September 30th Munchen, Germany

September 30, 2006
Munchen, Germany

We woke up this morning feeling a little more tired than usual and incredibly hungry. I hustled off to breakfast to find B in the dinning room using the internet. After eating and showering we packed our stuff up and said goodbye to Kristina and Milly (who I have been referring to as Mildred).

I still find it totally crazy that we met these girls in so many different hostels across Europe. They were nice and offered to show us around Sydney when we get there in January.

B and I spent the rest of the morning using the internet and beeign rather lazy. Just after 13:00 we headed for the post office to mail some beer steins back to the US. Sorry to say, the post office closes at 9:30 on Saturday so we are going to have to lug the steins (which are rather heavy) around for a few more days.

From the post office we headed to the historic district of Munchen. Before we set out to see the sights we decided to grab some lunch. It was the worst service I have ever had at a restaurant. We were there almost an hour before receiving our food (not to mention we were totally starving). Still, once I got my weiner schnitzel (which I order because the description of the food was: weiner art!), I was happy because it was totally awesome!

As usual, we saw a lot of really cool buildings. Most of the day was spent on the street between Karlsplatz and Marienplatz. After paying a Euro to climb to the top of a spire and get a view of the entire city. It was an awesome view of all the famous buildings. After climbing down we were exhausted and headed back to The Tent.

On our way we saw the best street performer of all time. He was a statue robot water fountain with sound effects. He could stand perfectly still and then when he would move it would make a cool sound. The best part was that he would pose as a water fountain and have water come out of his fingertips and hair! B gave him a Euro. (Maybe you had to be there…)

We are currently stressed out and trying to find a place to stay for the night. Everywhere in town is totally full! We don’t know what to do but imagine it will all work out…Once we get that settled we are planning on heading to Oktoberfest to hang out (not drink).

PS – I have since learned that Oktoberfest is the worlds largest fair. About 6 million people attend each year!

PPS - This last photo is for Jackie so she can remember how sexy I am (taken last night):

September 29th Munchen, Germany

September 29, 2006
Munchen, Germany

This morning I woke up feeling almost completely better. The only sign of reminder of my past sickness was a slight pain when swallowing a little morning phlegm. After getting to chat with Jackie on the internet for a bit, B and I got in line for the shower. In a strange turn of events, the guys line was much longer than the girls…

Once we had showered we tried to check back into the Tent for another night. Unfortunately, they told us they had no space! We decided we would worry about it later and instead found our Aussie friends and then all headed to Oktoberfest. We were all surprised by the temperature difference between night and day here. It was very warm as we entered the fest!

Upon entering the festival we decided we needed to get some breakfast (it was 11:00). We all tried a bavarian. It was a super sugary pastry and it was very tasty. Feeling more energetic, we cruised through the fest.

As expected, we encountered a lot of beer houses. To my surprise, there were also a lot of rides and games. In addition, the large horses hauling the carriages full of kegs impressed us.

After making almost a full loop, we decided it was time to get some lunch. We ducked into a beer house and sat at the restaurant. While it was slightly expensive, the salad that I ordered was phenomenal!

When we had all finished eating it was 15:00 and we decided it was time to try to get a table at a beer house (You can only be served beer if you are at a table). First, however, B and I purchased some awesome Oktoberfest hats! To our surprise, some of the beer houses were already full and were closing their doors. After being denied by a few of the tents, we eventually made our way back to the place we had lunch.

Luckily, we found some nicer Germans who let us sit with them. It was tight quarters but we had a place. They told us that they had gotten there at 9:00 and had been drinking since 10:00!

We spent the remainder of the day at the table with the Germans. We had several steins of beer and learned some fun German drinking phrases and songs. At 22:00 B and I could not drink any more beer and were ready to head back to The Tent. We smuggled out a few beer steins (which are quite heavy) and made our way home. We lost our Australian to some other guys (also from Australia).

When we got back to the tent we realized that we had not eaten dinner. Unfortunately, nowhere nearby was serving food. Instead, we had some orange juice and went to sleep. Once again, it was very cold!

PS – sorry if there are a lot of typos but my finger is still hurting from the train incident and it makes it difficult to type…

September 28th - Paris - Munich, Germany

September 28, 2006
Paris, France – Munich, Germany

NOTE: I just posted 4 or 5 days worth of blogs so check them out if you get a chance! Keep scrollig down...:)

We woke up this morning to a knocking on our compartment door. The staff returned our passports and Eurrail passes to us. Shortly thereafter we arrived in Paris (9:00). Our train out of Paris was not leaving from the same station and we had to take the metro across town. We were both still feeling sick (though slightly better) and just sat around until boarding our train at 10:45.

As we were boarding our train I was punched in the shoulder. I spun around and was met face to face by the two Australian Girls that we had seen in Cinque Terra, Rome, and Nice. Incredibly, they were boarding the same train to Germany. It seems impossible thatt in all of Europe we continue to run into these same two girls. Amazing!

After finding our seats on the train we settled in for the long ride. I plugged into my iPod and listened to Harry Potter for several hours.

When we finally arrived in Munchen it was just after 19:00. We waited for the Australian girls (Kristina and Milly) and then all headed for a giant lodging called The Tent. It is exactly as the name implies, a giant tent with bunk beds inside.

We secured our beds, dropped off our stuff and headed for Oktoberfest. When we got there I was surprised to find that it is almost exactly like a giant county fair (with free admission) and large drinking tents. We wandered the grounds for a while and then ducked into one of the tents. Though I had not planned on drinking anything (because I still felt a little sickness in my throat), I was talked into one beer. I was surprised to learn that one beer at Oktoberfest is equivalent to a stein that holds 3 or 4 beers…

The atmosphere at Oktoberfest was incredible. Everyone had large beer steins and was standing on the tables and singing. There must have been several thousand people in the HB beer tent. We were especially vocal everyone started singing “We are the Champions”.

To our surprise, Oktoberfest closes down at about 23:00. On the train back to The Tent we met a cool german with a fun Oktoberfest hat. After talking to him about Bayern Munchen and Dirk, he gave me the hat! (pictures to come)…

Once we got back we headed to bed. It gets quite cold here in Germany and B and I were grateful that we had our sleeping bags with us.

September 27th - Madrid - Paris, France

September 27, 2006
Madrid, Spain – Paris, France

Last night was another night of erratic sleep. I continually woke up very thirsty and had to drink a lot of fluids (and therefore pee a lot). Still, I managed to pull myself out of bed, pack up my stuff, and meet Mike by 11:00. Unfortunately, B was even worse shape than me and was unable to get up. Meghan stayed behind to take care of him.

I met Mike just outside of the hostel and was immediately introduced to his Spanish girlfriend Gema. The three of us jumped into Mike’s Nissan Micra. After dropping off Gema at her grandmother’s house, Mike took me on a driving tour of the city. The city is huge and the driving is totally crazy!

We visited Mike’s University and then cruised by all of the famous sites. Unfortunately, I was still feeling quite sick and do not remember most of the names of the places we went. Around 14:30 we picked Gema back up and then went out for lunch by the Plaza Mayor. It was a very large plaza with many artists and street performers. Mike informed me that he sometimes juggles for money on one of the side streets.

For lunch Mike ordered a very Spanish meal. We had Calamari, Chorizo, Rice soaked in Pigs blood, and a ham and potato dumpling. It was good but it was filling! Once we were done with our meal I was ready for a siesta.

Mike got me to the train station just after 17:00 and I chilled out and waited for B. I was feeling very tired and very sick. At 18:00 I found B and Meghan. We all collapsed into a heap and waited for our train. We were a sight for sore eyes…

At 18:45 we said our goodbyes and boarded a night train for Paris (a quick stopover on our way to Munich). Unexpectedly, we were in different compartments. Luckily, I was able to convince a young Canadian to trade beds with me. Everyone else in the compartment was glad I did so because he was not very bright and very annoying.

Once the train got going we watched Top Gun on B’s computer and fell asleep.

PS – I forgot to mention that while settling into th e train I smashed my finger in the door and now have a large blood blister under my fingernail. It is making it somewhat difficult to type…

September 26th - Madrid, Spain

September 26th, 2006
Madrid, Spain

Last night I did not sleep well. I kept waking up and having to get a drink and go to the bathroom. Furthermore, I was having the chills and started to feel sick.

When we woke up at 10:00, I was still exhausted. Nonetheless, I dragged myself out of bed and took a shower. It made me feel a lot better and able to function for the day. Even so, my throat continued to hurt.

After dressing I went to find B. He informed me had come into Madrid and had just checked into the same hostel. It was another incredibly coincidence! We all met up and decided on a plan for the day. Pete and Meghan went to the stadium to purchase tickets for the Real Madrid game (which B and I already have tickets for). B and I headed to the train station to reserve a night train to Munich for tomorrow night.

Our time at the train station was hellacious. We waited in line for a long time and had to change our desired route a number of times. Even worse, we were forced to pay 67 Euros for the trip! After 2 hours, we finally made it back to the outside world.

We headed for the Prada Museum (where we planned to meet the others) but knew that we were very late. After waiting around for a few minutes we decided to explore the city on our own.

We wondered by some really cool water fountains and toward a massive arch. We then entered a very large park and cruised around for a while. It was a beautiful park with a large pool at the center. We circled the pool and then left the park.

We were then ready to head back to the hostel. We took the metro and arrived back at the hostel just after 14:30. B headed up to the room and I decided to call my high school buddies Mike and Juan (both currently living in Madrid). We made a plan to meet at 17:00 and get some dinner.

Feeling a little sicker, I spent the next two hours napping. I woke up feeling slightly refreshed and thought I would be fine. I tried to get B to come meet Mike and Juan with me but he decided he would rather sleep.

Mike, Juan, and I headed for a cool restaurant called El Tigre for Tapas (drinks that come with food). I had a couple of beers and at some crazy Spanish food. The craziest thing was a slab of salted pork (uncooked). It was interesting and not as bad as I thought it would be.

After spending an hour chilling out at El Tigre we all headed back to my hostel. Mike and Juan came up and met B, Meghan, Peter, and a girl from U of O that is studying in Olviedo with Peter (sorry, I forgot her name…).

At about 6:45 we made our way to the futbol stadium (all of us tourists) and Mike and Juan headed home. We made a plan to meet them after the game and head over to their house for some poker and nightlife.

When we got to the stadium we entered a throng of people and vendors. B was set on purchasing a jersey and eventually settled on the black version (it is very cool!). When we entered the stadium I expected to be ushered to the nosebleed section. To my extreme surprise, we got pointed to center field, just ten rows up from the field! Need less to say, I was ecstatic! (Perhaps that’s why our tickets cost 50 Euros…)

The game was incredible. For those that do not know, Real Madrid is the premier club team in the world. The earned the FIFA award for best club of the 20th century and have an all-star roster. We got to see stars such as Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Beckham, Raul, Robinho, Van Nistleroy, and Reyes. The game was made even better by the fact that Real Madrid played a great game. They scored 3 goals in the first half and ended up winning 5-1. NOTE: At halftime I noticed that I was starting to feel very sick and called Mike to cancel our evening plans with him.

By the end of the game I was feeling totally exhausted and as sick as I have been in quite some time. The long, crowded metro ride back to the hostel was miserable. On the way we stopped for orange juice and some of the others got some food. Upon entereing the hostel, I immediately took a long, hot shower. It made me feel slightly better but I still headed straight for bed.

September 25th - Barcelona - Madrid, Spain

September 25th, 2006
Barcelona – Madrid, Spain

This morning I got up just before 8:00 and packed up my things. After a little prodding, B was able to do the same. We enjoyed another fabulous breakfast at hostel Kabul and then headed for the train station (to catch a 9:30 train to Madrid). NOTE: Meghan decided to join us on our trip to Madrid.

We arrived at the train station at around 9:15 and looked for our train. After asking a security guard for assistance we came to the realization that we were at the wrong train station! This was especially surprising since we had purchased the tickets at this station the day before…(even so, we should have remembered our lesson from Praha).

The correct station lay on the opposite side of town. We ran out of the station as fast as we could and flagged down a taxi. We hopped in and told the driver to step on it. It was a very stressful ride for all of us. When the driver pulled up to the station we jumped out and ran as fast as we could.

Unfortunately, we were not fast enough. We got there just a few minutes late. After spending a lot of time in line at the train station, we were able to reserve a spot on the 18:30 train, which meant we had about 9 more hours in Barcelona.

We tried to take a nap at the train station but were told by the security guards that this was not allowed. Instead, we locked our bags in the train station lockers and headed for the beach.

The beach was even nicer than the day before. Having left our board shorts packed away, B and I were forced to swim in our boxers. As we relaxed on several beach recliners (3 Euro rental) we were offered massages for 5 Euros. After the events of the morning, we treated ourselves to a 15-minute massage on the beach. It was worth every eurocent.

Following the massage I fell asleep for a short time. Once we were all awake we decided to see a few sights. We took the metro to a cathedral designed by Gaudi that is still under construction (since 1909). I was told that it is the longest ongoing construction in the world.

After circling the area we headed for another piece of architecture by the renowned architect. Although the walk was a bit tiring, it was worth it in the end. It was a super cool apartment building. We spent a few minutes in the area and associated gift shop and then decided it was time to make our way back to the train station.

We arrived at the train station at about 16:30 (2 hours before out train was to leave). We passed most of the time in the FC Barcelona shop. We have both been enamored with the team since arriving in the city. B was very nice and got me a super cool beanie (Canadian: took) for our one-month travel anniversary. NOTE: Sometimes I feel like we just left and other times like we have already been gone for an eternity.

The train ride to Madrid took a long time. We did not arrive in the city until 23:15 and did not make it to our hostel until just before midnight. It has been an incredibly long day of traveling and we are all exhausted. The hostel is quite small and not as exciting as some as the others we have stayed at recently. Also, the wireless internet does not work and I am not able to post my blog…sorry!

September 24th - Barcelona, Spain

September 24, 2006
Barcelona, Spain

This morning we got up around 9:00 and went down to the free breakfast at Kabul. It was by far the best free breakfast we have had yet. We were treated to muffins, warm bread, cheese, ham, cereal, yogurt, and an apple! It was phenomenal.

After filling ourselves we checked out of Kabul and met Meg at the nearby McDonalds. From there we all headed to the Train Station to book the night train to Madrid. On the way we passed a cool statue of Christopher Columbus (pointing at Libya, not the Americas) and numerous street performers.

Once we got to the train station we were shocked to hear that the night train was full! Our entire plan was thrown off. Instead, we booked a train for tomorrow morning at 9:30. We then retraced our steps and checked back in to Kabul. Where the staff (most especially the girl from Canada) gave us a hard time.

Once we settled back in, we decided to check out the day’s festivities. First, we witnessed another parade of giant people. As we watched, we tried to make our way to the front of the square (where everything seemed to be taking place). Once the parade concluded the human tower building competition started.

It was one of the craziest things that I have ever seen. It seemed like something Stu would watch on TV. Three teams (composed of maybe 100 people each) competed and built different kinds of human towers. The bottom of the tower was composed of large, muscular men and the top by tiny little girls (not more than 10 years old). A few times they reached nine people high! The scariest moment of the competition occurred when the pink team had their tower collapse and several of the little girls crashed down into the crowd. Luckily, everyone was ok. After about 2 hours and incredible excitement, the competition came to a close (with the green team crowned as champions).

By the time we got out of the square we were starving and very thirsty. B and I sent Meghan to get some food. She came back with water, nutella snacks (skinny crackers with nutella dipping sauce), cheese, and really disgusting bread. Need less to say, we were still very hungry once we had eaten the food.

Our next stop was the Olympic village. It was a marathon of a walk. Once we got there we were not that impressed and quickly headed for the beach. While a little windy, it was still very nice. The beaches actually had waves (which surprised me because the city is on the Mediterranean) and I was able to do some body surfing. Even more surprising, I saw more than a few surfers riding the short, mushy waves.

As we were leaving the beach (about 17:00) we stumbled across a paper airplane contest (for kids). I have seen such a competition and thought it was really cool. We watched for a while and saw a Brazilian kid throw his plane twice as far as everyone else.

As we were walking back to the hostel we decided to stop for dinner at a Chinese restaurant on the harbor (because it was much cheaper than everything else). While eating Chinese food in Spain we listened to a Native American ban performing on the street, it was very multicultural. NOTE: Speaking of which, I have seen more Native Americans here in Europe than I have in the USA…

After filling our bellies we continued on our way. It just so happened that we ran into a giant wine tasting festival taking place next to the harbor. Tickets were very cheap and we decided to partake. There were many vendors, each with a unique specialty. We were drawn to those offering champagne. After using up our free drinks (5 of them) we purchased a few bottles (only 3-4 Euro Each!) and ended up drinking a little bit too much. We ran into two guys from Portugal who were super cool and hung out with them for most of our time there.

By the time we got back to the hostel it was just after 23:00 and an outdoor concert was just getting underway in the plaza outside the hostel. Even so, the wine tasting had taken its toll. B made a long trip to the bathroom (not actually getting into bed until 3:00am). I made a quick trip to the concert and then headed for the room. Meghan stayed out with a guy from Ireland until about 3:00.

September 23rd - Barcelona, Spain

September 23, 2006
Barcelona, Spain

When I woke up this morning (8:30) I was really thirsty. Unfortunately, this is the first city where the water does not taste that great. Nonetheless, it quenched my thirst. A few minutes later B came in and we packed our things and headed for our new hostel.

Although we looked at a map, we got lost several times. To make matters worse, it started to rain very hard. We got totally soaked (though it wasn’t that bad because it was still very warm). We were relieved once we found our hostel.

Our feeling of contentment was quickly squashed when we learned that our reservation was only for one person. After searching for a new hostel online we decided to make a phone call to the best hostel in all of Barcelona (Hostel Kabul). Incredibly, they had space for us!

We trekked all the way back across town (and stopped in to pick up Meghan) and found that the Kabul hostel was almost next door to our previous hostel (ohh well). We dropped off our things and decided we needed to get some food. I had a delicious kebab sandwich!

After filling our stomachs we cruised around town. Our first stop was a cool cathedral. Sadly, it was covered in scaffolding and we could not see the front (which is supposedly spectacular).

As we were walking to our next destination (a cool park) it started pouring rain. I purchased my first umbrella (in my whole life) for 3 Euro! It got the job done and kept me dry. It was really neat to use an umbrella…

The rain forced us to take a detour from the park. Instead, we stumbled upon a large market. Alongside the market was a fiery gate that will be the center of a parade tonight. I guess there will be fire-breathing monsters on the streets tonight! After taking some pics by the gate we went into the market. There was some crazy stuff there. In addition to numerous fruits and seafood’s, I think I saw a skinned cat for sale with the beef…kind of crazy!


We left the market and headed for the park (because everything else was closed until like 4:00 for siesta…). By the time we got there it had stopped raining. As we left the park we walked by a cool arch known as the Arc de Triumph (This is like the 4th city with one of those – Paris’s is the most famous).

Our next stop was a famous drinking fountain. We found our way to the square where the fountain was supposed to be but could not find the place to drink…Still, it was a neat area. Even cooler, we met a couple of guys from Oregon (identified by their ducks shirts) and chatted with them for a while.

On our way back to the hostel we stumbled upon another market. It had a cool entrance and we decided to check it out. Though it was much bigger than the other market, it had almost the exact same stuff.

We then returned to our hostel dirty and tired. We showered and are now chilling out. For the rest of the evening we will enjoy some of the festival nightlife. I am excited to see the fire parade. It should be awesome!

PS - all over town there are advertisements for an NBA game. The sixers are playing FC Barcelona in october....I thought it was cool.


UPDATE:

Before heading to the fire parade we decided to grab some dinner. Incredibly, dinner is free here at the Kabul hostel! After consuming our free meal and drinking a cheap beer, we headed to the fire parade. The streets were incredibly packed and it seemed as though everyone in town had the same idea.

Still, we eventually forced our way into the vicinity of the cool fiery gate (the beginning of the parade). We were standing on the street with tons of other people (almost all of whom were wearing long sleeve shirts, pants, and bandannas around their heads). As the parade started we realized we were in path of the devils and floats (all of which shoot fire out) and people around us were wearing fire protection.

I was keen on hanging with the locals and running around the festivities. However, as the fire got closer and it became apparent that one could easily get burned, I lost my cajones. We ran back and forth between the street and the sidewalk. Often using other people in the crowd as a shield against the sparks. Still, I did not escape without getting a burn on my chest.

The fire parade last for about 2 hours! It was a never-ending stream of people dressed as devils, bands, and floats (all of which shot sparks out into the crowd). I have never seen anything like it (Imagine if Rose Parade floats and participants shot fireworks at those watching!). Some of the people running the floats would even chase down people and cover them in sparks. It made the 4th of July look pretty weak…It was one of the most wild experience ever!

By the end of the parade my ears were ringing and I was incredibly tired. Furthermore, it started to rain again. We decided to rest and then head back to the hostel…

It was an incredible night! I never thought I would witness something like that. The pictures don’t really do it justice. It was absolutely crazy!

September 22nd, Nice - Barcelona, Spain

September 22, 2006
Nice – Barcelona, Spain

This morning I woke up around 7:30 and went down to the wonderful breakfast. After filling myself, I showered and packed my stuff up. It was then time to say goodbye to Marty and Peter (for the second time…).

We made it to the train station at about 9:00 and chilled out for about an hour. At 10:00 we boarded the train to Montpellier, France. I spent most of the 4-hour ride listening to Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix (Thanks Mom and Bro’s).

We arrived in Montpellier very hungry and tired. We found a quick lunch and then sat on the floor of the train station for a couple of hours. At 17:00 we boarded the train for Barcelona. It was the oldest, most uncomfortable train yet. To make matters worse, the people in front of us (from Wisconsin and Minnesota) were not very friendly. We repeatedly tried to make conversation and have fun with them. In the end, our efforts were futile.

The train ride seemed to take an eternity but we eventually arrived in Barcelona. Just as the train was pulling into the station B informed me that Meghan (from Rome and Cinque Terra) would be meeting us at the train station. Apparently he had been corresponding with her and made a plan.

Meghan has been here for several days and knew where our hostel was. After a quick but very hot metro ride we were at our hostel. As we approached our new place of residence we were shocked to see that a giant parade was coming at us in the opposite direction. We were informed that we had arrived in Barcelona just as the years biggest festival was getting under way.

We quickly dropped off our bags and then headed out to enjoy the legendary Spanish nightlife. It did not disappoint. There were people everywhere! The streets were packed and there were numerous parades going on. There was also a plethora of street performers and musicians.

We eventually arrived at a large square where a concert was going on. We spent most of the rest of the evening there and I had to bear witness to several makeout sessions between B and Meghan…

I arrived back at my hostel just before 3:00am.

PS – I tried my luck with one of street performer games and got taken for 10 Euros (Meghan lost 50!). It was one of those games where they have a little ball and you pick which box it is under…it seemed easy but was a total scam!

PPS - pictures of the festival to come...

September 21st, Nice, France

September 21, 2006
Nice, France

Nice (pronounced Niece) is very Nice!

This morning I woke up to the sun shinning on my face. When I looked at my iPod to decipher the time, I discovered that it was about 8:45. After chilling out in bed for a few minutes I decided to get up and shower. All of the Bastons did the same thing by about 10:30. While the others were cleansing themselves, B and I went to the free breakfast. It was much better than most and gave us the option of a great number of cereals! We then left the hostel and headed for the beach.

On the way we stopped at this very large fruit, flower, and pastry market. It was like a farmers market but bigger and with more stuff. I think that it would probably be one of my mother’s favorite places ever! I can only imagine the food that my mom would be able to cook from the ingredients that they had there.

After filling our stomachs and gathering some lunch supplies, we headed for the closest beach. Although it was rather rocky, we had a good time and enjoyed the hot sun and warm water. We stayed at the beach (where we ate lunch) till just after 2:30. Although many of the woman were topless it was not at all appealing….:)

After the beach we climbed many stairs to a lookout tower. The view was magnificent. We took some pictures and then made our way back down.

From there we decided to head to the train station and reserve our seats for tomorrows train to Barcelona (Peter and Marty are going to Biarritz). Once we had completed our chore, B decided to head back to the hostel. Peter, Marty, and I headed for Monte Carlo (a new country!).

Monte Carlos (in Monaco) was unbelievable. I have never witnessed such wealth. When we arrived we quickly stumbled upon a yacht show (50 Euro just to look at the yachts! And, where the total value exceeded several billion). We decided not the pay and headed for the famous casino. On our way we passed numerous Bentleys, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis (not to mention a car worth more than a million dollars!– pictured). When we finally arrived at the entrance to the casino we were amazed to find numerous phantoms (a cool model by Rolls Royce – featured in Entourage for those that watch the show…).


Peter and I both wanted to go put 10 Euro on red but were denied by the 10 Euro cover charge to the casino. Furthermore, we were not dressed in appropriate attire and had to leave. After being denied we headed back to the train station and made our way to Nice.

Once we got back to our hostel (which has been ranked on of the top 10 in the world) I had some laundry done (they do it for you for only 5 Euro). Then, we all met in the dinning hall for dinner. It was a very tasty meal, complete with wine and a fine dessert.

After dinner we hung out in the common area with some of our fellow travelers. We learned about cool things to do in Switzerland (canyoning) and heard tales from other backpackers. Peter and I drank several bottles of wine and got fairly drunk. We returned to the room just after 11:30…

PS – while eating breakfast we ran into 2 girls from Australia that were also at our hostel in Cinque Terra and our hostel in Rome. It is an amazing coincidence! Also, I am a little tipsy as I write this (from a few bottles of wine) so please excuse any typos!

PPS – Marty paid for the last 2 nights of the hostel and also treated us to dinner. It was an incredible gesture and one that I greatly appreciate. Thanks Marty!!

September 20th, Firenze - Pisa - Nice, France

September 20, 2006
Firenze – Pisa – Nice, France

Well bloggers, I posted yesterday’s blog a little early. The evening was filled with activity! After posting my blog I was chilling out in my room when one of my new roommates showed up (an Italian). He informed me that the Galleria Academia was having free entry after 7:00. I decided to rush over there and check it out.

The galleria was only a short walk from my hostel and I was surprised that there was almost no line (compared to the day when the line is MASSIVE). I don’t think many people were told about the free entry and most people that were there seemed to be Italians. When I got into the museum I went straight for the famous David (and his legendary penis). It was awesome!

The statue was so C O O L (but no pictures allowed…so i took one of the replica in town)! It was larger than I imagined (the statue that is) and it looked very polished (recently cleaned in 2004). I was not aware that the statue was depicting David after he had defeated Goliath. After taking it all in I moved on to the rest of the museum. There were some other cool statues by Michelangelo that I liked. Everything else kind of paled in comparison.

I left the museum at around 8:00 and made my way over to the Piazza central where I met Tara and some of her friends for dinner. I had a pizza that was not very tasty but it was till a fun night because this Australian guy kept buying glasses of wine for everyone.

Dinner lasted a long time and I did not make it back to my hostel until just before 11:00. As I packed my stuff up I talked with one of my hostel mates that has lived in Cambodia (Molika). She gave me some cool ideas of stuff to do in Ssoutheast Asia.

On to today:

I woke up at 8:00 and packed the rest of my things. I was going to go try to return my ticket to the Galleria Academia but I did not have time as I had to make my train to Pisa. I got on the 9:27 train to Pisa just in time!

Once I got to Pisa I had to get some food. I was starving! Then, I decided to reserve my seat on my train from Pisa to Nice. After finishing all of the important stuff I jumped on a bus and made my way to the Campo dei Miracoli (where the leaning tower is)!

The leaning tower was really cool. I took a lot of pictures and circled the entire field a couple of times. I did not have time to go up the tower and perform Galilean experiments so I guess I will save that for next time…(ok mom?)

After spending about an hour and a half at and around the tower I headed back to the train station. From about 13:00 to 19:00 I was on trains, as I made my way to Nice, France.

At about 19:30 I arrived at my hostel and settled in. It is the nicest hostel yet! Upon arriving I went down to the restaurant and grabbed some dinner and a cheap beer. As I made my way back up the stairs to my room I ran into Marty Baston! The Baston’s had received my email and made it to the hostel. We were all reunited.

Marty gave me some gifts from my mom and my Jackie. I got harry potter 5 on CD, some candy, a sweet picture, and an AWESOME bracelet. I quickly phoned Jackie to say thank you (don’t worry mom, I’ll call you tomorrow!).

Now it is off to bed. This hostel is so nice we are going to stay one more night here and explore Nice tomorrow…

September 19 - Firenze, Italy

September 19, 2006
Firenze, Italy

I just got a nice post from Muchos, who is that?

Avast, ye you soil-licking varmints. (I hear today is “Talk like a Pirate Day.” Savvy?)

This morning I got out of the hostel just before 11:00. I made my way over to Galleria Accademia to try to go see the David. It was a long line and as I stood there waiting a couple on their honeymoon informed me that I first had to go get a ticket at a different place (across the piazza). We went over there and got our tickets (12 Euros!). I was disappointed because the first available time is tomorrow at 11:30! Still, I bought the ticket.

Slightly disappointed, I wandered around town and slowly made my way toward the Duomo. On my way I stumbled across the Leonardo Da Vinci museum. The ticket was only 5 Euro so I went inside. The museum was cool but a little bit cheesy. They had interactive replicas of all the inventions Da Vinci had described and drawn. I had a great time and was excited because I think Leonardo is one of the coolest people of all time (except for the things he did to young men…).

It was only a short walk from the museum to the Duomo. I sat at the foot of the enormous building and planned out where to go. I decided to see how long the wait was at Galleria Uffizi. When I got there I found that the estimated wait time was about 2.5 hours so I decided to skp it.

Instead, I crossed the Ponte Vecchio bridge and went to the Giardino di Boboli. It was a massive garden surrounded by numerous museums. I purchased an 8 Euro ticket that got me entrance into the garden and several of the museums. I spent over an hour cruising the grounds and then went into the museums.


Sorry to say, I think I am burning out on museums. I am not much of an art history buff and all of the stuff is starting to look the same…I think tomorrows visit to see David will be one of my final museum stops for a while. Still, I quickly cruised through a costume museum (old cloths) and a porcelain museum (old dishes).

By the time I exited the garden area I was hungry and tired. I started to make my way back to my hostel. On the way I stopped at the Cappelle Medicee. I was interested in it because the Medicee family is incredibly important to the history of the area and of italy itself. Unfortunately, the building was undergoing renovations and I made my way back to the hostel.

I was surprised that it was only about 5:00 when I got back to my room. I was totally exhausted. I am now going to chill out for a while. I plan on taking a shower and then getting some dinner. I have to get up early tomorrow because I am going to try to get to the David early and then leave for Pisa. From there I will head to Nice, France to meet back up with B!

September 18, 2006 - Firenze, Italy

September 18, 2006
Firenze, Italy

First of all: Thanks to the entire Koehne family and my Italian brother for giving me comments in the last few days – It puts a smile on my face!

This morning I woke up at around 9:00 and was happy to see that it was a nice day outside. I chilled in bed for a while and thought about what we had done so far and what we have left on our trip. It just recently hit me that this is a HUGE trip!

Anyway, after we all got cleaned up and packed our things we headed out of the hostel. The Bastons went to the train station to get their tickets to Cortina (they are going to see their mom) and I cruised to my new hostel. After dropping off my stuff I made my way over to the train station. I found the other boys and we grabbed some lunch.

I then had to say goodbye to Peter Baston. He is going to go from Cortina to Portugal and I don’t know if I will see him again. It is a sad thought as he has been a perfect traveling buddy. Pete and I knew each other before the trip but we have formed a good friendship over the last month. We have many of the same interests and get along really well. I wish he could travel with us for a longer period of time. I will definitely miss him!

B and I said a quick goodbye but it was nothing special, as I will see him again in a few days (hopefully). I hope the brothers make it to their mom! I am a little sad that I won’t get to see Marty but I guess that’s how it goes sometimes.

I left the train station feeling a little weird and alone. I had a hard time deciding whether or not I wanted to go to Cortina with the Bastons or spend some time alone in Florence. In the end, I decided it would be a good time to rest and charge up for the rest of our time in Europe.

I determined the best thing to do would be to head over to the statue David. I wondered through town and eventually found the Galleria Dell’ Accademia (where Michelangelo’s masterpiece is housed). Unfortunately, I had failed to note that almost all museums in Europe are closed on Monday (for some reason unbeknownst to me)!

Instead, I decided to head to the next most famous thing in Firenze: the building known as Duomo (officially S.Maria del Fiore). It is a massive building that dwarfs almost everything else in the city. It is quite spectacular to look at. I also decided to fork over the 6 Euros to hike to the top. It was the most stairs I have climbed yet (463)! The view from the top was impressive. Since the building is in the very center of the city and is by far the tallest building around, you can see everything!


After descending all of the stairs I headed to Ponte Vecchio (a famous bridge across the Arno River). It is one of the only bridges I have seen in Europe that has shops and restaurants on it. I took many pictures and hung out on the bridge for a while. Once I had my fill I cruised around and found myself back near Piazza Michelangelo (where we camped a few days ago)

I climbed the steps to the Piazza and took a bunch of photographs before heading back down. From there I slowly meandered back to my hostel to rest for a while. On my way back I passed through several piazzas that had a bunch of statues. Some of them looked like they might be famous.

And I saw the smallest pizza delivery vehicle ever! I thought it was cool…

In the evening I met and old Coos Bay friends who happens to be interning here in Florence: Tara Sullivan. We met at the train station at around 7:00 and then cruised to a little restaurant that she knew of. We had a few drinks and a light snack. I had not seen her since high school and it was fun to catch up. At about 8:00 she had to leave to eat dinner with her host family and then go meet up with her boyfriend.

I decided to head back to my room. After getting lost once, I made it back. I am currently sharing a room with some girls from Santa Barbra. They just went out to get some wine and dessert. I would have gone but I am too exhausted. I am going to play around on the internet for a while and then get to bed.

I plan on waking up early and making my way over to the David. I am quite excited to see the most famous sculpture in the entire world!