakfast. With non-instant coffee and 10 different cereals to choose from. Excellent. I need to study up on my Italian. Ciao.

I swam in the Medeterrainian

2005-10-16T22:44:00.000-04:00

And it was lovely. The whole day. But the "pebble beaches" aren't so much pebbles as large stones. They are very hard to walk on. But the water is REALLY blue and crystal clear and salty. I'm hanging out with Cassie, another Aussie, she is 22 as well and taking a year off from school to work and travel. She is taking a French course in Montpelliar and has a French working visa. We met this morning at breakfast and went to the beach and then to Cap D'ial where there is supposed to be caves and cliff diving. We got there sort of late and met up with the boys we were originally supposed to go with before we actually made it to the swimming. But it was beautiful scenery. I think we're going to hang out tomorrow too. And she may come to Monaco with me the next day.
The hostel is a bit out of the way, its an old monastary that has been converted. The common room is called "The Chapel" and they have a stained glass wall. Which is probably a good omen. And the showers are hot. But the free internet is relatively terrible. The only decent computer's space bar doesn't work and the rest are slow and tempramental. I was lucky to find a group of 5 guys (4 Americans and an Aussie)going to the same hostel from my hostel in Barcelona. One of the guys had been before so that made the "cross the streets in front of the trainstation to the buses, take bus #23 15 minutes, get off at a square, then use the phone to call us and we'll pick you up" directions less intimidating. Honestly it was pretty sketchy but the hostel and the people are really nice. It's really laid back. Last night I hung out with Patrisha (the French-Canadian), Jenna and Gemma (the Scottish girls studying in Milan) and Sas (funny little Iranian-British dude). We went out on the town for an expensive dinner (is was everyone's last night) and to a club... that closed at 2 am. Are we in Georgia? They had a live band playing bongos and beachy music. It was fun. We took a cab home. We have to take the bus everywhere. It's not that expensive but I like to be in walking distance.
Everyone seems to be very disappointed that I don't have a Southern drawl. Jenna lived in Texas for a year and does a pretty good impression. So I may have to work something up. One of the Aussie twins in my last bunk said I had a "very nice" American accent. Apparently some of them give her headaches.
Hmmm. In other news... I've run out of shampoo and, as I feel it has done me no real favors in the last few years, have resorted to using soap. OOh. I'm SO very excited because this morning I took all of my clothes, ect. in for a 5 euro wash and dry. So they'll all be clean and smell nice by tomorrow morning. No effort whatsoever. Amazing. I was going to wait for the halfway mark. But it was too good a deal. And I lost my Tide.
To sum up: I'm safe, I'm sound. I love Nice.

For those of you who are counting down...

2005-10-14T19:52:00.001-04:00

Two months left. Exactly.
Thirza left this morning. I woke her up and promptly locked myself out of the room at 7:45 in the morning. For those of you who are unaware, this is an ungodly time. I really don´t think human beings are equipt to handle hours this early. After trying to discreetly knock on the door I decided to go downstairs and enjoy un-time-limited internet access for say 30 minutes.
Today I hung out with Avinna, another Aussie, who is 31 and has been travelling around since July. She doesn´t have too much longer left. An A-ha (of ¨Take on Me¨ fame) concert, London, Tokyo, and she´s home. We went to the bookstore (I bought Hitchiker´s Guide to the Galaxy and The Hobbit) and then went to The Museum of Chocolate, possibly my favorite museum yet. It was very English friendly, I gladly learned tons and then took an ridiculous amount of chocolate sculpture photos. We drank mugs of liquid chocolate and I tried the Barcelona traditional sponge cake fingers, melindros. And it was perfect for the rainy, dreary, curl up and watch movies all day weather outside. We looked at shops and went to a health food shop right next to the hostel for tea. It was nice. There was a couple from Atlanta there who were vacationing for a couple weeks in Spain so I talked to them for a few minutes. The closest I´ve come before that was North Carolina.
I never made it to the beach. But I saw it from the tour bus and I hear there is one in Nice. I booked 3 nights so the weather better clear up. Tomorrow I will be spending 10 hours getting there...starting at 8:45 am.
I was trying to download my Barcelona photos (I´m paying for internet at the moment) but it is not working and I simply do not have the energy to bother the information girl again.

For those of you who are counting down...

2005-10-14T19:52:00.000-04:00

The rain in Spain...

2005-10-13T19:25:00.000-04:00

...stays mainly in the plain. Except when it is pouring in Barcelona and surrounding areas. Today Thirza and I went to Figueures to see the home, work, and tomb of Dali. It was an hour and a half journey there. We stayed for an hour and half. And an hour and a half back. And it rained. And Dali is messed up... but some of it was really cool. Like the room that mades a womans face. He painted his wife a lot. Which she totally deserved because he´s a big weirdo. But it was good to learn something about the man who´s name inspired my favorite Schroeder´s sandwich. I ate veggie paella from St. Josep´s market for lunner. Mmm. I´m going out to buy souveniers I think. Ladies and gentleman, the five minute blog.

Some Sort of National Holiday

2005-10-12T18:58:00.000-04:00

I think today is ¨We discovered the New World¨day in Spain. Columbus Day. It´s a national holiday at least and museums and such are closed. This morning just as we got outside the clouds began to clear and we had about 20 minutes of gorgeous. Then it rained. But it was nice. We took the "blue" line tour bus, wasted quite a bit of time in the Train Station trying to book reservations to Nice and tickets for tomorrow´s dat-trip to Dali-town. After that we went to a full scale reconstructed traditional Spanish village, which I thought was very nice. They had a strange art park where Thirza and I took a bunch of stupid pictures and some great views of the city. They also had a bunch of little shops where they made things right in front of you (stained glass, tapestries, guitars, and such). We rode the bus around quite a bit. We had to fight for the top seats today and once we had them it was hard to give them up. We breifly explored the Barri Gothic/ancient ruin part of town. If we have any time after the Dali museum/town tomorrow we will go back. I´m a bit up in the air deciding when to leave Barcelona. I need to get a move on. I wonder how the weather in Italy is late November and early December. If I reroute my trip I could fly into London from Venice. And maybe not be so cold in Germany. Hmmm.

Barcelona Day 2

2005-10-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

Barcelona is a really cool city and more tourist inclined than Madrid. I just wish the weather wasn´t so dreary... the forcast is thunderstorms and showers for the next 5 days. I guess I´ll try my beach luck in Nice. Too bad though because I was REALLY looking forward to just relaxing for a while. Good news is there is plenty to do here. I´ve been hanging out with a girl who lives in the top bunk above me, Thurza from Australia, Perth. She is 24 and on a 6 month holiday from work. Starting a new job when she gets home(she works for a union...which is apparently very political in Australia). We decided to buy tourist bus tickets for 2 days. It´s actually been nice hitting up all the sights. All the Gaudi architecture is amazing. I think it looks like it should be an underwater city like the suburbs near King Triton´s palace in The Little Mermaid and Thurza thinks it looks like Dr. Suess. Kabul hostel is quite nice. Free internet, breakfast, and dinner. Must remember to get to dinner early from now on as it was veggie pasta last night and tonight I had to get the potato salad and pick out the hot dog. We are right off the main street Las Rambles where there are markets and venders and street performers. My favorite falafel joint is here so I´m happy. Today we took the red line full circle on top of a tour bus. You get to get off and on as you want so we saw the Gaudi park and Sanagra Familia the only still being constructed cathedral in the world. And Gaudi died in the 1940´s I think. And it should be ready in 25-30 years. Tomorrow we do the blue line. The green (beach) line is closed. Figures. But its storming anyway. I just met a guy named Chris, also from Perth, who is going to New York and staying a few days with his buddy HUGH JACKMAN in his apartment overlooking Central Park. Crazy. He works in TV and has a sister who does musical theatre professionally. Very interesting. He´s just on a 4 week break. This place would be perfect if it were sunny.

Madrid Layover

2005-10-10T18:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was an EXTREMELY frustrating last day in Madrid. It turns out I need a ¨Being an Idiot¨ fund budgeted into my trip. The first part of the day was great. I went to the big market and wanted to buy everything and settled on a couple of T-shirts and some really bizarre comic wallet type things. Around 4pm I was done downloading my pictures and trying to figure out ways to waste time until my 11 pm train out of town. I went looking for a new book. The selection was ok but I wasn´t really in the mood to read and all the department stores were closed. So I decided to take the advice of some of Vanesa´s friends and go to this HUGE movie theatre (possibly biggest in Europe..or close) with 25 screens and so forth. Well it turns out it took me 40 minutes on the Metro to get there. I kept on falling asleep during the ride... I did a lot of walking. I think I´m on the brink of discovering something very important geographically about Madrid. And then always ending up near Atocha station will make sense. Anyway it was starting to get dark and figuring the time it would take me to get back I didn´t know if I could see a movie and still have plenty of time. Plus I wasn´t really sure if what I found was right...it didn´t look so big... and I was starting to get a headache and hungry. I stopped by a general store and grabbed anything that looked familiar and not sickening which happened to be: a banana, cheetos (I had to be careful to get the normal ones) and oreos. I ate these and got back on the Metro.
Forty minutes later I´m back at Cat´s where I wasted just enough time to get to Atocha (where all the trains depart from Madrid according to the NORMAL print in my Eurail guide). First of all it rains on me. It´s not very far but I wasted my last Metro ticket and I´m not going to pay for another one. I´m an hour early and I SWEAR I saw Barcelona on the screen and it said 23:17 or something like that Via 4. So I conclude its running a bit late and park myself in front of Platform 4. Then a train comes and EVERYONE gets on it or off it maybe. SO I ask the security dudes who speak no English but manage to communicate that there are NO more trains departing from Atocha tonight. So I show them my ticket and they show me that it say Chamartin. The other station on the other side of the city. It´s 10 minutes to departure which I KNOW is impossible. I talk to the metro people and they tell me which line takes me directly to Chamartin. They also think its funny that I don´t speak Spanish. Ok. My experience has been that the Spanish are much more laid back and that their trains rarely leave on time. At best I can get there in 20 minutes. As soon as I get on the train I remember (thanks to a sign, the metro workers forgot) that the bit between one of the stops and Chamartin is shut down and you have to get off and take the free shuttle. At this point I realize this is my cue to have a complete breakdown. But I don´t. I have the phone number of the station in my Eurail book. But, of course, my phone doesn´t work. I try anyway. Yep. No deal. I managed to get to Chamartin about 35 minutes after my train has left. Only to be comforted by a little man who tells me I won´t be getting my money back but I can pay for another reservation on the first train out in the morning at 7:45. Then he stamps VOID on my reservation-- which I personally think was just out of malice. So at this point I am only comforted by the fact that I saw an American Embassy (McDonald´s) at the bus stop and I can take lots of sadface pictures while stuffing my face. I get there an it is CLOSED. Early because its Suday. Which I think should be illegal. I pay ANOTHER metro fare to go back to Cat´s where the Internet is closed (early again). I pay for another night. Where I have to sleep upstairs with a bunch of old ladies who were clearly NOT amused by the fact that I could not get the door opened. And wake up at 6:35 and am too tired to make lots of noise out of spite. After a very traumatic dream where I´m auditioning for Cabaret for Dr. Horne NOW even though I´m at Granny´s with Lillian and I have nothing prepared but I HAVE to sing ¨Coming up Roses¨ because that´ll get me in for sure... it was all very confusing. End dream. Then I went ATOCHA which is right this time. To Cat´s credit they did give me a croissant and coffee even though it was way before breakfast time. Pity story complete. On the upside I did decide about halfway through I had a place to sleep and I knew what I was going to do in the morning and I wasn´t going to worry or beat myself up about it anymore. It wasn´t worth it. I mean I didn´t even have anyone to feel sorry for me. Ha. And I think I handled it pretty well. I didn´t call my parents and cry. Though I think I might should have cried. I might could have gotten an extra croissant to take along for the ride.
Barcelona seems very nice. And its rainy here. So it turns out I didn´t miss my one pretty day afterall. All I´ve done so far is shower (hygeine is at an alltime low) and wash a BUNCH of cloths in the sink. My microfleece is honestly the smartest thing I brought -- but it is TERRIBLE to wash. It resists the water but once its taken over its completely sunk.
On Saturday night I had a great night out with Vanesa and her friends, Marta, Ruth and Melissa. Marta and Melissa were pretty fluent in English and Ruth could manage a few good sentences. We went to VIPS for dinner (at 11pm--which is when you eat dinner here) and then to the clubs. Madrileños are no kidding out all night. At 3am and 6:30 am there are still plenty (not homeless people) on the streets. The first club we went to wouldn´t let us in because I was wearing tennis shoes! Would that happen in the States? No. Money trumps fashoin. Please. The girls didn´t ditch me and we went to the next club. Every place we would stay about 10 or 20 minutes and go to the next one. It was fun. Vanesa and I shared a can home. Which I think is my first cab EVER. It was very expensive. But the metro´s closed and its a long walk home. They are a very fun and smart group of girls. I wish I had written this yesterday so it wasn´t so summarized.
Ok. I am WAY overbudget on the communal internet time.

Leaving Madrid

2005-10-09T10:41:00.000-04:00

I just checked out of my room at Cat´s and I´m about to head to the outdoor market that you "must see or you haven´t been to Madrid". Yesterday was a really good day. I started out with an hour trek to Park de Campo which looks a lot bigger on the map. When I (finally) got there I met an American guy named Chris who is studying abroad here from New York and was looking for the basketball courts. We were both pretty lost so I talked to him for a while we looked around and tried to dicipher the map. I basically just walked the length of the park. I went inside the Egyptian temple. It was interesting, but I was really hoping for an actual pyramid. Anyway its on top of a mountain so the view of Madrid is fantastic up there. I walked home which only took 30 minutes going a completely opposite way.
Then I went to Atocha to get my overnight train reservation for tonight (which cost me €23 but I´m rationalizing it by just counting it as a super-productive hostel stay) and didn´t have to wait AT ALL. I´m staying at Kabul hostel in Barcelona. I only have 3 nights reserved so far.
Then I went to the Museum Reina Sophia. Definitly their best peice is Picasso´s Guernicca. Also they had over a room full of his preparation sketches for it which I thought was really neat. It´s bizarre to see Picasso´s eraser marks. Also they had Dali´s which are very interesting because you can look at them forever
and still not see everything. All the details and hidden images and stuff. But they´re always a little disgusting to me. I don´t know he just throws around a lot of body parts and bugs. That was really the good stuff. I also liked the sculptures that just look like twisted metal at first but from the angles you can see very cleverly crafted out faces. Good museum. Even better I got in free.
Yesterday I learned how to do Soduko (spelling?) Those newspaper puzzles that are supposed to be "giving crosswords a run for their money" and "more addictive than crack". Well I think I should have given crack a try. I did my first one in pen and was very proud of myself.
I have much more to say but I will have to continue later. There are people waiting for the computer and technically I´m checked out.
Bebos. (Kisses... I think)

Day 31

2005-10-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

Today I slept in. I mean I still got up for free breakfast...but then I went back to bed. The weather is still beautiful. Apparently Spain is going through a drought to my advantage. I went to the train station to get a reservation for Sunday but they DO require you to bring your pass here so I waited an hour for nothing. Then I tried to find my way home an experimental way and an hour later finally found myself behind the building I started out in front of. But its all good. I met some California girls, Mandy, Gwen, and Cameron who I went out with for very expensive but tasty tapas. Tomorrow I´m going to hang out with Vanesa, the girl I met in the bookshop from Madrid. So that should be fun. Otherwise I´m going to actually try to get some of the things I intended to do today done tomorrow. No rush. There are a lot of programs to learn Spanish here. When I come back that´s exactly what I will do. I was very proud tonight when a guy asked me "¿Como te llamo?" And though I was all geared up to say "No habla espanol". I said "Me llamo Brannon." Maybe I did retain something of those 16 years of school after all. They do the kissy cheek thing here too. Adios amigos.

The Anniversary Issue.

2005-10-06T20:56:00.000-04:00

Today is Europe and my ONE MONTH anniversary. It was meant to be. I celebrated with a terrific trip to Toledo with Deliliah and everyone´s favorite Pole, Micheal, who we met today on the train. Yesterday Deliliah and I went to the Placa de Real where they had a marching band, and boys in uniform, and boys in uniform on horses. Then we wandered around a bit. I found a great falafel place and discovered that McDonald´s IS my US Embassy. I met an REAL Madrid-ian, Vanesa, who is at University for English Philoligy (which Micheal kindly explained is basically Language/Phonetics/Something like that) in the literature in English section of the "Casa de Libros". TODAY we went to cathedrals and museums and a synagoge. Toledo is beautiful. I could have stayed another day happily. Especially since we didn´t catch the "Inventions of Leonardo DaVinci" exhibit until seista time. The scenery is gorgeous and its just very Spanish. Spain has offered nothing but perfect weather thus far. I also met an old man on the Metro on my way home and was very proud that though he spoke no English I managed to figure out he was from Peru had travelled to N. America and wanted to get off at the Anton Martin stop. Really great day today. Learned loads about Poland. Tomorrow I may try to catch up with my Madrid friend, get yarn, go to one of the many recommended veggie resturants (thanks, random Irish man), go to the HUGE park, the more modern museum, and shop. Well I hope I get to all of that before I leave anyway. I can tell I´m going to really miss Deliliah like I´ve missed all of the friends I´ve made. But we´ll catch up in Barcelona. Ahh, the beach. I can´t wait for my holiday from vacationing! Hasta la vista, baby.

I have no idea what day number we´re on

2005-10-05T09:31:00.000-04:00

Dad can we get an official widget count on how many days left? I´m still having a great time in Madrid... there´s MUCH less to do here than in London or Paris I´m finding out. I might even see about moving on before Sunday...but I´ve already paid so it´ll depend on the refund. Yesterday morning I went to the park.. de Retiro.. and jogged around. It was nice. Then I met up with Delilah and went to the Prado. We spent a long time in there...museums make you tired and about halfway through you stop being so impressed. But I thought what was neat about the Prado is the fact that they let artists come in ...even with all their paints and canvases and everything (and they make us check our bags and water bottles at the door) and they stand by the original works and try to copy them. Some are better than others. It is neat. There were at least 4 painters and a couple sketchers so it was a busy day. Afte the Prado we went to P. del Sol which is sort of city center where a bunch of major streets collide and we ate these tiny little sub sandwiches.
Sue, from England, gave me her Top 10 things to do in Madrid book because she is leaving today so hopefully that will give us some more ideas. Last night I went out with a group of people going to a jazz club. Which was nice for a while but I skipped out early with a couple other girls to walk home. Areil is 18 and from Toronto and she may be coming with us to Toledo tomorrow. Laura is from Australia sleeps in my room and has a shaved head except for two places (where she said she has a scar and a bump. ha) I also met a couple guys from the Czech Republic...one of whom´s English sounds robotic. It´s hilarious. They are here to study Spanish but their classes don´t start for another couple of weeks. I also met a guy named Jamie from Seattle who is eventually going to Southeast Asia to look for a job. He may be abroad for 6 or 18 months... he´s not sure yet...or sure where he´s going next...maybe Portugal? So people are interesting. I used Delilah´s USB to download a FEW pictures of Paris (it takes so long to download) but she´ll be in Barcelona so I´m hoping I can continue bumming until there. Or find one I can buy. So look at my pictures. The End.

Buenos Dias, Madrid.

2005-10-04T09:45:00.000-04:00

Did I mention I'm in hostel-heaven? I thought my clock was wrong when I woke up this morning but no it was still quiet and dark at 9:30. Yesterday I met a 25 year old girl going on a three month trip just like me. She quit her accounting job back in Texas because she hated it and came abroad. She JUST started. We'll both be in Barcelona next week, she is staying for a 6 week course in Spanish. We're also going to go on a day trip to Toledo together. Last night we went out to eat at a very crowded Spanish resturant. Everything stays open so late here. It´s crazy.
I changed rooms. The guy told me when I got here he thought (because of my name, thanks mom and dad) that I was a boy. So originally I was in a room with 7 other guys and an unmade bed. The roomies I met, Pedro from Brazil and Mike from Canada, seemed very nice but I decided to ask for a room where I wasn´t the only girl again. I also helped Cervio (that not spelled right) the Poll (is that diragatory?) figure out how to use the vending machine. And I met an Italian guy who stayed here a month ago and is back to work at the hostel. And two Australian girls, Michelle and Zoey, who live in my new room. And for the life of me I can´t remember the name of the girl I spent all day with and am meeting at 2pm this afternoon from Texas. Maybe Danielle? As soon as I figure it out I´m editing this post so I don´t feel like such a jerk.
This morning I´m going to take a Brannon´s Walking Tour. Maybe try to get to the park. Me and Texas walked around a bunch last night trying to decide where to eat. We had a plan but we got lost. But it turned out well, everyone is out at night so it felt safe. There is a Real Madrid home game NEXT Sunday. Which is sad because I was hoping my luck would get better and I could go to another futbol crazed country. But no. I still have the giant flea market. And EVERYONE says Barcelona is the place to be. Caio.

And now I´¨m used to French keyboards...

2005-10-03T05:39:00.000-04:00

I have arrived in Madrid. AND I love it. First of all it just seems super laid-back compared to London or Paris. Second things are cheaper: Third my hostel is AMAZING. Quite possibly the best hostel I´ve stayed in (Val´s doesn´t count). I have a magnetic wristwatch key that opens the hostel door, my room door, AND my gigantic locker that holds my entire pack plus some. There is FREE internet access (that I´m taking advantage of right now) and the common room has a stained glass ceiling. Ding Ding Ding. Wins on all counts. Oh and breakfast is INCLUDED. Yesyesyes. But I keep typing the wrong things now that I´m back to a semi-American keyboard. Last night I treated Valentine to dinner. We went to this great French restuarant where we melted our cheese ourselves on the table in the little frying pans. Mmm. It was rachette.... oh I know thats wrong. At least the pronounciation. Val would kill me: Ha. Anyway it was sad to leave Paris. I came on a sleeper train (where literally all you can do is lie down) which I think would have been alright if I didn´t have my pack as an uncomfortable bedfellow: I mean the bed couldnt have been bigger than 2 by 7 feet. Then I boarded a regular train where I was seated next to a pregnant woman. But the scenery was great and I watched "Tortilla Soup" in its entireity in Spanish. We only get 20 minute slots soooo....Adios.

Last Day in Paris

2005-10-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

The weather yesterday turned out to be really nice. Valentine and I went to the Institute of Monde Arabe. Or something like that. Its a modern building with a fantastic view of the city. Then we went walking around downtown. And split a chocolate macaroon, which was delish. It was SO crowded. Apparently this is a good week to be in Paris because its Nuit Blache, "White Night", and so the museum exhibits stayed open all night and there was contemporary music and artists everywhere. This is all what I hear. I opted the less-fun night (Valentine had to babysit anyway)and stayed at the apartment to shower and pack and sleep. At this moment I am waiting for my baking powdered and white flour biscuits to come out of the oven. Mmmm. And I'm going to make scrambled eggs. I'm taking a later, cheaper train to Madrid so I have a little more time to get to Versailles and back for dinner with Valentine (they eat very late here... luckily I've managed to teach Val that we Americans eat ALL the time). My biscuits are a success! Yay.
Au revoir, Paree.

Day 10

2005-10-01T11:59:00.000-04:00

Well, today is my last official day in Paris. Yesterday was rainy so I didn't do much sightseeing. Last night I went with Annabel (Valentine's friend) to a gypsy concert. I think we expected it to be a little more rowdy but it was still very crowded in the basement of a fancy resturaunt. I think I may have discovered my next unattainable lifelong dream of being the leader of a gypsy band. The singer was amazing... it is a very stylized sort of sound. And a woman from the audience (apparently the singer's sister- as translated by Annabel)got up and did a belly-dance-ish routine. It was nice because it wasn't in French so I was on the same page as everyone else. Today I'm hanging out with Valentine.
I've decided to spend tomorrow day in Versailles and take the overnight train tomorrow night to Madrid. I've already booked 6 nights at the Cat's Hostel there as recommended by my guidebook. I think I'll take the overnight train next Sunday to Barcelona. I'm going to go by the train station today and make a reservation and see when I need to be back to catch the train. I can tell I'll miss Paris... and it will be hard going back to sleeping in a room with 10 other people... but c'est la vie. I've left myself plenty to do on my next trip to Paris. I will try to post tomorrow or tonight but it may be a day or two between the next posts. Travelling.

An American in Paris

2005-09-30T12:20:00.000-04:00

I had a very good day yesterday. The weather was beautiful and I visited Notre Dame, and the Pompidou Center (which is excellent), ate a terrific banana/nutella crepe, and went on a v. scenic but cold night boat ride on the Seine. I will try to give details later. Valenitine getting ready for an oral presentation she is giving in class today. So I'm trying not to tie up the computer. I'm still deciding what I will do today. Tonight I am supposed to go out with Valentine's best friend, Annabel, who speaks "fluent" English.

P.S.

2005-09-29T10:41:00.000-04:00

I went to KFC yesterday and it was the biggest disappointment of my life. No biscuits, no green beans, no mac and cheese. Just a sad, lonely corn on the cob. I was so upset I didn't even want to eat at Mc Donalds. I got a frommage de chevre panini at a one of the local stands. So depressing.

Day 8

2005-09-29T10:02:00.000-04:00

So I didn't actually get around to going to the Pompidou yesterday. Well, I went, but just to the library for a place to sit down and try to plan out the next section of my trip. I think I want to leave early Sunday morning and go to Versailles. I don't know how long I really need there. If its cool as just an actual day day trip I'm going to leave Monday or possibly even overnight Sunday for Madrid. I'm glad I've gotten to spend so much time in London and Paris... but I'm starting to want a faster pace. The thing is that Versailles is closed on Mondays... so I may end up staying in France as long as Wednesday if I can't work it out. The other option is staying most of the day in Paris Sunday (maybe trying the Louvre again--its free and I'm sure crowded the first Sunday of the month)go to Versailles, do nothing (which I have found myself extremely skilled at) on Monday,see all Tuesday and take the overnight Tuesday to Madrid. Hmmmm.
So I actually spent my day doing a Paris shopping round. But not buying of course. I'm not sure what I should get as a "souvenier" from Paris. Maybe just a sweater, I'm practical and it's cold. They have a HUUUUUGE store named BHV where they have EVERYTHING. No, I'm serious: literally everything (except the prementioned not-sold-in-France). Eight gigantic floors. Like Walmart except they make you no "low price" promises. I was particularly taken by the bedroom furniture on top. They had bedsets that you raise the bed in the morning and your living room is underneath. It's very James Bond. Saves space AND yeah, it just looks cool.
Yesterday I tried to make Southern Biscuits for Val. Sort of a test run for dinner. They were brown and heavy and were ok. But only slightly resembled biscuits. I blame the flour and the lack of baking powder. Oh yes, and cup measurements. Ha. Anyway she taught me to make French Vingarette. 4 spoons of olive oil. 2-3 spoons of Balsalmic Vinegar. Half a spoon of dijon mustard. It was good. Then she gave me an introductory course in popular French music. Sinclair, M, Emilie Simon, Ennio Morricone. And I made her listen to Dolly Parton. She had never heard of her! Still it was probably unfair. She wanted to listen to country and I only approve of a sacred few.
I went to see "Broken Flowers" with Bill Murray and French subtitles last night. I haven't really made up my mind about it yet. It was an independent I think... and I'm pretty sure they ran out of money before they could finish it. It was an "I'm sorry...what?" movie. You think its about to get to the climax and it ends. And then you're left bewildered and feeling a little taken in as the credits role. I guess I just don't appreciate an artsy film. Plus I still think Bill Murray's last defining role was in Ghostbusters. But nonetheless I'm glad I went. I'm saving the next cinema trips for The Corpse Bride in October, Harry Potter in November, and The Narnia Series in December. Any suggestions on my Spanish reading?

Day 7

2005-09-28T11:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to the Musee d'Orsay. I saw lots of Monets and Manets and Degas(s) and Renoirs and VanGoghs. I would recommend it. I stayed there most of the day(taking breaks to sit down and read) then I went in search of Daniel's favorite cafe. But I got impatient because it was starting to rain and I was hungry so I ended up going to the supermarche. As usual. And then McDonalds later. In between I did a lot of window shopping. They have a lot of neat little stores near St.Paul and Pont Nuef. I talked to some American girls who are studying in Paris for a year at a yarn shop -they also knit. Then I headed home... finished reading the last few lines of the DaVinci Code as I was stepping off the Metro. That I would also recommend. I had a dream last night that I was pushing it in peoples faces trying to convince them to read it... so I guess I'm even more enthusiastic than I realized. When I got home I met Valentine's brother, Geoffroy (jeh- fwah), who tells very animated stories though he doesn't speak much English. Today I am eating chocolate cereal (second morning in a row- which happens to be a lifetime record) and when I am done with that I will visit the Centre Pompidou and then maybe the cinema! Oooh! Yesterday in my Babybel (ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-by-bel)cheese I got a prize. A tiny fencing cheese man keychain. It is my pride and joy. Also I am convinced that in France they DO NOT have any of the following: baking powder, crisco, black beans, rotel, cheddar cheese, or correct chinese food. So bring your own from home.
Over and out.

Day 6

2005-09-27T10:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I intended to go to the Musee d'Orsay but its closed on Mondays. So I headed over to the Louvre to see what thats about. My guidebook said I could get a discounted price if I went in after 3 and the museum would stay open until 9:45. Unfortunately my guide book was horribly wrong. First of all you don't get the €6 price until 6pm and only on Wednesdays and Fridays. No problem. So I payed full price and went in to the Denon wing. I saw Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa and heaps upon heaps of huge religious paintings... and then they announced that they would "begin to close" (which actually means "absolutely must have everyone out")at 5:45. So I saw ONE floor of ONE wing of the Louvre. Extensively, but still less than a tenth of what is in there. So I sat in the park outside and read for a while. Which in France is apparently a mating call. Four guys (well 3 guys and one old man)came and sat beside me and tried to talk to me in broken English. Claude-Eric gave me his card in case I wanted to go out for a drink. And another boy (who I talked to for a long time but I don't remember his name) tried to ask me out on a date. Don't sit by yourself outside the Louvre unless you're serious.
I might be getting homesick,I've been to McDonalds 3 times since I've been here. I only went once in London. But then I never eat at McDonalds at home... and the ones here are much tastier. And I have every intention of going to a KFC before I leave. I was suprised to find them in London and Paris. I could do with some greenbeans, corn, mac and cheese, and a biscuit. Last night Valentine and I made made croque monsieur: basically a grilled cheese with the bread dipped in milk first with ham, in her case, tomato in mine. We also had vegetables and a delicious molten chocolate dessert. Mmmm. Today I have to get the motivation to move. It's a great day outside and I'm going to hit the museums.

Day 5

2005-09-26T00:31:00.001-04:00

Last night Valentine and I made the trip up to Montmartre. It was a very steep climb but at the top there is an amazing veiw of Paris. We were a little late for mass so we just went in for a few minutes. The priest was giving his sermon in French, of course,so I didn't understand. But the hugeness and the echoing of the building made it seem very ominous. Afterwards we split a crêpe with butter and sugar. It was delicious and much better the pre-made ones I tried to make at home. On the way back we stop off on the metro at Pagille for a look around. It's where the Moulin Rouge is and a quite a sight. We didn't stay long... it is a pretty scandelous area and I would have been very nervous if I had been by myself. Then we stopped off at Concorde where we walked down Champs Elysée towards the Arc de Triomphe. It is a very ritzy area with expensive resturaunts and shops. We saw one very famous store, Mont Blanc, that had a ballpoint pen in the window for the bargain price of €600. Probably your dream pen, Mother. We also saw a bunch of wild Greek men waving flags and singing. Greece won their basketball tournament against France I suppose. We watched part of it the other day at Jean Baptiste's apartment. Well I have to get a move on. I have so much to do and the weather is gorgeous. C'est bonne.

Day 4

2005-09-25T19:29:00.000-04:00

Today Valentine had to study so I ventured out on my own. I went to the Eiffel Tower. I want to go to the top... but I didn't have the money or the energy today. Then I wandered my way into this giant National Defense exhibit/festival thing in the Hotel de Invalides. I paid to go into the museum and to see Napoleon's Tomb. Which was overwhelming but not overwhelmingly interesting. The weather cleared up into a really nice day. Starting tomorrow I am buying a week long Metro pass and start my rounds of museums and overcrowded attractions. The DaVinci Code is very exciting... I'm halfway through. And putting it down is difficult. Tonight Valentine and I are going to Montmartre for mass and sightseeing.
P.S. Nothing is open here on Sundays! I might as well be in the South!

Day 3 Pareee!

2005-09-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

Well after two spectacular days of weather (I even read my book in a park with tens of sunbathing seniors) Paris has gone cloudy. But today was actually my best day so far for sightseeing because Valentine had the day off and was able to come be my personal French guide and translater. Unfortunately, I won't be so lucky most of the time because she has class and work. But today I lived as a true Frenchman... well except for the beret, the tiny dog, and all the cigerettes. I'll tell you the real reason French women don't get fat: they are chain smokers from birth. This is the truth and the only French stereotype I support. Today we went to the Pompido Center, the Museum of Modern art is in there (which I plan to go to later) and also a fantastic library with a ridiculous amount of new computers PLUS an area where you can watch TV from ANYWHERE. It's very cool and intend on going back when I can spend more time. We also went to the Hotel de Ville which houses the mayor of Paris. They had an exhibit on Hiroshima which was horrifying, of course. In the building was a statue of Romulus and Remus almost identical to the one in Rome (my Rome, I told Valentine). The exhibit was in French so I mostly looked at the pictures and made an oragami bird for peace. A French man coached me through the entire thing... I didn't understand a word he said. Also a random cartoonist off the street told me I have a "Danish nose". What this means I don't know, but I'm terribly offended none the less. We ate flan. And though it actually tastes quite good, the terrible one Lisette made in high school hit the texture dead on. Good effort, Lisette. There is a Festival of the "jardins" Gardens near Notre Dame. When we got to it the outside band was playing "Georgia on Mind"... I had no idea how universal that song is... also "Sweet Home Alabama". I left them a tip simply for being familiar. We walked most of the rest of the day seeing the outsides of alot of famous places. I had been to most of them... but I was wandering and didn't manage to put the layout of the land together. So it was nice today. Later I had €4 water with Valentine and her friend Maude. Then we went and visited her brother, JeanBaptiste and his roommate,Solenne. We stayed there a long time. Val had to translate for me a lot. Solenne's friend tried to teach me French. C'est la vie. I've eaten heaps of quiche lately and probably will come back very fat. I have FREE internet at Valentine's! Honestly, lodging and internet are no doubt my two biggest expenses. So this is heaven.
Bon Soir!

Day 2 Paris

2005-09-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

Much has happened since yesterday morning. And not much in the way of sightseeing (i did stumble across a view of the Eiffel Tower finally). I made a new Parisean friend, Valentine (va-luhn-teen), who has offered to let me stay at her apartment for a few days. She is 23 and worked for a year in New York as Woody Allen's au pair. She is in buisness school here in Paris. I stayed at the hostel last night but pulled out on my next three nights I had booked. I'm glad because it was on the worse end of the hostel spectrum... there was green mold all over the ceiling of the bathroom. Valentine andI are about to go eat dinner and these French keyboards are hard for me to type fast. Bon appetit!

Day 1 in Paris

2005-09-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

For all who were worried I DID find a place to stay last night at the "Young and Happy" hostel . I was, in fact, VERY happy to find it. Boarding the Eurostar at 1:45 for the "2.5 hour ride" (lies) I thought I would have plenty of time to find a room.
Though it was after 6 by the time we got to Paris it was still light outside and I was not worried. It was 8 by the time I got my Metro card and took the Subway to the center of town. When I finally managed to get OFF the Subway it was rapidly getting darker. I went to 3 hotels (all of which were full... well the last one I didn't even go in it was too expensive)and realized I had to get out of the center of town. I stopped at McDonald's (The first one I've been to so far-- I broke down and went to a Starbucks in Oxford) because I was starving to death, plus I had been carrying around my pack all day and it was starting to hurt. I had a small salad, medium potato wedges, and a small bottled water... which somehow came out to at least $7 American. But I have to say it was very satisfying and worth every penny. Euro-money is suspiciously designed almost identically to pounds. Which makes it seem sort of obnoxious that Britian pulled out on the whole euro currecy thing.
Anyway, my goal right now is to find my hostel for the next few nights. I liked the one I stayed in last night (though my room, of course, was on the top floor and I had a top bunk) and I would go back if they had a weekly rate. The neighborhood seems nice. I'm now an hour father away from you all (6 instead of 5). Must dash.

En Route to Paris

2005-09-21T00:12:00.000-04:00

Back in London for a short bit. Just down the road from Waterloo where I'll be taking Eurostar to Paris in an hour and a half. I think I might have stayed in Oxford another day had I not already had my Eurostar ticket. As of this moment I don't have a place to sleep tonight. But I have one for the four days after that at the Aloha (seems off, huh) Hostel. The good news is: it is RIGHT downtown, it's within budget and I only have to sleep with 3 other people! So I may try to work out a weekly deal after my 4 days are up. I've planned all of my French conversations (spelling, no doubt, seriously wrong):
Bonjour!
Parle vous anglais?
Oui ou non?
Oui!
Merci beaucoup!
Non. Seriously.
Je te aime.

I've posted a couple Oxford pictures as well as some mispaced London ones. So give 'er a look.
Bon voyage.

Day...13? or 14?

2005-09-20T00:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, I believe it is exactly 2 weeks since I left Rome. I found cheap internet in Oxford (I could only use the free one for 15 minutes...boo!). So here I am. I went for a jog this morning. Ended up jogging with an Austrailian girl who is here working for most of it (it didn't last too long-- I'm out of shape). I sped up for her and she slowed down for me. Too bad I couldn't keep up-- might have made a day-friend. She told me to go eat Dan's Cookies (I think that was the name) in the Covered Market because they began in Oxford and are very tasty. So that's on the agenda. Last night I'm not proud to admit I hung out at Borders until it closed. I read half of "Through the Looking Glass" which is funny. I need to decide if I want to try "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" or give "The DaVinci Code" another go for my Paris book. Votes? I'm glad I didn't choose Les Misirables or Sartre-- they're monsterously huge. I'm about to head back to the hostel for a shower and to eat my spaghetti. I actually cooked last night for the first time in hostel. It wasn't too bad. And MUCH cheaper than eating out.
I made up for sleeping like a brick. Last night I couldn't get to sleep-- I think it was mostly not being able to get my mind to shut off.
I made a list of the best things to do in London in my head.
No particular order.
1. Go to all the "temporary" exhibits. They are much more focused and interesting than the ones that are up all the time. My favorites that I saw were "The Redgraves" and "Hans Christian Anderson" and the Environmental one. I sort of wish (now that I have no idea what it would have cost) that I had gone to see some of the pay ones (Most Photographed People...at the National Portrait Gallery; Frieda..at Tate Modern; and Dali...which I think may be up all the time-- I couldn't tell)
2. Go see a show on West End. And choose something particularly British.
3. Go to the Tower of London and take the free 30 minute Yeoman tour (but try to get a student ticket even if you're 45-- it's expensive!)
4. Take a walk down the River Thames.
5. Go to the National Film Theatre (and when they say "concessions?" they mean "are you a student or a senior?" I really thought I was going to get popcorn.)
6. Go to the Comedy Cafe (paricularly on Wednesday night-- when its free. Get cider and nachos and bring friends).
7. Go to Petticoat Lane Market on Sunday for souveniers.
8. Go to Hyde Park Speaker's Corner on Sunday as well.
9. Ride the bus and the Tube.
10. Go to the London Museum but don't stay too long. It smells funny.
If I think of anymore I'll let you know.

Oxford

2005-09-19T15:45:00.000-04:00

I've made it to Oxford... but now I'm not so sure what to do. I've bought some very expensive Internet time and coffee and checked into my hostel. Oxford Backpacker's hostel seems nice enough... the room is smaller and there are more people crammed in than before. But there is a very nice kitchen and it is near the bus station. It is cloudy but not as cold here in good ole England. I think I will just wander around a bit. There are lots of little shops here. If you are thinking of going to Oxford my impression so far is: good choice with a current standing of probably-really-cool. I was thinking of renting a bike for a half a second... but I'm a little too scared of being run over. Granted it's not as crowded as London but I still have trouble looking the right way when crossing the street. I need to book a hostel in Paris beintot! (O.K. I had to look that one up... but I did practice a little earlier). I want to find the Harry Potter chapel and the library tonight!
Au revoir.

Last Day in London

2005-09-18T18:11:00.000-04:00

I'm posting a little late today. My new, cheap internet option that I was so proud of is not open on Sundays. Inconvenient. Last night I went to see "A Winter's Tale" at the Globe. First of all, I got a free ticket. I was standing in line and a lady came up to me and asked if I was waiting in line for a ticket and then said she had one I could have for free. So I accepted. Then it was a GREAT production. " A Winter's Tale" is one Shakespeare play I really knew nothing about. So it was neat to figure out the story as I went along. The Thames Festival is really happening. I ate some corn-on-the-cob there this afternoon. And I'm going to go back for the fireworks.
Today I went to Petticoat Lane Market (which was neat-- but I had no intention of buying anything so I browsed and left). Then I went to Hyde Park to hear all the loons speak. It was great. I stayed there for hours. Most of them were in fact total lunatics. I stood and listened to an absolute "anti-feminist" spout crazy for longer than I would care to admit. It was intriguing in a what-baseless-irrational-generalization will he come out with now? way. Also interesting (though actually pretty boring== if he'd actually argued and not just keep repeating himself... it COULD have been interesting) was a Jewish man whose argument to why Jews were the chosen people was Jesus's ressurection... huh? Who elses prophet came back from the dead? What other people have survived as many holocausts? A guy kept asking him if Jesus was God and he wouldn't answer. Another group I listened to were a group that supported so-called hacking. It was an interesting argument. They were all software writers. I've actually gotten kind of computer nerdy since I've been working on this website. Maybe I'll take a class on website making/computer writing when I get back...Everyone who is into that sort of thing swears it is easy. I'm not so sure. So DEFINTELY if you are ever in London on a Sunday go to Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.
Tomorrow I'm off for Oxford.

Day 11

2005-09-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

Well, it's my last couple of days in London. I found a nearby, cheap (only £1 for an hour) weekend internet option! I have to say I'm ready to move on. It seems like I've been here forever. Last night I was attempting to go see The Storm at the Globe but running late and overshot trying to take a short cut. So I decided to just keep going. The National Film Theatre is always over run with people so I decided to pop in to see what was going on in there. I ended up going to see a tragic Japanese film named "The Precipice". It was about mountain climbers and their affairs and the quality of nylon rope. It was pretty interesting...and melodramtic. But it's what all the kids are doing these days. They actually had some cool sounding movies scheduled but I would have had to plan ahead to see any of those. I would go back.
Bob Dylan is all over the place here. He's artist of the month and they have an exhibit and there is going to be a documentary pre-veiwing the day after I leave London. Oh well.
I'm about to head down to the river... the Mayor's Thames Festival is going on so I need to find out what that's about. There are no home football games today! I may try take the train to go see Chelsea this afternoon. Otherwise I'll just try to catch a girl-match (which are MUCH cheaper) tomorrow at 2pm. Or else I'll just skip the national past time. Depending on my mood. Hmm. Yesterday I made it to both Regent's Park (but it was too freezing to stay) and Hamley's Toys (the best part is the Harry Potter stairs). I've been doing my own thing the past few days which is good... but I wouldn't mind some human contact.The Spaniards who are new to our room seem very nice... but their English is not too good so it's hard to communicate. Maybe I should start practicing my French...

Day 10

2005-09-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm in the Mac Store right now!!! You'd love it here Dad. And they let me get online for free --hurrah! So here's the post I wrote this morning but the library's fickle computer would not let me post.
side-note: SIX is my new total! I'm more London than tea!

Beautiful weather in London again thankfully. Yesterday was messy. I went to the Theatre Museum (all the museums smell the same here...creepy). They had an interesting exhibit on the Redgraves. I also went to see The Woman In Black (it was £5 cheaper than White). It was spooky. Just a dramatized ghost story... I don't think it would been quite the same without a bunch of silly girls up front who screamed (honestly, screamed) at anything. I had a cornish pasty yesterday (spicy vegetable). It wasn't particularly spicy... sort of bland but warm and therefore completely acceptable. I like how they have everything marked over here. Even stuff in the grocery has a little "V" on it and says "suitable for vegetarians". It's nice like that. America should try to be a little more vegetarian friendly. The other day I went by a really cool environmental exhibition (earth of the air? was the organization I think). I found Rome on their giant map of the world! We were on there-- and so was Cartersville...
Anyway they had a bunch of amazing oversized pictures on display. I'm thinking of becoming a vegetarian for ethical reasons (might as well). That way I'll have something to be condescending and lecturing about. Sometimes I forget there are such GOOD reasons to eat less/no meat. No more than the equivillent of one Chikfila Chargrilled Sandwich per day, that is the Heart Associations recommendation. I used this example in my persuasive speech last year. And red meat once or twice monthly I believe. Also it takes SO MUCH meal to fatten up animals for fattening up people who most certainly DO NOT need fattening (Americans) where as the countries who are producing the meal are starving. And of course its easier ecologically to grow plants than to grow animals (sort of feeds into the same statistic). Also they brought another point in the exhibit I thought worth a thought. They projected that the only real way to fight terrorism is to educate people (or get them to a state in which education is plausible) so that they might feel confident thinking for themselves and not become easy pawns for extremists(Muslim, Christian, or otherwise). Maybe I will go into the Peace Corps.
Today I am going to Regent's Park and Hamley's Toys.

Day 9

2005-09-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

It's raining today in London. Yesterday I had a walkabout day again... I wanted to go a couple days without a tube-pass but caved and bought one last night. My German mates, Jodi and Barbara, and I went to the "Comedy Cafe" which was lots of fun. There were 9 comics (3 sets of 3) each got 5 minutes and there were random audience member judges. There were 2 Americans amoung the lot and they were terrible but everyone else ranged from mediocre to brilliant. Our favorite guy did not win...but I don't think you actually get anything for winning anyway. Today I am going to make use of my Tube-pass and try to go see:
The National Gallery (I've already seen the Portrait Gallery)
The Theatre Museum (that never seems to actually happen)
Hambley's Toys (Huge toy store)
The Internet Cafe where I can download the rest of my pictures
and Woman in Black/White

And we're off.

P.S. I must be blending in (at least to the tourists) the count is up to FIVE people who have stopped me to ask for directions. So far I've been absolutely no use to any of them:)

Day 8

2005-09-14T10:34:00.000-04:00

I have offically been in London (not just away from home) for a full week.
Mary Poppins was AMAZING. The effects were terrific (Bert dances on the walls and ceiling and there must have been 3 different roofs that dropped ontop of one another). And it did a really good job of making the new songs fit in and changing it enough so that it can work in a live theatre setting and not making you too reminicent for the movie. I, of course, was 10 minutes late and apparently these British folks don't realize how fashionable it is to be late to the theatre and started it without me. I got in but Mary Poppins was already there. The things I missed from the movie were: The earthquake effect and the crazy man with a ship on top of his house, the floating "I love to laugh" part, and the mother's "sister suffragette" part (which there is a possibility I just missed but I dont think so). I was impressed and my "slightly diminished veiw" just meant that I was near the center where a think iron gate rose slightly into my sight line. So it wasn't so bad. The Dick Van Dyke role was done really well and the kids (I think they have 4 for each part) were fantastic. Really everyone was good-- there were no weak actors.
My 7-day Tube pass has expired so I am going to see how long I can make it just walking around. I missed a good chunk of my internet time this morning because I started talking to two girls from Germany, Jodi and Barbara, who I am meeting up with tonight to do something (maybe the comedy club). I also hope to make it to the Theatre Museum today since that was the only thing I didn't make off my agenda yesterday. Also, should I try to go see: The Woman in Black (classic London thriller that's been running for years) or The Woman in White (Andrew Lloyd Webbers new one... a Victorian chiller--strange I haven't heard many reviews)?
Tootles.

Lotta Lotta Pictures

2005-09-13T17:00:00.000-04:00

I spent 1.5 hours today posting those pictures. So look at them, please. I'll try to get the captions up soon! Everyone's yelling because England won their big cricket-playing contest. Good show England. I have a nose-bleed seat for Mary Poppins tonight!

A week in London

2005-09-13T10:33:00.000-04:00

The weather is lovely in London again. My new hostel is o.k. I have the only single bed in the room and it is by the window... BUT it is smaller than the bunks and one of the window panes is boarded up. Also their idea of "free continental breakfast" is ONE bowl of cornflakes. When the breakfast girl told me that I almost laughed in her face. But she was serious. So I went to Salisbury grocery and got a banana and bagel for 50p. My hair has gone completely mad. The showers are o.k. but you have to search around to find a decent one that doesn't just dribble when you push the button. Most everyone in our room came after I went to sleep and was gone before I woke up. The only reason I knew they were there at all is I woke to people getting ready, misread my watch, got dressed (because I wouldn't want to miss "breakfast")only to find out it was 7 am and went back to bed.
Today I have a specific schedule as yesterday I did nothing but walk around... A LOT. I went to Hyde Park which was nice and lunched there like everyone else. I went to Speaker's Corner but nobody was speaking... I think you are supposed to go on Saturdays or Sundays to hear the radicals. Then I tried to find my way out of Hyde Park. Wandered around the shops at Covent Garden and Piccadilly. I kept taking the subway but then wandering back to the same station a mile away when I wanted to get back on. Then I met up with Arianna and Brittany (who leave for Berlin this afternoon) to listen to the blues guitarist at the National Theatre. He also played some Irish folk music which was very exciting for some of the audience.
The plan for today is:
1. London Museum
2. Try to get cheap seat (£15) tickets to Mary Poppins.
3. Theatre Museum.
4. Download rest of pictures at Internet Cafe (£1.50 for an hour...quite the bargain around here)
5. Go see Mary Poppins.
Done.

Photos

2005-09-12T17:37:00.000-04:00

Hurrah! I found an Internet Cafe (by which it means it serves canned sodas)that allows me to download my pictures to my album. Check that out. There is a link called My Photo Album on your right and the actual address is: branseurotrip.myphotoalbum.com
Unfortunately it is still a very slow process and I'm going to be late for my event if I don't leave soon. Cheers!

Day 6

2005-09-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

I checked out of my room at St. Christopher's this morning because I booked a better deal (weekly rate= £70) at a hostel called "Dover Castle" just down the street. My new Canadian friend Linda and I went over there this morning and they are going to try to put us in the same room. Linda is looking for a job and upon finding that an apartment. I expect this one will be a little lower key since it is geared towards longer stays and not connected to a bar. I hope it is nice. We couldn't check in until 11 and I had my internet appointment at 11 so I haven't been into the rooms yet. Last night my UCLA friends, Brittany and Arianna and I went to Pizza Express which was quite posh and not in any hurry. Tonight we are supposed to meet up at the National Theatre for an acoustic blues guitarist. It's a free event connected to the Thames Festival. My plan is to stay here for another week then leave on Monday for Oxford and Wednesday for Paris.
Things I have left to do in Paris:
London Museum
West End Shows
Groundling at the Globe
See a soccer match (Saturday)
The Comedy Store/and or Club -- both are supposed to be good.
Finish reading Mrs. Dalloway (I bought it at a used book table...thought I should try to read something British)
Petticoat Lane Market (Sunday)
Hyde Park Speaker's Corner

Those are top priority. Though I'm sure I won't get around to all of them without some serious effort. Well I need to try to book my Oxford hostel and Eurostar ticket while I still have some of my hour left. End.

Day 5

2005-09-11T17:41:00.000-04:00

Today I decided to go off my own since I hadn't really done that yet and my new friends (so new I don't remember their names) from UCLA wanted to go to the aquarium. But tonight we're meeting up for dinner.
My goals were:
Walk down the river path.
Go the sunday market.
Go to the Museum of London.
Go to the British Library.
Visit a park.
AND find a cheaper internet cafe.

I took my walk and went to the library. Then it was somehow 5 pm and the Hans Christian Anderson exhibit was closing so I headed back. I was proud of myself for navigating about myself I only got myself into one sketchy neighborhood (not so much sketch as under construction and abandoned) due to a wrong turn but I went around the block and found my way out. I am now using the too expensive internet and I need to decide about my hostel situation because this is my last booked night here. I want to go to Oxford for the weekend I think. I can't afford to go anywhere else. Or maybe I'll go early next week. I'm so glad I chose to spend so much time here because I still feel like I haven't seen enough.
A final thought:
Australians say "heaps" instead of "lots".
Over and out.

ahh did it just eat my blog?

2005-09-11T12:51:00.000-04:00

The internet service here is EVIL and EXPENSIVE.

Day 4

2005-09-10T15:42:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day its been typical dreary London. I think it is actually beginning to storm now. The reason I came down from the room is because the fire alarm went off (as it did last night at 6 in the morning) and I decided to stay and blog. Monica left this morning so I woke up (too) early to eat breakfest with her. She is the last of my first-day friends.
I spent the day sightseeing with two girls who are traveling together Paula and Paola. Their names are pronounced almost exactly the same and this was the source of much confusion. But other than being chain-smokers they are very nice and convienently on the save-every-penny plan like me. They actually met 2 years ago at an English as a second language school in London and decided to meet up again to travel for a bit. Paula is from Mexico and Paola is from Costa Rica. Being as they just became fluent in English two years ago they continually asked me to talk to people for them if they had a problem or were looking for something and I got to try to figure out things they couldn't remember the English name for. They forgot "key chain" and either "incense", "candle", or "potpouri" I never really figured out which. We visited Trafalger Square and Buckingham Palace and H&M and Harrods. They leave tonight for Berlin. Everyone is going to Berlin... what's going on there? I only have 45 seconds left. So this better be the end. Ciao!

The 3rd Day

2005-09-09T17:49:00.000-04:00

I wrote this yesterday but the library would not let me send it. So I am back on the hostel computers. Oh well. The library is still good for longer periods of time.
Yvonne left this morning so we actually woke up early enough to get wheat bread (rather than white) and cornflakes (rather than rice krispies)or at least have the choice from the free hostel breakfast. Erin and I have been sightseeing all day. We went to the British Museum which is HUGE. We just walked around and looked at all of the exibits... well we only got through the Egyptian/mummies and Roman/Greek parts before we had been there for several hours and were very hungry. It's a shame not having Yvonne around because she actually knew where she was going. The Tube is pretty easy but with a pass you can also ride the double decker red buses so we decided to do that. We got on at the museum and the driver didn't even seem that interested in seeing our passes. The we talked to a Spanish couple and got them to take our picture and after about a minute the bus stopped and we said Ciao to them. Then we waited. Then we were confused to here someone yelling. Hmmm. Bus Brawl. OR the bus driver yelling "Last Stop". We gave up on the buses after that. At least on the Tube no one else has to know how stupid you are.
We actually walked back to our original Tube station and ate at a little Italian lunch cafe. Then we just walked about near Big Ben and Westmister and the London Eye. There was some sort of horse-keeping/queen's men thing we ran into but it was beginning to look like it might rain so we decided to come on home.
I'm terribly over budget right now. I've spent almost £150 and it's only been three days. But that includes 5 nights at the hostel and a 7 day tube pass. There is a really nice grocery directly across the street and I'm planning on starting to eat there mostly. It's difficult when you are with people on a shorter trip with a higher budget. Erin leaves tonight. She has to sleep at the airport because her flight leaves so early tomorrow morning. She is going to Berlin next.
The "Ashes" the Aussie/England Cricket tournament/match is a big deal right now. We watched a good bit of it last night. I still have no idea what is going on though a couple of fanatics have tried to explain. I mean, why don't they just play baseball?
Just kidding. But seriously.
We've discovered that we cannot download pictures here at the library even though it has USB capabilities. So I will have to try to find another hub. Tomorrow I will be on my own again. But there are 3 new girls in our room...they were sleeping when Erin and I got in this afternoon. Also there is a girl from China I met this morning who will be here for another 3 weeks.
Anyway, I'm still safe and having a good time. The library internet is booked tomorrow and closed on Sunday so I'll probably be looking out for an internet cafe that will let me download my pictures. Mmmwa!

ouheroauh

2005-09-09T12:19:00.000-04:00

this is a test

Day 1 and 2

2005-09-08T22:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, this is my second time trying to post which is frustrating. But the good news is that I'm having a FANTASTIC time and I found free internet at a library just a few blocks away. Unfortunately you have to book a computer about a day in advance and it is the one that lost my previous blog. So I'm on the expensive hostel internet.
I took a 2-3 hour nap yesterday once I got in to the room because I was so exhausted. I've been hanging around with two girls who I am staying with: Erin, who is travelling around a bit before going to study abroad in Northern Ireland (she flew into Gatwich on NW the same day as I did) and Yvonne, who is from Australia and travelling around the world (she's been gone over 2 months and is going home in November). Last night we went out to eat at the oldest pub in Yorke where I had a non-traditional veggie burger (I think it was just mashed up peas/corn/potatos/carrots deep fried). We watched the N.Ireland/England game with a bunch of (afterwards) angry English boys. But they didn't stay too angry. We went to the karoke party at Belushi's (as in John...specifically Blues Brothers that's the only brand of memorabilia at least). Did you know that English boys have no problem dancing? with each other? They also sing, loudly.
Today we went to the Tower of London. We've had perfect weather. It's gorgeous and the temperature is not too hot...except on the Tube. Erin and I visited the Globe later while Yvonne did laundry. I'm going to go see a show later this week. I'm sad that my friends are leaving so soon. Yvonne leaves tomorrow and Erin the day after. So far I have not travelled at all. My time is running out but I believe I will be able to put up some pictures soon. My internet appointment is for 5pm tomorrow. Love!

The Landing

2005-09-07T13:23:00.000-04:00

I'm in London! Finally, after TWO LONG plane rides. I am safe and sound at my hostel though I can't check in for another hour. The trip was relatively smooth. Though I did have a bit of trouble figuring out how to catch the train from Gatwich. Once I did it was pretty easy to navigate from there. I've spent my allotted £12 for the day. 9.80 on train fare; .29p for some cream cheese to go on the bagel that I stowed away from my vegetarian breakfest on the plane ( i think my vegetarian dinner was much better than the regular one on board... but the breakfast was not as impressive...but i did get my meals before everyone else... because I'm special); and £2 on 40 minutes of internet time. I probably would not have bought so much had I a pound instead of a two pound coin. But it's for the best because I only have 17 minutes remaining. I met two girls on the plane, Tara and Alexa who are travelling alone like me. One is hoping to work in London and the other is just here a few days in transit to India. They are both from Michigan and a bit unfairly lucky to have seats together. I was stuck on my own amoungst at least 10 couples of seniors. I haven't gotten too much sleep. We landed at 10 AM London time which is 5 AM Georgia time. But I feel pretty good and the weather is nice. I think I'll just look through brochures until they let me check in. I'll try to update shortly. Thanks for checking up!

1 night left on American Soil

2005-09-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

It's crunch time folks! And I still have a few things to do before I can leave the good ole U.S. of A.
1. Purchase (British) European converter for phone. And return the Continental one I bought from Radio Shack.
2. Sew sleep-sheet up. I'm trying to enlist the help of my grandmother.
3. Find lost credit card (very, VERY important).
4. Purchase:
Large, hard glasses case.
Nalgene H2O bottle.
xD card (as the one I bought over Amazon will very likely not get here in time)
Playing Cards
Longish soccer shorts that will not appall Mom and Dad
Hometown postcards (to use as thank you notes for people I like).
5. Pack and clean. Pack and clean..... Check. Recheck. Check. Recheck.

You know the drill. This is going to be an adventure.

Pack List

2005-08-28T21:58:00.000-04:00

Bags:
Pack
MoneyBelts
Medium Lightweight Duffle (Buy There)

Documents/Cards:
Passport
Copy of Passport
Hostel International Card
Student I.D.
Visa
MasterCard
Cash
Glasses perscription

Toiletries:
Large, thin towel
Travel Bottle Soap
Travel Bottle Shampoo
Deoderant
Contacts
Brush
Toothbrush/Paste

Misc.
Sleepsheet
Earlplugs
Sunscreen
Whistle
Flashlight
Meds
Clothes Pins/Saftey Pins/Duct Tape
Water Bottle

Books:
Journal
Phrase Book
Travel Guide
Maps (En Route)

Accesories:
Sunglasses
Baseball Cap/Tobaggon
Bandana
Deck of Cards
Camera
Pen
Hometown Postcards

Clothes:
1 Pair Pants
1 Pair Nylon Sports Shorts
2 Skirts
Bathing Suit
1 Tank Top
2 T-Shirts
1 Long Sleeve Shirt
1 Bra
5 Panties

Shoes:
1 Pair Flip-Flops
1 Pair Tennis Shoes

Itinerary

2005-08-25T11:58:00.000-04:00

100 Days in Europe: Itinerary (As Accurate As You're Probably Going to Ever Get)

Tuesday, Sept. 6: Board Plane Atlanta to London
Wednesday, Sept. 7: Arrive Mid-morning in London

Saturday, Sept. 24: Depart for Paris

Thursday, Oct. 6: Depart Paris to Madrid. (1)

Friday, Oct. 7: Arrive Madrid. ( 6 Days)
Wednesday, Oct. 12: Depart Madrid for Barcelona. (2)

Thursday, Oct. 13: Arrive Barcelona. ( 6 Days)
Tuesday, Oct. 18: Depart Barcelona for Nice. (3)

Wednesday, Oct. 19: Arrive Nice. ( 6 Days)
Monday, Oct. 24: Depart Nice for Florence. (4)

Tuesday, Oct. 25: Arrive Florence. ( 6 Days)
Sunday, Oct. 30: Depart Florence for Rome. (5)

Monday, Oct. 31: Arrive Rome. ( 7 Days)
Sunday, Nov. 6: Depart Rome for Venice. (6)

Monday, Nov. 7: Arrive Venice. ( 6 Days)
Saturday, Nov. 12: Depart Venice for Salzburg. (7)

Sunday, Nov. 13: Arrive Salzburg. (6 Days)
Friday, Nov. 18: Depart Salzburg for Munich. (8)

Saturday, Nov. 19: Arrive Munich. ( 6 Days)
Thursday, Nov. 24: Depart Munich for Interlocken. (9)

Friday, Nov. 25: Arrive Interlocken. ( 12 Days) *6 Allowanced Days*
Tuesday, Dec. 6: Depart Interlocken for Paris. (10)

Wednesday, Dec. 7: Arrive Paris.

Wednesday, Dec. 14: Depart London for Atlanta.