and I'm off!

This is just a quick post about how I saw a 3 foot mullet. Details and pictures when I come back!!!

Finally leaving London

Time to go home, finally. Europe was an amazing experience but I wouldn't consider what I did real backpacking. We met sooo many other travelers REALLY backpacking for more than 2 months even! Really impressive.

Next time 8 countries instead of 4. Our last stay is at a sheraton, real plush too! Indoor pool, two big ass queen beds! No crappy cots or bunk beds! I need a steak! I'm pasta'ed out.

Our waiter is a dick

So I'm going to write about how his father disowned him since he told him he's gay.

Anyways, he's a rude cock goblin who won't be getting a tip. Not because he's a rude foreign waiter, but because he is just plain rude. I'm extra cautious about how I say or act in front of locals, but nothing I have done has instigated such dickheadedness.

Guh-Laaaaah-Toe?

I've never eaten so much gelato in my life, give or take 3 times a day since we got to cinque terre to rome. Not sick of it at all

The Colosseum

Beside the stuff I already knew about the Colosseum, it was still pretty cool. Also it wasn't too hot today while we were doing the walking tour. The Forum and Arch of Constantine were right outside and our tour guide gave us the low down on it all. If you don't want to hear the short bit about the Arch of Constantine, I suggest you stop reading any further ahhhaha.

The Arch marks the turning point in history (312 A.D) where christianity was finally made the mainstream, but don't get too excited, shortly after in the 4th century, Rome, the strongest empire in the world at the time, started to fall. I'm pretty sure it was because of religion.

After the archaeological ruin extravaganza, it was time for some famous and delicious gelato, then the Pantheon.

Once a pegan temple, now a catholic church. The name "Pantheon" is broken down into two parts. Pan, which means ALL, Theon, which means DIVINE. Not everyone could worship there back in the day, if you were a commoner and you entered the pantheon, you could be punished with death.

Thus ends our tour today. I am exhausted and I need to nap.

Lunch Time

Walking around the Vatican was pretty tiring. We went to this one place where I had decent gnoochi and diana had a catapiller in her salad. As charles said it best , "Garden Fresh!".

The Vatican & Sistine Chapel

Pretty much an awesome creation of man. There are so many details I learned about the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. The little tid bits of info made such a big difference when looking , I can't even explain it. I forgot which high priest it was but a lot of the peni were knocked off about 80% of all the statues because of him. He must of kept them all.

We saw the burn marks on the floor of an old stove where they use to burn the votes after they chose a new pope in the Sistine. Wild stuff!

Tour Day

Today is the major tour day with the entire group so this should be pretty fun, we start off with the vatican then colosseum, the forum, the basilica, and the pantheon.

Our tour guide gets us into all the main sites with out waiting in line...

The Trevi Fountain

Very cool, but very touristy and full of douchebags trying to sell you crap. Traditions says if have your back facing the fountain and throw two coins with your left hand over your right shoulder, you'll have good luck and will return to rome. There are different variations of this B.S, but I did it anyways.

We went to the Spanish Steps next and let me tell you, there's nothing that exciting going on. They are just steps with a lot of tourists and young people. There were a good amount of decent lookin chicks so that was a plus.

This hostel...

...blows...according to charles. I was fine there, but he was having any of it. I did see the faults he mentioned which were pretty bad faults. First, it doesn't say this before you book it, but after 11pm, everyone has to go to sleep (are you kidding me? We're not living with our parents!). Second, it was hot at night, you breathed warm humid air. Third, there were three showers, all of which leaked on the floor and lacked hot water. Forth, no place to charge your devices (camera, ipod, cell phone, etc). Charles looked up where anthony, natalie, diana and andy were staying and wouldn't you know it, they were right the street. Rooms are a LOT better. Good choice on charles part.

Well this is a nice welcome....

Just arrived at termini station and its in a bad part of town (but not dangerous). Came upon some graffiti walking to our hostel. Hahahh. We are loved, what can I say?

This train...

Is wayyy too long! But nobody smells...yet

so sad to go

We wanted to stay another day, but out guest house was booked. It was just easier and cheaper to stick with the original plan.

We are arriving late into rome and we hope our hostel doesn't give away our beds. As of right now I'm on a train from Pisa to Rome and there is an unbelievable gorgeous italian girl next to me. She looks like ashley simpson minus the nose. She is so pretty I can't even look at her for more than a second in fear of being accused of staring.

Anyways, I've asked other travelers i've met through out the trip what its like in rome. The words "busy" and "hot" we're the most common. Great....

Beat!

Hiking from Vernazza was a bit rough! But the views were awesome. We took a detour for a free beach that turned out to be full of old gross ass shrivled up shameless bodies. I didn't even know it was a nude beach until I got there. It was like the scene in eurotrip.

Cliff diving in Manarola was so fun, we saw some people do some pretty bad dives that ended up in red skin. The water was very clear and you could see tons of fish, even where people were swimming.

I think we're taking a day off of Rome to stay another day in Monterosso. Its THAT great here!

Am I home sick, yet? Nope.

View from the room

Pretty nice for 25 euro a person. The building I am in has been completely remodeled recently so its got some nice features including the view.

Cinque Terre

This picture can't do this place justice. Crystal blue waters off the Italian coast. That smelly ass train was worth it.

We have a guest house at the top of Monterosso with an awesome view which ill post later.

Time to go swimming and check out the babes.

This post needs no picture...

Because pictures can't describe how f'ing gross it smells on this train.

HOLY $HIT people are f'ing rank on this train and I'm not even in Rome yet.

And I thought Paris was bad!

Last Day in Paris

Today was the last day in paris so I ventured off on my own towards the Obilesque near the Louvre, the Montparnasse Cemetary, and the Eiffel Tower (I needed day light shots). Took my time, got an icee, mailed some post cards and did some people watching.

Paris is a great city and I will definately come back again.

But on to bigger and better things! Two days in vacationy like italian riveria towns. Cinque Terre is going to be sick. All the other people we have met on the trip who have been have said NOTHING but good things about it.

On another note. Charles and I were lucky enough to get a T6 couchette with nobody else in it (cart with 6 beds). I just walked by the other rooms and they are PACKED with uncomfortable silences, frowns and old/ugly people. HAHAH bitches! Sucks for you!

Escargot

if you put enough garlic and butter on something, its bound to taste good.

Damnit

I took a 2 hour train from Paris to Caen to find out that ALL the car rental places are closed on Sundays, so I got real close to the D-Day beaches, but didn't go. So close :(

They had tours but it was wayyy out of my budget. The ticket conductor didn't say anything about my rail pass not having todays date. I wonder how many times I can pull that off and get free train rides....

Oh yeah, the tour de france is going on, but I kinda don't care.

Latin Quarter

Had dinner with some of charles friends last night in the Latin Quarter which is a more livelier part of Paris at night and we did it Parisian style! Two hour dinner, political/social debates, cigarettes an cheap wine.

The place we ate at was one of the best meals I've had so far in Paris and the waiter was super friendly to all of us which was a FIRST in Paris.

We also did a boat tour on the saines river before dinner, but it wasn't all that great because I've seen several of the things we pasted by.

The Louvre

Amazing, but wayyyy too much to do in one day, we only checked out the Denon wing. There are two other wings that are equally massive.

After the louvre, we took the metro to check out the Catacombs. THAT was a site to see, I have many pictures of that. Tons and tons of bones and skulls emptied out of the paris cemeteries 200 years ago. Insane stuff.

My feet are going to fall off

Arc De Triumph, Notre Dame + crypt, Pantheon + crypt. Took one afternoon thanks to the musuem pass (not having to wait lines). I have lots of real pictures (not these crappy camera pictures) and video to convert/resize when I get back.

Top of the Arc de Triumph

A phenominal monument all around. A bit hazzy today, but its not raining. Tonight we meet up with some friends at the eiffel tower and go see "les simpson: le film". There are two showings of the english version, so ill get to see it before you guys, yay!

Laundry

The girls at our hotel helped us out a bit, thankfully. I think after the 2nd day in amsterdam, I needed to the laundry mat badly.

Laundry is done, all cleaned up, time to go scope out montmartre...

It was bound to happen.

We got to our paris hostel and found out what a complete shit hole it was. We immediately said "no" and packed our bags, not knowing where the hell we were going to go now. Lucky, we got on the net and found a place in montmare (sp?) Which is where I wanted to be in the first place.

Met two nor cal girls in this place who have been in paris for 4 days, they seem pretty cool so we might hang with them tonight.

Tonights events include doing laundry and relaxing, we got a big day ahead of us tomorrow...

Leaving Amsterdam

So fun the last couple of days! The flying pig hostel is awesome, my favorite so far. The red light district was a funny scene, all the museums, coffee shops, architecture, stores and culture was great.

Off to brussells for a train to paris, should be there by noon.

Anne Frank House Part II

Very moving exhibit. Amsterdam has a lot of history, more than most people think. This is definitely a must if you come visit.

The Rjiks musuem was being remodeled, but you could see a lost of what they had on display still (no pictures). The Rjiks is actually my favorite musuem so far. It shows the Dutch culture in the golden age (ballas!)

Febo!!!

Is this place where you put euros in these coin slots to get your favorite dutch delight, but you don't know what it is exactly until you bite into it. I stayed on the safe route and got a chicken sandwich. Its as good as automated food can get

"They drown em in that $hit"

They sure do (fries and mayo)

Van Gogh

Great musuem! I'm so happy that I could go see the remaining collection of his artwork including one of his last famous paintings.

Off to Vondelpark!

I brought the sunshine to Amsterdam

Its was raining all night (first day in amsterdam) but this morning cleared up very nicely. Started shopping a little bit at first then headed down uptown but wasn't in time for any of the musuems. So we rented bikes and that became a much better nav. tool. Everyone one likes bad 80's glam/hair bands from the U.S, its awesome!

Anne Frank house

Yeah...no, tomorrow, then.

Amsterdam

Greeted with a wall of pot smoke, this place is suprisingly welcoming and a LOT cleaner than our last hostel. Bathrooms are nice. We haven't met our roommates but it looks to be 4 girls sharing a full size bunk bed (judging by the luggage).

I had a late and relaxed breakfast after a hectic run around in london trying to catch our flight (gatwick airport sucks) Three nights in amsterdamn is going to be really fun. Everyone seems nice, but its raining.

Once again...

Delayed at Gatwick at the moment... Why must they make me wait to sm...ell the tulips?

Waiting.....

Waiting to get to Victoria to take our train to Gatwick Airport.

La la la. Everyone has the new harry potter book.

The National Gallery

Honestly, paintings can only take you so far so this was kinda boring (to me), but don't get me wrong, this place was awesome and imaculate, if you ever go to London, do yourself a favor and go. The highlights were the biblical paintings of jesus's times (faith and gore).

Don't let the crowds fool you in the pictures, there were some students doing a show with instruments. Inside wasn't really that crowded at all.

I am museum'ed out for the day, time to take the tube back to the hostel and grab some grub.

Wagamama

Wagamama is a british chain of ramen noodle houses that I heard about on a frommers.com podcast. Its ramen without all the bad msg, sodium, etc. Sooo good. There are/is one/some in the states, but I've never seen them.

By the way, according to some weather sources, it was suppose to rain, but it has been great weather all day. I'm in a sleeveless shirt, shorts and sandals.

Next is the national gallery...

The British Museum

The British Museum had a little bit of everything. Artifacts from egypt, africa, early america, eastern/western europe, sooo much more, I couldn't do it in one day. Time for Wagamama!!!

Our hostel smells like cat piss

...And we have to climb 6 flights of stairs to get to it.

On the upside, 5 girls (canadian & australian), next to Hyde Park and a great neighborhood.

And I'm spent...

10 hours and 2 crappy airline meals later, we're finally in jolly ol england. We're in our hostel getting settled more to come soon...

Delayed

Wah wah wah wahhh

its time to leave!

Off to london