The End of a Long Journey; the Fulfillment of a Dream

So.............. I just backpacked through Europe. I'll come back to that.

Yesterday I didn't end up going to Pompeii like I had planned. I was up around 8, but I wasn't out until a little after 11. When I got to the train station, the lady I talked to informed me that it is a three hour train ride just to get to Naples, and from there I would've had to take local transportation to Pompeii. I don't know why I didn't think of this - I knew it was a good distance away - but for whatever reason I just didn't think about it yesterday morning. So it would've been a good 7 or 8 hours of travel time round trip, with only an hour or two in the ruins. So I just said nevermind. It may have been for the best, anyway; after I went to the train station I checked the weather because it was looking like it was going to rain. It sorta did, off and on, but the weather was supposed to be worse in Pompeii, both yesterday and today. Oh well. So after that I went wandering around Rome for awhile, going everywhere but the area of the Roman Colloseum and Forum. I stopped to eat some pizza at a little joint I passed (it was really good), saw a big church (Maggiore something or other), and just generally observed the city. At one point, I accidentally caught a glimpse of the Colloseum. I was trying to save it until today - I didn't even want to see it. It didn't really ruin it, though. A bit later on, I got a little lost and my guidebook wasn't helping me at all. I ambled in what I thought might have been the right direction, and ended up a block or so away from my hotel. I had a thought then: perhaps sometimes the best way to find where you're going is to get lost. After that, I went to this niceish Italian joint just up the street. I had the best glass of Chianti I've ever had, with some bruscetta with tomatoes, green olives, and something else, and then risotto with a light brown sauce and some other stuff. I finished it off with espresso and a little thing of chocolate mousee; the whole meal was phenomenal. AND only 25 euro!

Today was a short day. I was up at nine, and out by noon. The only thing I had left to do here in Rome was see the Colloseum and the Roman Forum, and it only took a few hours. I knew it would, and had planned accordingly. It's why I wasn't out until noon. The ruins of the Forum were much, much more extensive than I thought they would be. It was so cool. You could go into Augustus Ceasar's (technically the second Roman Emperor, but the first who stayed in power and probably the greatest emperor of them all) house, but there was an uber long line so I skipped it. Still, it was really cool. They put trees and bushes all over so that, in a few places, you get a real feel for what it would have been like there 2000 years ago. After that, I went to the Colloseum. That, too, was awesome. It is huge, and you get a good feel for just how advanced Roman construction was. I really enjoyed myself today. After that, I went up to the train station to reserve a spot on the first train to the airport tomorrow morning (552 AM). On my way, there was some kind of protest or demonstration going on, I'm not sure what it was about. After I finish writing this, I'm going back to my hotel to finish the little bit of food there, and the other half of that bottle of wine I bought Thursday. I'll go to bed early so that I have a chance of being somewhat well rested for my 20 hour (including train time) sprint home.

From what I have observed in my brief stay in Italy, and from what I already knew, the biggest trait that I see most Italians sharing is passion. This manifests itself in several ways. It's what makes their food so good. It's what makes them good, if volatile, companions and lovers. It's also what makes them scream at each other over soccer and probably what led to them being the biggest gangsters in America. There was one point in Florence when a car had to screech to a halt because the guy driving hadn't noticed that the pedestrian's 'walk' sign had lit up, and that they had the right of way. At first, he honked and yelled at the people. But then three different other men, walking, (I don't think they knew each other) walked up to the side of the car and started screaming in his window. I made sure I was out of earshot before I started laughing. I love it here in Italy, especially Rome, and I think I could get used to Italian culture if I wanted to. I also think that Italian women are the most beautiful of the ones I've seen while over here. They also look like they may rival French women at how high-maintenence they are.

Ok, so now about the whole me backpacking through Europe. It's a little hard to believe that I just did it. When I was much younger, probably around ten or so, I laid out a few big goals for myself: skydiving on my 18th birthday, hiking the appalachian trail (or the continental divide trail), and backpacking through Europe. Of those three, going to Europe seemed the most remote, the most unlikely. It wasn't quite how I had envisioned it - I think I meant actually walking throughout Europe at the time - but it has still been quite something. In some cases, all I managed to do was find out where I want to come back to. I didn't go to Venice, Pompeii, most of Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and a few places in France. I would probably have to take another five weeks to do all of that right. I also haven't seen any of Eastern or Central Europe, and then there's still Asia, Africa, and Australia. But still, what I have seen has been remarkable, and I suppose I am now something of a world traveler. Does that make me worldy? Maybe not, at least not yet.

It's hard for me, at this point, to tell how much I've changed, if I have even changed at all. I suspect that I won't know for several years yet. I made some observations about the world, but I don't know if I can really speak with any authority about the different cultures of Western Europe. I had a few epiphanies, wrote a few essays, and thought a lot, but I don't know if I have become any wiser. I may go home and slide right back into the place I was when I left; but then I may go home, move out, finish my book, and go back to school with a newfound drive. Maybe it will be somewhere in the middle, I can't really say. Perhaps I am overthinking things; I tend to do that. Whether I grow from my time in Europe or not, I have had some amazing experiences, and done things at the ripe old age of 21 that some people never get the chance to do.

I'm not sure if I actually lost any weight. At one point I know I had, because my stomach was much smaller. But then I started eating regularly and my days became a bit less strenuous, and I may have gained it all back. No big deal, I was going to have to keep exercising and dieting when I got home either way. Besides, I didn't come here to lose weight.

Europe is a fantastic place, with as many different cultures and landscapes as there are countries. If anybody is thinking about taking an extended trip, I would strongly recommend coming here. Also, if anyone wants some advice on how to travel or where to go, I can help some with that, too. I ended up spending about 5000 dollars in all, over five weeks. 2000 of that was airfare and my Eurail pass. Another 800 was losing my camera and staying in a hotel here in Rome. I've actually paid for about half of the trip, with the other half charged on my credit card. I'll have it paid off by the end of December, mid-January at the latest. I would have been able to pretty much just paid for it out of pocket, but my car broke down, my computer caught a rather expensive virus, and I stopped paying attention to how much money I was spending a month or two before my trip because I was having such a good time with my friends. Still, I think it was a pretty good way to go, and I'm happy that I was able to set out on this huge undertaking without help.

Tomorrow night I get back into Cincinnati at 7 something Eastern time, before going to dinner with my rents and then crashing. Monday I plan on doing absolutely nothing, except for maybe cooking some. Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be catching up and partying with friends, going into work to tell them I'm still alive and would love to work next Saturday night, and write. And post Facebook pics (that's going to take FOREVER). I plan on junking out through Thanksgiving, but I'll be exercising all this week and be right back on the wagon after next weekend. Life as usual will resume after that.

I know I've rambled a bit in this post; sorry about that. I'm just saying any last minute things that come to mind, anything that I feel like maybe I ought to say seeing as how this is my last entry for this blog. For those of you who have followed it and made comments, thank you. To everybody who has read even one, whether I knew about it or not, thank you as well. I hope whoever has read these has enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

It's been some adventure, but I'm ready to go home. For now, I'll say goodbye to Europe. It's been fun.

-Ben Rosenzweig

The Eternal City

Remember in my last post when I said that I was tired, was hitting my wall, and that I was ready to go home? Nevermind.

Rome is easily my favorite place so far. I like it better even than Paris. Now, that's a very personal choice, because I think that most people say that Paris is better, and more beautiful. But I think I may have found my happy place; for a city, that is. They call it the Eternal City, and there isn't a better name for Rome. Modern cars drive along the streets, with little shops and kioks selling hot pizza, bottled drinks, ice cream, and the like. Right next to them are the centuries old houses, very European but also very Italian. Then there are churches and monuments (and the Vatican) from the Renaissance. And underneath it all, cropping up when you least expect it, are the foundations and landmarks of ancient Rome. Many of the buildings that stand today were constructed on the Roman foundations. Just walking down the street gives the humbling knowledge that people have been making their way around this place doing their daily business for thousands of years. For a history buff like me (and my favorite history is Roman history), it's nothing short of amazing.

Yesterday I left Florence at 11 AM, and got to Rome at 1230. I don't know why I thought it was going to take me three hours, but it didn't. I immediately went and found an internet cafe, because I had asked Uncle Tim (he does some travel agent stuff on the side) to look into some possible lodgings for me while I was here, because I wasn't going to stay in a hostel here. He found me a couple of very nice-looking bed and breakfasts, and I almost just booked one. But, I had really been thinking of a hotel (I don't know why, I was just being stubborn), and so I went to expedia to see if maybe I could find a decent deal there. I did, and now I'm in a four-star hotel 300 meters away from the train station, just a block or two away from the internet cafe I was in. I'm staying there for 90 dollars (not euro, dollars) a night. It would have been 80, but I booked a room with a "double bed for single use," which I thought meant that I'd have a double bed. Instead, it was a room with two twin beds. Oh well. After that I went and looked around for a bit, bought myself a nice-but-cheap bottle of wine, bought a little pizza (Italian pizza, not American) and went back to my hotel and settled in for the night. It was lovely.

Breakfast this morning was certainly better than I have been getting, but it wasn't a big American breakfast like I was hoping for. I suppose I shouldn't have hoped for that, seeing as how I'm in Italy and all. Still, it was good. Cereal, a couple types of pastries, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, bread, fruit, and bright orange scrambled eggs. Maybe they added cheese sauce or something, I don't know. Anyway, I was slow to get out of the hotel because there's a TV in there and I haven't had one for a month. The only English channels are BBC and CNN, so I've been catching up on my current events. Still, I was out a little before 11 this morning.

I walked straight to the Vatican, stopping on the way to see the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Novana, and the Pantheon. Of those, the Pantheon was easily my favorite. (Fun fact that I already knew: the Pantheon was built around 115 AD, by Emperor Hadrian. Around 1500 years later, I think around the 17 or 1800s, when some Pope wanted the same type of dome for a church, the engineers couldn't figure out how to build it. I think they still haven't). Have I mentioned that I love Roman history? Anyway, then I saw the Castel Sant'Angelo from across the river before heading into the Vatican. I went to St. Peter's first; and oh my goodness is it beautiful. I've now been all over Western Europe, and seen a lot of churches along the way. I don't think St. Peter's necessarily dwarfed them in terms of size, but it was definitely much bigger. Everywhere you looked, the view was spectacular. I went a little picture crazy in there, and my count for the whole day is around 150, I think. After that, I went to the Vatican museum. That was cool; lots of Roman and Greek statues, paintings by Raphael, some Egyptian art, but the best was of course the Sistene Chapel. It's fantastic. It's a little bit dark, and there are attendants there that kept shushing everybody, but it was really cool. My neck hurt by the time I left, from looking up so much. The best part, in my opinion, is the Creation of Man; I love the way Michelangelo shows that. His Last Judgement scene was cool, but I find most paintings like that a bit dramatic. On the sides of the walls are frescoes of Moses' and Jesus' life, but they weren't done by Michelangelo.

After that, I got some gelato right outside the museum. I got two flavors: tiramisu and something else. I think it started with an S. Anyway, it was good. Then I headed over to the Spanish Steps, which is in the ritzy part of town. There were big shops with Louis Vitton, Versace, etc. Finally, I went up to the Hard Rock Cafe to buy a t-shirt, because I'm addicted to them, before heading here. Next I'll go back to my hotel to write an essay about a thought I had today.

Tomorrow I'll go to Pompeii. I don't know how I'm getting there yet; I have to figure that out tonight. It'll take all day, I imagine. Then I think tomorrow night I'll go out to a niceish restaurant here, and then Saturday is going to be Ancient Rome :-D. Saturday night I'll blog again, for the very last time on this trip. It'll be a lengthy one, where I'll talk about what I did before talking in abstract generalities.

I can't wait for the next two days, and I also can't wait to get home. See you Saturday night!

-Swag

Mambo Italiano

It has been a very, very long few days.

It took two entire days of train rides (11 hours one day, 9 hours the next, including train station time) to get to Florence. While I did meet a few people and have a couple of nice chats on the way, my time was filled largely with nothing. I did some thinking, and I now think I have the rest of my book mapped out (by the way, when I talk about writing a book, I mean a novel I'd already been working on before I left. I am not writing a memoir about my travels). I was somewhat stuck as to where I wanted it to go, and now I think I have it figured out. I also listed to my iPod until it died, and read about half of my last book. Still, I tried not to gobble the whole thing up, so I ended up sitting around twiddling my thumbs for around ten hours total. Then last night after the train pulled into Florence central (around 645), I had a felt-much-longer-than-it-really-was three mile hike to my hostel. I was in by 830, and I crashed shortly thereafter.

Today I ate a meager breakfast, because that's what they served at the hostel. By meager I mean two pieces of bread, coffee, and some OJ. Then I did laundry (I'd run out of clean and even sorta clean clothes). When that was finished, I wandered in the general direction of town, getting there about an hour and a half later. Florence is very beautiful; it is reminiscent of Paris in design, but the colors and roofs are wholly Mediterranean. I had heard, way back in London, that Italians were aggressive, and because of that, the guy I was talking to didn't enjoy Italy all that much. I don't know that it's true as a rule, but I have come across a variety of self-absorbed people not able to share the tiny sidewalks along the streets here. It wasn't long before I was in a rather foul mood.

It was at that point that I realized that I hadn't had a real meal in several days. In fact, for the last two days all I've had is breakfast. So I stopped at a McDonalds's and tried this burger that I think is only found in Europe; it is something like a Big Boy, but on a delicious type of bread. I think Arby's uses the same bread for their chicken sandwhich things. Anyway, after that I went and got a Belgium Waffle. My stomach didn't quite know what to do with all the calories, but I'm feeling much better now.

My sightseeing in Florence was somewhat abbreviated. I saw the Ponte Vecchio, which is a bridge that feels like a city street packed with all types of ridiculously expensive jewlery. I also saw the Duomo, an incredible cathedral with the the largest dome in the world constructed without scaffolding. Finally, I went to the Galleria dell'Accademia, which houses Michelangelo's David. Now THAT was fantastic. I'm not a huge sculpture fan, but this piece was simly exquisite.

And that's it. Florence is really just one large sprawling museum, work of art, and tourist trap. The one big thing here that I missed was the Uffizi, which is an art museum that seems like it's a lot like the Louvre; big and focusing on renaissance art. So for me, that isn't a huge loss.

Tomorrow, I can head to Rome whenever I feel like it because it's only a three hour train ride (hallelujah), so I'll probably just sleep till I wake up, eat, shower, and hike over to the train station (about an hour). I'll get to Rome in the early afternoon, go to whatever place I'm staying in, and stay there. I have an idea of buying a fresh baguette, some cheese, and an entire bottle of wine and sitting around in a hotel room all night. I know I haven't actually been doing anything really strenuous until last night and today, but I just feel like it.

I am starting to hit my wall. In the beginning and middle of the trip, my legs and feet would be sore by the end of the day but I'd be fine the next morning. Now, after only a couple hours of walking my legs and feet start to complain, and one of my toes on my right foot is yelling at me. Also, I think I have just about hit my limit for solitude. I definitely have a big loner streak, and so at the beginning of the trip it was great, then fine, then tolerable. But now I find myself looking at my watch every hour or so to see what day it is, because every day brings me closer to home and companionship. Don't get me wrong, this trip has been fantastic, I can't wait to get to Rome, and I feel like I have learned and grown a lot, but I'm done now. Five weeks is probably all I could handle by myself.

I have something of a game plan for Rome. I plan on devoting one entire day to the Vatican and it's museums (it houses the Sistene Chapel!!), and perhaps at least a half day to the Roman Colloseum and Forum. I also want to take a little half-day trip out to Pompeii. Aside from that, I don't really know. That will probably take up all of Thursday and Friday, but that leaves Saturday up in the air. So I'll probably do everything else (the Spanish Steps, non-vatican museums, etc.) on Saturday. Or I may switch up the order of those days and save something for last, I don't know.

Ok well I'm running out of time on the internet, and I have at least an hour's trek before I get back. It's not even five yet, but it feels much later to me. I'll be back on here perhaps Thursday or Friday with my first impressions on Rome, and then definitely again Saturday night with my very last blog entry. That'll be a long one.

See you soon!

-Swag

A Little Slice of Spain

Let´s see.... the last time I posted, I was in Montpelier on my way here to Barcelona, no? Ok. I didn´t get to Barcelona on Thursday night until around ten that night, because the train ride was prolonged by three seperate passport checks; two in France, and one in Spain. That was irritating, and it was also the first time I have experienced a passport check while on a train in Europe. That´s something I forgot to mention; I only have two stamps in my passport because when you travel by train you don´t have to go through customs here. It definitely saves me time, but I was looking forward to having a passport full of stamps. Oh well. Anyway, I bought a three day subway pass and made it to my hostel a little before 11 Thursday night. The hostel here is pretty nice - along with including breakfast, as most do, they have free internet and a kitchen for general use (so I got to eat beef stew last night).

Once I was checked in and unpacked, I went out and around the area of my hostel, because I always like to know the area I´m staying in before I go out and about the next day. There´s a really nice little square right next to my hostel that is packed with little restaurants and bars and shops, and they´re all cheap. After I looked at that for awhile, I went toward La Rambla, which is a street in Barcelona that is one of the most poplulated and popular. My hostel is in a little alley between it and another street. On my way to the street I discovered that the alley is not the safest area of Barcelona. I THINK I almost got mugged. I passed this guy and saw him give me the ¨eye,¨ and so I immediately had my guard up. I heard a loud footstep a little to close to me just a few steps later, and so I looked back. I THINK that it was him behind me, but I didn´t geta good look. Once he saw that I was aware of him, he backed off, but kept following me. Fortunately, I entered a more crowded area of the alley where there were a few cops a minute or so later, and when I looked around then he was nowhere to be found. So that was good, but then when I got to La Rambla, which my guidebook lists as a sight that is worth checking out, there were prostitutes all over the place! So I finally just turned around and went to bed.

I decided that Friday was going to be my day off. I got up around 830, ate breakfast, and hung out for a bit before taking a shower and heading out. I put my bathing suit on under my pants instead of my boxers, and went straight to the beach. It´s been completely clear and sunny and beautiful both yesterday and today, with the temperatures around 60 degrees. When I´m in the city and in the shade, and it´s a little windy, the weather is perfect for me to have my jacket on. But out on the beach in the sun, it was just about right for me to lay in the sun in my bathing suit for a few hours. It was quite lovely. I didn´t go swimming, because something told me that the water was going to be rather cold, but there were a bunch of surfers out and they were fun to watch. After that I walked along the beach for awhile, then a little bit in the city, and then went back to my hostel and read for a bit. There´s this Greek guy in my room who is a writer/director back in Greece, and he had bought a fresh baguette and some kind of really good cheese so we chatted for awhile while he shared his food with me. After that, I was inexplicably exhuasted (maybe the sun?) and so I went to bed around 6 last night. Lame, I know, but it felt good.

Today I was up by nine, and out by 11ish. I went around and saw a bunch of the sights: there are a couple of really cool churches that I saw from the outside (I didn´t go inside because it has started to make me angry when churches charge an entrance fee; so I won´t be paying to go into a church except for St. Peter´s in Rome). I also walked around and enjoyed the architecture of the city, walking around for about 5 or 6 hours. Finally, I climbed a MOUNTAIN!! Well, it´s not a REAL mountain, only about 3 or 4 thousand feet (I´m guessing), but they call it a mountain here. Montjuis. I got to the top where there´s this pretty cool old castle, and watched the sunset from there. It was fantastic, and the views all around were breathtaking. I got some good pictures. After that I went back down to the city and called my rents (for the third time this trip) before coming here to blog. I think I´ll go read for a bit back at the hostel before going to bed.

Tomorrow I´m going to catch the 8:45 train to Montpelier, and then find a train from there to Florence. I´ll be in Florence by tomorrow night, and stay there until Wednesday morning. Wednesday I´ll head to Rome. I have about 90 € on me in cash, and thanks to really tight spending I have a little over 1000 dollars left on my credit card. So, in Rome I get to stay in a hotel! Ah, I can´t wait... my own room, with a comfortable bed, real pillows, and privacy; and I won´t be living out of a locker. In eight days from this moment I´ll be in London, about to board the plane to Chicago. I´m really looking forward to Italy (especially Rome) but I´m starting to get weary of my travels. I can´t wait to get home.

Ok, that´s it for now. I´ll probably blog again Tuesday or Wednesday night, from either Florence or Rome. See you then!

-Swag

Six Down, Two to Go

So I'm finished with France. I'm on my way to Barcelona right now, but there's a three hour gap between one train and the next, so I'm waylaid for awhile in Marseilles. It's beautiful here; and the weather is perfect, and I found a cheap internet cafe so I'm not upset about waiting around. Now that I'm finished with France, I've been in 6 different countries so far. Next is a little slice of Spain, and then Italy :).

I got to Arles Tuesday night around six thirty. It was dark, and I had no idea where my hostel was, so I hailed a cab for the third time thus far (first when I was lost in Luxembourg, and then again in Paris because I was tired and didn't want to walk 4 miles and couldn't find the subway). Those things are expensive, and hopefully I won't be needing to take another one. Anyway I just unpacked and went to bed last that night. The next day (Wednesday; yesterday) I was up and out by ten, as usual, and saw what there was to see. It was raining until about 1 or so, so I got a little wet. No big, though.

Arles is a small town town full of quaint old Mediterranean houses and Roman ruins. I had a BLAST going through some of the best Roman ruins in France; there was a Theatre and an Arena and a cemetery and baths. So that was fantastic. Also, Arles is where Van Gogh went when he went a little insane and checked himself into a mental health institution. So I visited that place, and actually saw a couple of the places Van Gogh painted, and later became famous. I bought a couple of souveniers there (my first so far, actually) and shipped them home.

Next I went and treated myself to a nice meal. I don't speak French and my waitress didn't speak English, so ordering was interesting, but I managed to order a nice steak with mushrooms and vegetables and I think something like mashed potatoes. They slice up about a third of a baguette and bring it with the meal, so that was cool. I ordered what I thought was a small caraffe of wine (two, three glasses at the most), but it ended up being a small bottle - about half a liter, and it was more like five glasses. I am not a heavy drinker, and am not used to so much wine at a time, so I was drunk by the time I was finished (I paid for it, so I didn't want to leave it, and I couldn't very well take it with me, could I?). So I once again meandered along streets in a foreign country, laughing at myself the whole way because I'm so stupid. I made it back to my hostel fine, but they're closed during the day until 5 so I couldn't get in. Still feeling a little more bold than usual, I hopped the fence and went around in search of a alternate entry. I found one, but was immediately caught and kicked out until they actually opened. So I waited outside, feeling better once five o'clock rolled around, and apologized when I was finally let in. I swear, maybe I just won't drink again until I get home so I don't get into trouble.

I went to bed last night at around seven I think (I was trying to get to bed early so that I could catch an early train), but I didn't fall asleep until midnight. It's interesting where your thoughts wander when you have nothing to do but think. I may have arrived somewhere rather profound, but I'll wait until I get home to tell people about it. I wrote an essay this morning while waiting on the train to arrive (I overslept for the early one) in my journal so that I wouldn't forget it. It would take far too long to explain here.

So anyway, by ten tonight I'll have arrived in Barcelona. I plan on staying there through Saturday night, using either Friday or Saturday to lay aroud and do absolutely nothing. Then Sunday I'll head up to Florence, and be in Rome by Wednesday night. Ten days from now I'll be on my way home :-D.

I appreciate all the comments; it's really nice to know people are reading. I miss everyone back home and can't wait to get there, but right now I'm more focused on getting to Rome. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Oh and Red Guy... well that's understandable. And hiking together for ten days narrows the pool of possibilities for certain. Combined with marching band and Choraliers that definitely makes you a Sutton, but you said SEEING you, not BEING with you... so this must be Mr. Sutton??

I'll write again Saturday or Sunday, after I'm through with Barcelona. See you then!!

-Swag

It Really is That Beautiful

Wow... what a whirlwind of a couple days I've had.

Yesterday I got up around 830 and was out by ten, as usual. I took the subway to the approximate center of Paris, and didn't get back on until I left for the day. I got out of the subway at Hotel DeVille, and was in immediate awe of where I was. There definitely isn't another city like Paris. The buildings are beautiful, and sometimes in France you seem somehow closer to the sky than normal. Anyway, it's lovely. The first place I went to was the Cathedral of Notre Dame, just because I could see it from where I started. I couldn't figure out why it was so crowded until I remembered that it was Sunday. Oops. So I was in and out of there pretty quickly. Luckily, I think I got there between services or something, so I actually got to see it. After that, I walked along the Isle de la Cite, which was of course beautiful.

Next I went to the Louvre. I got there a little before noon, walking the long way around it so that I'd see the whole thing from the outside. It's... well it's big. You here all of these stories about it being three miles long, etc, etc, but you don't really get it until you're there (as with so many other things). I wasn't feeling particularly artsy yesterday, and I knew that no matter how long I spent there it would still be an interesting experience, so I decided not to make myself go to the areas I didn't really want to just because I was at the Louvre. So I skipped about half of it - all of the French sculptures and all of the Objects d'Art (furniture and weapons and stuff that are artsy). Instead, I focused my time on the Roman and Greek sculptures, and the paintings. Unfortunately, I didn't get Uncle Tim's message on here about the lack of Impressionism at Louvre (they only go to 1848) until just now, so I was very disappointed about that. Still, I spent the better part of four hours perusing the vast array of art. It was very cool. I did see the Mona Lisa, but it was so stinking crowded there that I couldn't get close.

By the time I was done there, my legs were already tired and I was starving, so I grabbed a bite to eat. I just stopped at a McDonald's (don't worry I plan on treating myself to a nice French meal with some wine or chamagne while in Arles tomorrow night) before heading over to the Arc de Triomphe. THAT was cool; and I walked up the Champs de Elysee from Place de la Concorde to get there, so that was fun too. By this time (around (5ish) the sun was starting to set, and I headed over to the Eiffel Tower. After waiting for half an hour, I was on my way up. I took the stairs as far as you were allowed to, the second level (why not??), and then took the elevator to the top. By the time I had started climbing, the sun was almost completely gone, so that it was dark when I got to the second level. The moon was out, you can see for miles, and the lights stretch out forever. It was so beautiful; the perfect end for the day. After I was done, I went out in front to get some night pics. I got a few, and when I started to walk away a whole bunch of strobe lights set all over the Tower started flashing, making the whole tower look like a sparkling diamond in the night. I tried to get a pic, but my CAMERA DIED!!! I was so pissed. I'm gonna go back when I'm done here, so that it doesn't just exist in memory.

Today I was out by ten again, and I went straight to the Palace of Versailles. Unfortunately, it's closed on Mondays... oops. So I got some shots of the outside, and spent quite awhile wandering the gardens. They were lovely, not to mention huge. Next I went to the Hotel de les Invalides (just a cool looking building, basically), Juliper (?) Gardens, the Parthenon, Latin Quarter, and Place de la Bastille. It was a whole lot of walking. I rounded out the day with the Musee l'Orangerie, which (get jealous Mom) housed huge, panoramic, room-length Water Lillies series by Monet, among other Impressionist works. I found another four artists that I like (particularly Renoit and Derain). Although it was a pretty small museum, I spent over an hour there. It was really nice.

I could spend another day here in Paris (easily) but I've decided to go ahead and move on after two full days of being here. It's fabulous, but I know I'll be back so it gives me something to look forward to. Tomorrow I'm headed to Arles. If I don't get there early enough, I'll stay two nights, but hopefully I'll just stay one. Then it's Barcelona, for at least a day of nothing to do (can't wait for that) before heading to Italy!! I'll definitely go to Florence and to Rome, and maybe somewhere else if I have time. I'll blog again from Barcelona, on either Wednesday or Thursday.

OH and I KEEP forgetting to say that I'm growing a beard!! I haven't shaved since I got to Europe, and it's coming in nicely :).

See ya later!

-Swag

Bonjour from Paris!!

The keyboard is all messed up again so this post isn't going to be all that long. And for being away from here for three days, I haven't really done a whole lot.

So I just got into Paris about an hour ago, instead of yesterday like I had planned. The train ride to Munich from Berlin took a little over 5 hours, which was more than I had bargained for. I didn't get into my hostel until about seven that night, so I didn't see any of Munich that day. No biggie, just a setback.

I fell a little bit in love with Munich yesterday. The people seem happy, I love the atomoshpere and the sights, and the street musicians were actually good for once! I felt as though there was culture just oozing out of the place. I started off the day a little late; I was tired so I slept in and then read some in the morning after breakfast, so I wasn't showered and out and about until noon. I started off looking for the Residena, but ended up in the Marienplatz instead. It was really cool; a lot like the Grand Place in Brussels. There were cool buildings and churches and the like. Right next to the Marienplatz was Petersplatz, which was a little square with a really big open air market. Later on in the day I came back to try a little German chocolate and some bread thing (both were really good). After that I went to the Residenz; you'll have to see the pictures of this place to believe just how amazing it was. The Residenz used to be the home for the Dukes and whatnot that ruled the area, and so it was basically a ginormous mansion. It was SO cool; it even had it's own theatre.

After that I went to the English Garden, Munich's Central Park. I think it's probably my favorite so far. I rounded out the day with a couple churches and a German beer, then went to bed. I arrived in Paris after a 6 hour train ride a little while ago. And that's all I've been up to for the last few days!

I want to see several sites around here, most especially the Louvre. I also plan on taking a day trip(maybe on my way to Arles) to visit the Palace of Versailles. I'll be back here to blog on Monday or Tuesday night, probably.

Oh and Mom, the language thing hasn't really been an issue. I don't talk much here anyway, and when I do it's to order food or a ticket or something, and usually the people I'm dealing with speak a little english, or I only have to know phrase or two.

Ok, that's it for now. See you in a few days!

-Swag

From the Halfway Point

At this moment, I am as close to exactly halfway with my trip as I'm going to be. I'm torn between being excited to be closer to getting home, and dreading the end of the trip. It's a little hard to believe I've gone through so much already.

I was on a train leaving Amsterdam by around 1230 on Monday, and made it to Cologne by around four. The first hostel I went to was full, even though it was huge, because there was some sort of PC gaming competition being held there and they had booked up the whole place. Weird. So I went to another one, which was cheaper anyway (although it didn't include breakfast) and quickly unpacked. The whole reason for my going to Cologne was because they have this HUGE cathedral, which was free (I wouldn't have gone if it weren't free). It was well worth the trip, as this one was the biggest yet, even bigger than the one in Westminster (London), I believe. My favorite part about this particular cathedral was that it hadn't been commercialized, and was being used regularly (other than just Sunday morning) to worship and pray. There was a corner of the church where the people came to light their candles, since it was a Catholic church, and there were hundreds of them lit. That was cool. I didn't realize how much I was put off by having to pay to go into a church, and have it be surrounded by tourists and have all kinds of memorials to people instead of something religious, until I got there. So that was fun. Afterwards, I walked around Cologne for awhile, and I walked a little outside the city, across the river Rhine, and watched the sunset over the city for a bit.

Yesterday I was on a train to Berlin by ten, and in Berlin by 230. It was all gloomy again, and has been all day today as well, unfortunately. It was a bit of a hike to my hostel, so I wasn't really settled in there until around 430ish. Then I went out and walked around for awhile, came back and read, and went to bed. I find that I end up keeping that pattern in almost every city I go to, because I like having my bearings straight before I go sightseeing.

For being the capital of Germany, there wasn't a whole lot in Germany that I wanted to see. Not to say that there wasn't much to see in general, just not a whole lot that really interested me. I started off at the Kulturforum, which houses Germany's National Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, and Museum of Arts and Crafts (I translated all this because I forget what they were called in German). I just stuck with the National Gallery, which focused entirely on Renaissance art. I've decided that I don't especially care for a lot of Renaissance art. The colors are so dark, and the scenes are so somber. The paintings that aren't depressing are almost always the ones that deal with something religious, which is fine, but I got bored of seeing Jesus' stories painted over and over and over again. There are a few exceptions - I love Rembrandt, and I like watching how a few artists started experimenting with different uses of light and color - but as a whole it's just not my favorite. Anyway I spent about an hour there, and didn't go to the other musuems there. I didn't want to go to the one on Arts and Crafts, and the other one - the Modern Art Museum - didn't really interest me either. While I can appreciate Picasso and his contemporaries, again that's not my favorite. I'll see them at the Louvre.

After that, I took a stroll through the Tiergarten, or Berlin's central park. It was really nice, with all kinds of trees, and I happened upon a little monument to Mozart, Beethoven, and Hadyn. Then I went to the Holocaust memorial, which was powerful, and powerfully depressing. I didn't spend too much time there because I wanted to be in a good mood. After that was the Brandenburg Tor, Germany's big arch (does every city over here have one?). That was cool; it was also where the Berlin Wall started to be torn down. Then I went up to the Reichstag, where German Parliament sits. I waited in line for about a half hour, but it was worth it because there's this sweet glass dome at the top with access to the roof and really good views of the city. It would've been better if I could have actually seen the whole city.... but whatever. Next up was the Unter Linden (I think that's what it's called; it's one of the oldest streets in Germany and used to have a bunch of really old houses before WWII) and Checkpoint Charlie to round out the day. If you don't know, Checkpoint Charlie was the border between the American and Soviet controlled portions of Berlin during the Cold War... it's the setting for more than a few movies, I believe.

I feel more at home here in Germany than I have anywhere since England. The people here dress much more closely to what I am used to, and the facial features and body profiles are also more along the lines of what I'm used to. Probably because there's a large percentage of Germans in Cincinnati. I've found that the French tend to have longer legs and slightly more refined facial features (for instance, their cheekbones are higher, I think) and so I could really tell that I wasn't at home when I passed through France and when I was in French-speaking countries.

I've changed my plans again. I'm not going to go to Lake Constance and chill out, like I was going to. I'll still go to Munich tomorrow (for just a day because there's only a couple of things I want to do) and then head straight to Paris on Friday. I think I'll stay there until Monday, then go to Arles, then to probably Barcelona, head down to the beach in Southern Spain, and then to Italy for the last week. This is also cutting out the stop at Mt.-St.-Michel in France, which isn't a huge deal.

So... now that you've heard what I've done and what I'll be doing, here's another session of what I've learned thus far:
-While people in different cultures may have different religions or political philosphies, people are bascially the same wherever you go. Now, I haven't been to places like Asia or Africa or the Middle-East, but every place I've been to so far you get your rude people, your social people, your small business and shops, groups of young kids laughing and flirting and being oblivious to the world, and a few quirky people. Though we speak different languages, we say the same things.
-I'm learning a fair amount about art. What I like and what I don't, for one, but also about different styles and techniques and what an artist intends as they paint. I like that, and maybe I'll take an art class.
-I really enjoy almost all forms of writing. Writing both here and in my journal have been nothing but pleasure, and I keep coming up with new ideas for where I want my book back home to go.
-On the train to.... either Brussels or Amsterdam, I can't remember which, I had something of a revelation. I was feeling a little down and out of sorts, and kept thinking about my friends and how much I wanted to get back to them. It occurred to me then that perhaps the reason that I was so unhappy last year (if you didn't know this, then now you know... I was in a dark place for most of last year) is not because I wasn't doing what I really wanted to do, but because I missed my circle of friends and didn't have one to replace it. I've been really happy for the last few months or so because I've made some new friends at work, and at the same time my old group has sort of re-formed. So this tells me that, wherever I go, whatever I do, friendship and real human contact is very important to me, and that I need to make sure that, when I'm cut off from my friends, I don't fall victim to depression.

So that's interesting. Also...
Grandma: A Kebap is sorta like an open-faced sandwich. They take a thick piece of break, toast it, and open it so that it's a pouch. Then they have these GIANT rotating skewers of meat, either chicken or beef, and they slice little strips off. Then they put your choice of toppings - lettuce, some other stuff (maybe falafel?), some kind of vinagrette, and something akin to honey-mustard - along with the meat in the bread pouch. It's really messy but really good.
Mom: I couldn't find a paper in English today. I can tell you, however, that most people over here really like Obama. I've seen a lot of magazine covers and newspaper articles covering him with an almost hero angle. And everyone over here is paying attention to the election; the results were all over the news.

Ok, so that's it for now... this one is already too long. I'll post again from Paris, either Saturday or Sunday night. Auf Wiedersehen!

-Swag

The Sun Came Out Today!! yay....

After five days of non-stop gloomy weather with a little rain here and there, this morning was crystal clear and sunny! So that was a great way to start off my day :). Also, my keyboard has all the right keys in all the right places, so it's a good day all around.

Yesterday I was up, fed, and out by 10. I caught the first train I could to Amsterdam, and got here around 1ish. I hiked a couple kilometers through the city and was in my hostel by 2, and unpacked by 230. I'm sharing a room with 5 Germans, 2 of whom are girls... so that's interesting. After I had sat around for awhile, I went out and walked around Amsterdam for awhile. It's a very interesting city, much like Brussels was. There are major differences, though: while Amsterdam is still between France and Germany, the crowd here is much more diverse than that of Brussels. Also, canals criscross all throughout the city, so walking around is a rather different experience altogether. After walking around for an hour or two, I was very hungry so I stopped at this little pizza joint. I had heard that pizza is the cheapest thing to buy at restaurants in Europe, but I hadn't gotten the inclination to try it until yesterday. I got what would be a medium-sized thin crust pizza at home for 4 euro, so that was good. Unfortunately, the soft drinks were two euro each, so I still spent 8 euro. I would've spent more, actually, but people over here don't really tip. The guy at the restaurant wouldn't let me. Anyway, after that I walked around a bit more and then went to bed; I was tired.

Today I woke up around 8, and was showered and fed by 9. I took some time this morning to look over maps and my guidebook and come up with a sort of itinerary for most of the rest of my trip, which I'll get into later. Afterwards, I went to two museum. The first, and easily the best, was the Van Gogh museum. Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists, and this museum had an entire floor of his work, with details on his life and work and a little bit on his social life. I was fascinated, and spent nearly two hours there (it was somewhat small). Then I went to the Rijksmuseum, which focused on Dutch heritage. They had some really good Rembrants (including The Night Watch) but I was otherwise unimpressed. The museum is under construction, and so most of it was closed, but to be honest I couldn't care less about Dutch plates and Chinawear that they started making in the 17th century when they were rich and powerful.

After those two museums, I wandered around a bit more. Amsterdam has a curious mix of areas that are essentially outdoor malls, and areas that are homes, with a couple parks and museum districts thrown in. It is, I suppose, much like any other city, but more extravagant than most. I stopped at a Burger King when I got really hungry for a little taste of home, then went back to the hostel for a bit to look at my map and get my bearings straight for tonight, then went out again. I went North, to the more seedy areas of town. I won't get into details here, for fear of offending a few people, and I didn't do anything bad... but suffice it to say that there really are a lot of red lights in the Red Light District. If you want to hear the story, you'll have to ask me when I get home in person.

I have a rough outline of what the next week and a half or so is going to look like. Actually, I may have the whole trip planned out, but I'm not sure yet. Tomorrow I'm going to Germany. I plan on spending 5-6 days there, because there is a lot I want to see. Tomorrow I'll try to catch a very early train and go straight to Cologne (pronounced Koln) because there are a couple of things I want to see there. I'll only stay one night, then try to catch another early train to Berlin. As that will probably take awhile, I may not have the chance to do anything that day, although I could take an overnight train so I save a day. Anyway, I'll spend a couple days in Berlin, then probably a day in Munich, and then head to a little town called Konstanz (I think that's how you spell it) for some great scenery and hiking for a day. After that is France, where I want to go to Paris, a little town just outside of Mt.-St.-Michel, which looks fantastic, and then Arles, and then perhaps somewhere in the Pyrenees. I want to save the last week or so for Italy, which only leaves me a couple of days, at the most, for Spain. So what I think I'm going to do is just head straight for the beach and stay there a day or two. If I save time somewhere by not staying somewhere so long, or by perhaps cutting a stop in one or more countries, then I'll stop at either Barcelona or Madrid. We'll have to see how it goes.

I've learned more about the world, and myself, in the last few days, but I'll save that for a later post. It'll give you something to look forward to!

I think that I will post here again on either Wednesday or Thursday night, from Berlin.

Oh, and Red Guy... Ok so I was never in marching band, and I don't think I was ever part of a group thing that went to Florida. But what I HAVE thought of is that perhaps YOU were in marching band, or maybe even you were the parent of someone who was in marching band and went to Florida. That narrows it down considerably. So then, that begs the question: are you my age, or are you one of my friends' parents? (Or one of my parents' friends?)

See you in a few days!!

-Swag

All the Keys Are in the Wrong Places!!

This particular post is probably going to take me forever to write because several of the keys are in different spots from what I'm used to... Nothing important, just A, M, etc... Oh well.

Yesterday I was up and out of my hostel by 10. I hiked up to the train station (in the rain) and caught the first train to Brussels. The train left a little before 11 and took about three hours so I was there by 2ish. Brussels is a very difficult city to navigate; it's divided into two parts: upper town and lower town. Not by North and South, but literally because one part of the city is higher than the other. Both today and yesterday have been very gloomy; though it had stopped raining by the time I got to Brussels, I haven't seen the sun since Wednesday. That, coupled with the fact that lower town (where my hostel is) has no consistent street design made finding my hostel rather difficult. Still, I found it, and was in and unpacked by around 330 or so. I took a walk around for awhile just to try and get a feel for the area. I did get a good sense of the area around my hostel, but it took a couple more hours of wandering today to really get a feel for the city. None of the streets are pointed exactly in one direction (north, south, etc.) and I had to constantly remind myself of what direction I was traveling so that I didn't get lost today. I didn't get lost today, though. Also while I was out last night I tried a kebap, which was really good.

Today I was up by 8 something and out by 10. Since Brussels is a relatively compact city, I went everywhere on foot. This had the dual benefit of getting me exercise while letting me see much more of the city. I saw Le Grand Place, where the town hall is and where the trade guilds are. I had a Belgian waffle and some coffee while I was there (SO good). There was also a little museum there for 2€, and I went there too. I also went to the Parc du Cinquantnaire, which had a museum (I didn't go to that one) and a magnificent arch, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independance. I spent a couple of hours in an art museum, which was right across from the royal palace (which looked an awful lot like Buckingham palace). Also there was the Cathedrale Sts-Michel et Gudule, which was nearly as impressive as Westminster Abbey, and the Bibliotheque Royale de Belgique (the royal library of belgium). That was kinda cool; I spent some time in the map room where I found a book that showed a bunch of maps of America from the 16th century to 1856... Actually, I found that fascinating.

I've never before seen such an obvious melding of different cultures. There are two different national languages: French and Dutch. Also, because Brussels is sort of the capital of Europe (the European Union is centered here - did you know that? Oh yeah and I saw that too) there is always a mix of different people here. Though the streets are often not in any order whatsoever, the city has a certain charm about it, even in the gloom. The houses and are reminiscint of days gone by, but modern cars and people roam about. All of the streets have their names in two languages, and there is an eclectic mix of western restaurants and hotels right in with traditional bars and restaurants. I like this place.

I just ran into a burger joint to get some dinner, and now I'm off to a bar that someone recommended to try a couple Belgium beers. Don't worry it's only a block away from my hostel so I won't get lost. Tomorrow I go to Amsterdam (I booked that hostel in advance), and on monday I'll be on my way to Germany. Sorry this post isn't very long; it took 40 minutes (an exasperatingly long time for me) and I'm almost out of time.

Also,
Red Guy... yeah that doesn't help at all.
Mandy - I probably will not be able to afford coffee or chocolate for you. Sorry!

I'll post here again on either Sunday or Monday, it depends on how things go in Amsterdam.

-Swag

My First Really Good Story

Last night was a little interesting... but I have to start before that so that I can go in order.

Tuesday night, after blogging here, I went to the train station, got a coffee, and checked my pack out of storage. I went up to a cozy little spot with a couch, and wrote in my journal. Later, this nice guy brought me some free coffee because it was really really cold in the train station. After I was done, I went to a quiet little corner and slept on the floor for about an hour or so, waking up because I was so freaking cold. I paced around a bit, and finally gave in and took shelter in a coffee shop where I sat around and read for awhile. My train, the Eurostar, left at 525 AM and I passed out before we were even out of London. I woke up two hours later somewhere in France, right before I got to Paris. I booked my train to Luxembourg (which was only 6€ for booking fees thanks to my Eurail pass) and walked around Paris for a bit before my train left. I'll save my judgement for when I actually stay there, but I think I like it. I bought a French pastry for a euro, and then sat around the train station till it left. I repeated this (excpet without the pastry) in a small town called Metz, then arrived in Luxembourg, Luxembourg at around 430. I found and checked into the hostel here by 530. It's easily the nicest one so far; it was recently renovated.

Then I went back to the train station and went to a little place outside of the city called Diffredonge, where Allison's school is. I got off at the wrong stop so it took awhile, but I got there a little before 8. I met some of her friends, saw her school, and generally had a good time drinking and playing card games at a local bar.

Now before I go here, keep in mind that I hadn't eaten. I had three tall draft beers (they were probably 20 ounces) over the course of almost three hours. They were really good, but I didn't realize that even here they're MUCH stronger than what I am used to... and oh my goodness I got far more drunk than I meant to. Off of three beers!! It wouldn't have been a problem, except once I got back to Luxembourg city (I did that part fine) I got hopelessly lost. Luxembourg is an almost mountainous region, and my hostel is down in the valley. I went down the wrong side of the hill, and ended up a kilometer south of the hostel before I realized it (I know because I found a bus map... how I was able to ascertain how far away I was and yet not how to get back, I'll never know). I then proceeded to go up what I thought was the ridge I'd come down from, only to end up 2 kilometers (yes, even further away) east. By this point I was sobering up, and so I was able to actually USE the map this time (I found another one) and headed back in the right direction. I eventually found a taxi and landed back, safe and sound and without losing anything, at around 130. So... that wasn't fun, but it'll make a good story later, right?

So today I woke up feeling a little woozy but no worse for wear, ate breakfast, and planned the next bit of my trip. Next up I'm going to Brussels, which is in Belgium. After that will be Amsterdam, and then Germany. I want to go to Berlin and then to Munich, and then Paris, and then somewhere in the countryside of France, and then to the beaches of Southern Spain. After that will be Italy, which takes me to the end of my trip. I'm actually going to be pressed for time to make it to all these places and still have the last three or four days for Rome, so I won't be staying in each individual country quite as long as I'd like. Oh well.

This morning I met this canadian by the name of Brendon, and he and his friend and I are going to cook dinner tonight together. Between now and then, I have nothing to do so I'll just be walking around the city. Tomorrow I'll leave here first thing.

Luxembourg is beautiful; it's reminiscent of the Smokies, but packed with houses and buildings that are distinctly European. There are some midevil ruins here, called that Casemates, and I was there before I came here. They were pretty cool, but there's not much to them. I am here at the perfect time, too. Fall is beginning to set it and there are rich reds, oranges, and greens on the ridges all around me. It's very beautiful.

And....
Nessa and Ricky - I'm so glad you gave me the update! How exciting! I am glad ricky got his job and that things are going swimmingly for you.
Grandpa - Thanks for the compliment!

Ok I'm running out of time, so that's it for now. I'll try to get to a computer on Friday sometime and talk about Brussels.

-Swag

Final Thoughts from London

So, I figure I'll start off with an accounting of the last two days, and then talk about what my next few days look like, and then speak in generalities about my experience in England.

Yesterday was a very lazy day. I woke up around 8 (which is a strange start to a lazy day for me but I had to be up for free breakfast), ate breakfast, and set off to look for a currency exchange and make a phone call. I exchanged 20 $ (I'm down to 220 in cash now), spent some at an internet cafe for a little bit, grabbed some subway, and headed back to my hostel. I did laundry and read for a couple hours before heading back over to the internet cafe to try and upload some pictures. I was able to, but then the uploader thing froze once it was almost done and I ended up wasting about two hours and four pounds. Oh well. Then I went back to my hostel, read, ate some soup and granola bars, and went to bed. Like I said, a lazy day. It was a good day for it, too, because it was gloomy and rainy all day. Made me a little bit glad I didn't make it to the Lake District after all.

Today, I got up at 8 again, showered, ate breakfast, and packed. Then I left to head to the train station to check and make sure there was a place that I could check my pack for the day while I was out and about for the last time. They did, and I headed back to my hostel to pick up my pack, which they were nice enough to hold for me even though I didn't technically have a bed at that point. Just before I got to my hostel, at noon (8 Eastern time because the clocks went back an hour here on Saturday... weird) I cozied up to a pay phone to call my bank and sort some stuff out. I had called ahead to say that I was going abroad so don't freeze up my credit card, but for some reason they didn't think I might access my accounts online while I was here (I do all my banking online). Stupid. But I got all that sorted out, got my pack, and went back to the train station at St. Pancras to check my pack. At this point it was a little after one, and I had plenty of time to kill before I had to be back to get my pack (10 tonight... so in two hours). No problem.

Today was a cool, crisp, clear day, which was nice because at least half of the days so far have been gloomy, and two or three of the gloomy days it rained. So I went and saw some more sights. I went to the British Library, which was cool and really big but I couldn't get to where the books are without a membership card so I wasn't there long. At this point I was pretty hungry, so I hit up this little Panera-esque joint called PRET. I'd seen several of them around and wanted to try it, so I did. They have like a fridge thing that you pick wraps and drinks out of, with a little heated alcove if you want something hot, and then you can get soup and coffee at the register. I had a Spicy Falafel Wrap with apple juice; it was good. Then I went to London Bridge, which I have to say was anticlimatic. I mean, there was nothing special about the bridge except for the fact that it was London Bridge. There was a London Bridge road, a London Bridge walk, and I think a London Bridge park... but it was just a bridge with no cool looking suspensions or towers or anything. There was nothing on top. Whatever. So I went walking around the area, shopping a bit, and stopped at a Cafe Nero, which I think is supposed to be competition for Starbucks. I tried to get an espresso, but they didn't take credit cards so Starbucks wins by default.

After that, I went to the museum of Natural History. It was pretty cool; I spent some time in the Geology wing and learned a bunch of stuff that I already knew, and then headed over to the main hall and found the dinosaur exhibit. I have to say, the little kid in me got really excited when I saw that lol... don't judge me dinosaurs were my favorite when I was little. Anyway, the museum was cool, if crowded, and I ended up enjoying myself. After that, I was hungry again, so I finally got to go to an English pub. I went to Soho, and wound up at a bar right on one of the main thoroughfares (I already forget the name but it was good). I ordered a pint of whatever English beer the bartender thought was good, and then looked at the menu before ordering Jack Hanger's Pie, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I think the beer may have been stronger than I'm used to, because after half of it I the beginnings of a buzz. I did drink it pretty fast, and I was running on empty, but still. Anyway, the food was good, and right after I got it this group of four girls walked up and sat next to me because I was at a long table and it was the only one that had room enough for all of them. We ended up talking and laughing for about an hour, which was fun. Then I hopped on the Tube again, came straight to the internet cafe I'm at now, and wrote this blog! Next I'll be sitting on my butt for seven hours before I catch my train to Paris.

I've had a slight change in my itinerary. Because Allison (the girl I'm supposed to meet in Luxembourg while I'm here) is leaving with her Dad this Saturday, I'm going to go straight to Luxembourg after I arrive in Paris. I'll be there for a day, perhaps two, going to a Halloween party tomorrow night (I dunno if I'll get a costume because I'll just have to throw it away); and then I'll just stay up North for awhile. A guy I was talking to at the hostel last night said that I should go North first anyway because if I wait too much longer I start to risk getting stuck by an early snowstorm... he was saying that they're rare at this point but the longer I wait the more likely they'll become. So after Luxembourg, I'll probably go straight to Germany for several days, then head to Amsterdam, then to Belgium. Then I'll leisurely make my way through France, stopping in Paris for a few days, and then through Spain, stopping at a beach in the South for a few days. I'll leave at least a week for Italy, with at least three or four days for Rome... saving the best for last, y'know. So that's the gameplan for now, but we all know that'll change in three days when something screws up my plan. Part of the fun, right?

Ok, so now I get to pontificate about my journey thus far. Here's what I've noticed about England in my brief stay:

-America and England are perhaps no longer siblings, but they are still first cousins. I ran into people that I'd expect to meet in NYC, and McDonald's, Starbucks, and Subways were all over. I saw American cars and American brands, and almost every movie poster or celebrity magazine focused on something American (especially the movies... do they make their own movies here?!)
-When I was in Westminster Abbey, the guy in the audio tour talked about how the 'genius' of Britain is that it stubbornly clings to tradition (like monarchs, for instance) while embracing change (like Parliament). I found that intriguing, and decided it was true when I was taking a modern tour bus through a small town that still had some houses with thatched roofs on my way to Stonehenge.

What I've learned so far...
-It's a good idea to always keep some cash on me. When I start to run low, I should go ahead and get some more because I never know when I'll need some.
-On the weekends, or when going to a very popular tourist destination, it's a good idea to book my hostel ahead of time. I almost didn't have a place to stay Saturday.
-I need a day, a whole day, every week or so to not have to go all over the place and be active. Staying in and being lazy yesterday did a lot for my state of mind.
-I love England, and want to come back because there's so much I haven't seen.
-London as a metaphor for life: I have several choices available to me. I need to pick one, and go after it, and not be upset or overly frustrated when things don't quite go my way. If I have backup choices, the I need to just pick one and get on with it.

Oh and... Uncle Tim- Thanks for the tips! Those sound great, I'll check them out. Red Guy- I confess myself to be intrigued. Florida and older than me... in my family, that would be my Aunt Barb. But she is neither red nor a guy. There was a guy at work, Jacob, who was older than me and I think he went back to Florida, but I don't think that's who you are because I doubt he's still in contact enough with anyone up in Fairfield to know about this blog. So I am, as before, at a loss as to your identity.

Ok, that's all for now. I don't think I'll be posting tomorrow (I'll be on trains and then partying it up tomorrow night) so the next time I'll be on here should be Wednesday, assuming they have internet cafes in Luxembourg.

See you back here Wednesday!

-Swag

So I'm Back in London...

Once again, I didn't intend on blogging today, but once again, things have changed.

Today I woke up, ate, showered, and checked out of my room. I was out of the hostel by 10 this morning. I immediately hiked down the big ass hill to get to Bath proper, and went straight to the bus/train station. I was there at around 10:30. If you recall, I was planning on going up North, to the Lake District, to a small city called Ambleside to do some hiking and relax a bit. Unfortunately, the train/bus station was going to have me take three trains and a bus to get there, and it would have cost me 77 £s (over 100 $s), and I just couldn't afford it. I tried another bus station, but they only had one trip out to Ambleside, and it had already gone out, unfortunately. I tried to go West instead, to either Devon or Cornwall, which is supposed to have some nice scenery and some good rocky coastline. Unfortunately again, all of the buses were booked!!

So I just went back to London. I could've stayed in Bath, but there wouldn't have really been anything for me to do. Here there ar several things that I sort of wanted to do, like visit the British Library and London Bridge and the Museum of Natural History... so I won't be bored. This also gives me another chance to hit up a pub in London, which I still haven't done.

My bus arrived here at 3:30 this afternoon, and I promptly got another day pass for the Tube and went into downtown. The hostel I'd been staying at, in a place called Holland Park, was a little too on the outskirts of the city for my taste. Yet aAGAIN I was met with bad luck, as the first hostel I tried was I think under construction (it was up on the second level so I couldn't really tell but there was a door boarded up where the entrance should've been) and the second hostel I tried was all booked up. So, I'm back in Holland Park. I wasted about four hours getting to the stupid place, too, but at least I have a bed tonight. I was starting to think about sleeping in a park somewhere before I got here.

Tomorrow, I'll switch hostels and go into the heart of the city, do some laundry, and pretty much take it easy and read. Monday, I'll see some more sights and hit a pub that night before waiting around in the train station all night to catch my train to Paris at 5 AM. I may write again Monday night, but at the moment I'm leaning on a no for that one. I will definitely, however, write again Tuesday night (whether I write Monday or not), to talk about how my first day went in a country that doesn't speak English :-/. I know I'll be fine, but I'm still a little nervous.

Also, I think I'm going to go up North before heading down to Spain... I think I'll visit Paris for a few days, then head straight up to Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Amsterdam before working my way down through the French countryside and the Spanish coast (among other things).

Anyway, see you back here in two or three days!

-Swag

Dude My Pants Are Too Big!

No, seriously. I think I've lost a few more pounds already. I have two pair of jeans with me; one were a little big when I left to begin with, but they come with a belt so it's good. The other ones, the ones I've been wearing yesterday and today, were fine when I left. They were actually just about perfect. Today, I don't even know how many times I had to pull them up. I mean that's good, seeing as how I've been on this weight loss kick and everything, but damn is it annoying!

Yesterday I didn't do much. I got up at around 730, showered, ate, and then packed everything up and checked out of my room. I took the Tube as close to the bus station as I could get, bought a ticket for Bath (which was like thirty dollars, gross) and waited around. The bus left at 11:15, and I was at Bath by around 3. I got directions from some guy at the bus station, and backpacked to the Hostel. This one is really sweet; it's pretty big and the rooms are decently nice. There's two problems. Well one and a half. The half problem is that the showers/bathrooms are coed (weirdest thing ever) and I haven't decided whether or not that's actually a problem. This morning after my shower two women walked in and it was awkward as hell. Whatever. The other problem is that it's up this hill and OH MY GOD IS IT STEEP. lol. Yesterday when I got to Bath, I actually had to hike up it twice because I took a wrong turn (oops). It's more of a ridge than a hill, going up a good 5-600 feet in a half mile or so... it's really steep. But, I got a good workout, and was very pleased by the fact that doing some real backpacking isn't nearly as hard as it was the last time I went. I was very glad I'd been dieting and exercising. Still, I was a big ball of sweat by the time I got up to the hostel to book a bed for two nights with the cute receptionist. Damn. Then I ate a little bit (reese's and peanuts... literally) and read for awhile and went to bed.

Today was fun. I got up at 730, ate breakfast (it's better here than it was at the last one), showered, and set off into Bath. Bath has the feel of a small town that found itself with a couple of big tourist attractions and so crammed a whole bunch of stores and restaurants in the middle, with nothing but suburbia on the outside. I went down and checked out all the sights: the Royal Crescent, which is a really posh section of housing in a big semi-circle, then Bath Abbey, which was like Westminster Abbey but smaller and picture taking was allowed, and then finally the Roman Baths. Those were SO COOL. I'm of course a History buff, and Roman History is my favorite, so this was pure pleasure for me. The ruins were pretty extensive, and they had all kinds of models and pictures and movies about what it would've looked like two thousand years ago. There was an audio tour guide, like at Westminster Abbey, and it was pretty good. There were drainage systems from the pools that are still working after 2000 years. So that was fun.

This morning, I had booked a half day tour to go see Stonehenge. I had just enough time after the ruins to grab a sandwich thing before my tour bus got there. It was cool, just a really big van (it sat like 16 people I think) and a driver/tour guide. He talked about some stuff in Bath, then about some of the stuff we drove through, then about Stonehenge. Stonehenge was pretty cool; the rocks are really big. There was another audio tour guide (they seem to like those a lot here) and it took a little under an hour. Unfortunately, you can't actually go in Stonehenge, except at the Winter and Summer Solstices (because the site is aligned astronomically and so it's cool then and the tour guide said there were some 30,000 people there last June). You get pretty close, but not in. Oh well.

Afterward, we stopped at a quaint little village for about a half hour where this pub had been open since the 18th century and they had shot some footage from Harry Potter. When I got back to Bath, I promptly went to the store to buy food for tonight and for the next two nights, all for 8 £s. Soup and pretzels for the next two nights, and for tonight I splurged and bought some frozen pizza. It was gooooood. While I was eating it, I met this girl named Amaia, from Spain. She educated me on the recent history of Spain... lol. She also just brought me some chestnuts she was cooking and is kinda cute. So I'll probably go back to talk to her again.

I've decided that instead of going to Scotland, I'm just going to the Lake District. It's supposed to be really pretty country for hiking, and Scotland is just too far away. Next time. So tomorrow I'll catch a train, head up North to a city/town called Ambleside, where there is of course a hosel. I'm going to try to leave early so I get there before the rain hits, probably stay indoors tomorrow night, and then Sunday go hiking all day in the hills up there. Monday afternoon I'll go back to London, maybe hit another museum up there, and then I think stay up all night or sleep in the train station so that I make sure I don't miss my train. I'll be able to handle that because I've been getting 10 hours plus every night, and am feeling great. I had a pretty gross cold thing at the beginning of the week (every time I talked I sounded like I was dying) but it's pretty much gone now. I think I'll blog again Monday night - nothing's going to happen tomorrow and if I hike as much as I'm planning on Sunday then I'll be too tired to type for very long.

And.... Drew, don't worry I will of course hit some pubs in Belgium, it's the only reason I'm going there (I'm so serious right now). Rusty - I'm not going to scotland. Sorry buddy. And yes, I'll get you your damn Absinthe. Grandma - I drink now. Get over it. Mom - thanks for the update, I'll take care of it. Vanessa (and Ricky, I assume?) - thanks for stopping in! And Red Guy - who the hell are you??!!

See you Monday night!!

-Swag