Goodbye Europe...

The last night was not so bad at the hostel. The snorers must have left although there were some rumblings earlier in the morning. I got back to the hostel early of course and went to bed around 11:00PM. This means I was up early next morning. So I took my shower, ate my breakfast, and did a little walkabout in the city of Noordwijk. It's a cute little city and very distinctly Dutch. There were thatched roof houses and lots of farmlands and canals. I didn't see any windmills from my walk, but I saw them on my bus and train rides. They just weren't near to where I was staying. I wandered into this little town and the church bells were ringing. It was time for the weekly community gathering. Everyone was coming to the churches in their Sunday clothes. The town was so picturesque. I kind of felt like I was walking down a movie set. I walked around for about an hour before retiring back to the party hostel before checking out and heading into Central Amsterdam. It's the last part of my journey and I'm excited to go home and relax. I parked my bag at the new hotel so now all my bags are together and now I just waited to check in at 3:00PM. It will be a light night. I have to repack my bags so they can get on the plane without fail.

Home. It sounds like a wonderful word right now. I repacked my bags the day before, took a shower, and casually wandered in Amsterdam for the last time. I wanted to rent a bike, but it was too late. Oh well. I just grabbed dinner, came back, and took a nice long rest for the travel across the ocean. I'm glad these past few days were very relaxed and casual. I had planned on going to Prague THIS weekend as opposed to when I did it in the trip. I was VERY glad to have done it back then since I was geared for it and not so burnt out. Upon arriving in Amsterdam and after that last cab experience, burning out really settled in. If there wasn't the idea of going to Prague this weekend with my friend, I would've asked for my flight home to be Saturday. Amsterdam was just too crowded this weekend with the IBC conference in town and it being a weekend in general. Besides, it's about time to go home. So, I head off to the airport for my last flight to the United States. I never thought I'd be glad to be entering my country after all I experienced and at this time when our country is in bad political shape, but I am most happy to see family (most important) and friends again. Familiarity with people and places.

I did learn by traveling alone that for one I can do it and I learned so many valuable lessons about timing, planning, and research. As much as I wanted this to be off the cuff, I have to pick better cities to do this in and be in the right frame of mind with other people to do it. In order to go spontaneously, you just have to book trains or flights that day that are cheap and have no set itinerary or timetable. You go where the transport takes you to and then book a hostel upon arrival. In the cities I chose (with the exception of Prague) you need prior booking. I also HAD to get back to Amsterdam to pick up my cases and to catch my final flight. This trip definitely involved more planning than I gave to it, and it would've been nice to share. I want to come back again someday, but to Europe I say au revoir, adios, auf wiedersehen, adeus, vaarwel, arrivederci, and ciao. I don't know when I will be back again, but maybe within the next few years and next time definitely with a travel companion.

I'm safe at home now. The travel yesterday was long and arduous. It all went smoothly though and I'm very happy for that. I went a tad over budget on this little side vacation mainly due to expensive mistakes. It was pretty much what I expected to spend though. Now that I'm home I have a lot of catching up to do before I do any traveling again. I was going to go to NYC for a week next week, but with all the things happening here at home and some serious catching up to do on "land" things I need to stay put for a bit. I landed into a tornado of family events, so I have to catch up on that before I leave and finally let the events that happened over the last week settle in. It's kind of overwhelming being at home too. There are TV programs, family and friends to see, e-mails to catch up on, phones to recharge and settle, phone calls to make, and all the familiarities of just being in my home country. I am going to take this time to relax though. I need to clear my head before going out again.

Whoa Amsterdam...

I made it to the hostel, but not without some woe involved. Second mistake of the trip and a very costly one. I got to the central station in the heart of Amsterdam. It turns out I could've saved myself about €30.00 if I just got off at Schipol, the airport. I got a cab and asked him to drive me out to the hostel. It turns out it's on the beach and the hostel at this point advised me to take the trains, but with the check-in desk closing at 1:00AM at the latest and me being at the train station in a cab around 11:30PM, I decided to just go with the consequences. We drove back in the direction of the airport. Damn!! That was a mistake if I only knew. Then from the airport it was another 20 minutes. Whoa! The final cab fare came to €100.00!!! That's quite a bit of moolah, but I got there by midnight. This was one worry off my mind, but a very costly one. So I go to check in and the guy tells me my original booking is full and that I have to move to a room with 8. Yikes!! So I have to take it and it's slightly cheaper. I finally go to sleep for a while dealing with snorers, hackers, and just lots of shuffling around of people I don't know. They were already in bed when I arrived so late. After a rough night's sleep with a wonderful pillow on a fairly comfortable bed, I woke up at 7:00AM to get my day started. I got a shower in, which I didn't think would happen, and made my journey into Amsterdam to meet the ship. I was anxious to get there considering my main luggage cases were on board. After taking the bus and the trains, I'm glad I didn't do that journey last night on rough schedules. I would've never gotten to the hostel. So I finally made it to the ship and got on seamlessly. I got off with my cases with no questions, met some people, said my hellos and goodbyes, and I was on my way. Thank God for a wonderful cast of folks to store my luggage and such. Whew! I called the next hotel and it turns out I could store my luggage there at no charge. SCORE!! I thought I would have to deal with storing my luggage at the train station and lugging it twice AND paying for it. Fabulous! I found the hotel okay and now know where I can find it. I was off on my way to the city for exploring and to find the shuttle back to the hostel. I DID find the shuttle, but the only one available was leaving at 7:00PM. Fine. I give up. I'll take it. No use worrying about getting back and forth such a long distance through windmills and tulips to bother with trains and busses. Yes, there are windmills and tulips. I saw them, or at least I saw the windmills and the distinctly Dutch thatched roof homes. It was a scenic ride into town. I wandered the streets all day looking through Amsterdam in various shops and taking in the people traffic. It's the rugby world cup and all the Dutchies were sporting their orange and being obnoxious as sports fans do throughout the city. I was in search of internet that would work on my computer and I wasn't being successful. I took some relaxing moments with coffee or a sit in the park or at various times just to wind down after a stressful evening and morning. I stumbled on this place near the university called Pannekoeoken "Upstairs." It was on a street called Grimburgwal right off the main street of Rokin. What caught my eye was the open door with the incredibly steep stairs that looked like you were scaling a wall. It was typical of the Dutch canal homes. It was a tiny place with only 3 tables and one cook. It was like I was eating in someone's personal kitchen. The establishment had a rainbow flag outside for friends of Dorothy and I decided after much thought of sitting down at a restaurant to just go in and enjoy something truly Dutch. It was truly amazing. A pannekoek is a Dutch crepe that is slightly thicker than a crepe, but just as big in pan size. It's stuffed with what ever and you can pour this thick honey syrup over it called stroop. I'm not a fan of the stroop myself. I tried this once in Vancouver when my close friend Phil came to visit me in Canada in 2000. I knew it was familiar and I was experiencing it right here in Holland. I got mine filled with bacon (ham), cheese, and pineapple. It was DEEElicious! I had a pot of green tea with it and I was finally feeling relieved. The place was happening too. People kept coming in, but with others and me there it was full. All three tables. He was doing good business tonight. I left there and decided to check one more place. I'd been checking all the hotel spots to see if I can crash in on their business centers. All were charging exorbitant prices for internet usage. Yuck. All the internet specialty cafés didn't have a cable or wireless connection to connect with my computer and all the "coffee" shops claiming to have wireless were really smoky and had a weak signal for this sickly computer. I stopped in at the Radisson SAS hotel and wha-la, free internet WITH cable! SCORE!! I was hooked up! Finally! And fast too. Seamlessly. I did some catching up and left there satiated. I headed over to my shuttle where I was whisked away to the country and here I sit in B.F.E. with not much to do. The wind is really brisk outside and the town is pretty quiet. It's a beach town and I think they're at the end of the season. It's time for me to go home. This trip was fabulous. Especially London, Paris, and Prague, but I think now that I have all my possessions in tow, it's time to be in with some familiarity. I sit now in a pot filled bar that is the check in desk of the hostel. It's called the Flying Pig and this is the party hostel. People, like in the cruise ship world seem to be in cliques already and I don't have anyone to break the ice with or to help me out. At this point, I'm not really in the mood. 'Tis funny. I MIGHT have welcomed this environment within my first week, but now I'm just burnt out. I think tomorrow's hotel arrangement will be the best because I SHOULD (knock on wood) get a good night rest and be recharged to come home for more rest and relaxation. I feel like I'm in college right now. It's hilarious. I think I'll go walking some more. I need some fresh air. The smoke and now the wine are starting to really relax me. I hope to be out tonight. Especially with the snorers in my room.

Last Day in Londontown...

Well the relaxing part is now over and my anxiety levels rise as I head into Amsterdam. This is where I wonder how I'm getting there and if my cases will come off the ship smoothly tomorrow. Yesterday couldn't have been anymore relaxing though and much needed. We got a late start, which is fine since we were in no hurry to do anything. We made our way to Harrods so Kerry could show me where she used to work and so I could see the famous department store. It was so fabulously rich and way beyond anything I could afford at the moment, but still fascinating to see. It's their equivalent of the Macy's/May's chain only there is only one Harrods and that is in Central London. From there we headed into Hyde Park for a relaxing lunch and a cruise via paddleboat in the pond there. It was fun and the day was absolutely perfect. It wasn’t too hot and it was too chilly. The paddleboats sure gave us a workout though. Whoa. We ended up at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, which really isn't a spouting fountain, but more like a lazy river ovalesque fountain that lays low and trickles around. It was nice and that is where we met our friend Jonnie. We walked back through the park and ended up in Camden Lock again for dinner. I had my eye on a Mexican place from yesterday, but there were tons of cheap eating options. Tons! Mostly Asian though. We got our food and it wasn't like the Mexican I know. Come on, it's in Central London. What was I expecting? It was food though and cheap. Fabulous. It was our dinner, or "tea" as they call it here. We went back to Kerry's flat to freshen up a bit before heading out again to meet up with another friend in Chelsea. This is a very posh area and not like the Chelsea some of us know in NYC. It's still an expensive place to live like it is in NYC, but not as gay. Lol. We had some drinks there toasting his departure for a week cruise gig in Alaska and my last night in London. From here we went to SOHO. This would be the nightclub area where we danced the night away until 3:00AM. Yes, it was a late night. It was fabulously fun though and I was up again at 8:30AM this morning and a little wrecked from the night before.

After packing back up again (kind of getting over it by now) with some clean clothes, I had some breakfast and Jonnie was so kind enough to drive me to Stanstead Airport to catch my flight to Brussels. This is where my anxiety began. It was my last Ryan Air flight before the big commercial liner that takes me home and considering all past experiences I was flying into Brussels. On line the airport said there was a cheap transfer via train to the major train stations where I could book a train to Amsterdam. The question was how late was I going to arrive since after calling the hostel to let them know of my late arrival, I found out that last check in was at midnight. I HOPE I won't arrive any later than midnight. My flight went well and so was customs and immigration. Fabulous. We were 15 minutes early!! I bought the transfer to Brussels city center right by the major rail station. It was pretty pricey, but I figured that was the best option. I waited by a sign that said train station and even asked a few girls if this was the bus to the train and if I bought my ticket inside. Yes, was the answer and across from me was a bus to the city center packing in people and getting ready to leave. I thought to myself that maybe I should get on that bus and just find my way to the train station, but I thought the station I where I was standing was a special bus right to the train. The bus across the way left as the bus for the station where I was standing drove up. Sure enough it was the wrong bus. I had to get on the bus that was now leaving the area. The next bus was 45 minutes before departure. Damn!! I got panicked and frustrated at the same time. I thought positively and said there would be a train that was going to leave Brussels and still get me in on time even if I had to take a cab. The last shuttle to the hostel was at 10:00PM, so I don't even think I would've made it even if I got on that bus anyhow. I would STILL have to buy a cab. Needless to say I got on the next bus and it was a 50-minute ride. Yikes!! I hope it was at least 50-minutes in the direction I needed to go and Brussels wasn't south of Charleroi. I won't know until I look at a map, but I'm pretty sure it is. I got to the train station in just 40-minutes. Wonderful! This gave me time to figure things out. I went and bought my ticket to Amsterdam leaving at 8:25PM and arriving at 11:06PM. The cab ride from the terminal to the hostel should only take 40-minutes. JUST under the wire. I have my ride to Amsterdam, which is the most important to me right now since my luggage is arriving tomorrow. Now the question is whether I can make it to the hostel. I have a bar on my phone and $2 left to use. I pray it will all come through.

Casual London...

London has been so casual here with Kerry. We went to Hempstead for a lovely day yesterday. It was a late start too since we were up late chatting with my other friend, Jonnie, from the ships. We got out and the strike in the tube was off. Fabulous. What a stroke of luck. They are talking about continuing it next week, but for now they stopped. Hempstead is a beautiful area and quiet. It's a posh area like Shaker Heights in Ohio or Forest Hills in Queens. It has a very large and beautiful park that really makes you feel like you're in the country. Central Park can be that way at times, but on the outer edges you can still see the tall skyscrapers of Manhattan and hear the sounds of the city even in the deepest parts. With this park you felt totally isolated from the city and there were no visual cues that you were even in London. This park also holds the home that was used for the filming of "Knotting Hill." Unfortunately we never found it since we couldn't find a map of the park anywhere and Kerry didn't know the park all that well to just hunt it down. The park was so large we just strolled through, enjoyed it, and left. Before we got to the park though we stopped for lunch at this creperie that's been open now for 27 years. It's just a little roadside stand that sits on a sidewalk in Hempstead and has now become a permanent fixture. Only 2 ladies were working there and there are only 3 grills running. She said the line can get pretty long and twist around the corner these crepes are so good. We finally got our way to the window to make an order and I got a savory one with spinach, ham, and garlic cheese. It was HUGE!! The crepe itself was mouthwatering delicious and all the things put together inside were fabulous. It was crispy because she had to cook it so long for the inside contents and it was crispy with loads of butter. Whoa. That kind of filled us up pretty good before our walk through the park as well as the cider that we had at the beer garden before heading in and then we came back after and had a sweet crepe. I told her that if the line was long, we wouldn't stop and we'd just go to Starbucks. I was just craving something sweet. We turned the corner and it was short. Damn. Now I had to get one. Oh well, I'm on vacation. I got a banana and Belgium chocolate crepe and Kerry got this crepe with cream, maple syrup, bananas, and nuts. Yikes! These were sinful and just as large as the first one. Mine was oozing with chocolate and it was soooo delicious. We were definitely full after this crepe and I think even overwhelmingly full. We got in the tube again and made our way to Camden Lock. This area is an actual Lock like in a canal. It's also very Bohemian with hippie, punk, and goth styles amidst everywhere. You can get your stripper supplies here, bongs, and cheap second hand clothing. People are expressing themselves in the way they dress and look just like you'd find in the East Village. We started to get tired after all the fresh air after walking around the market and headed back. We're coming back to this place for dinner or lunch to get the cheap offerings at the market. I crashed when I got back for a bit and just took a nap. I think that might happen quite a bit when I finally get home. Kerry made some dinner for the evening and then we headed out with Jonnie for a pub-crawl. It was a good night. The pubs close around 11:00PM generally, but we ended up in one that played music and was open until 1:00AM. We closed the place. The pubs we went to were all in a place called Angel. Just a name for the part of town and the pubs were all happening right up until the end. I was beat for the day and fell asleep on the bus ride home of course and was knocked out last night. I'm going to need a vacation to recover from vacation.

London like NYC...

I wake up well rested after my first day in London with friends. Yay for familiar faces. My trip in was very stressful with making connections and being in a big city with time just passing forward into the early morning. My train from Florence to Pisa and then to the airport was easy. I got to the airport in plenty of time and I feel it was one of the easiest connections yet. My flight took off and it was 2 hours to London. We arrived a little late because of the jet stream. I landed and I was greeted as if I were landing in the United States. A very long customs and immigration line. It was especially longer for me since I was not a EU passport holder or UK citizen. The line was about 1 1/2 hours of waiting to pass through immigration. This meant I didn't get through the line until 2:00AM! I arrived at the baggage carriage and my bag came around quickly. That was good. Then it was in search of a transfer. I found one for £10, whoa. In US dollars that's about $20. In the UK, the prices on things in the pound sterling are double for US dollars. I got about £30 out of the machine, so that will be $60 from my account and that amount of money won't go far here. Wow, but I was prepared for that one. I got the transfer okay and it was an hour into the central part of London. Next thing was to get to my friend about 20 minutes away with the tube being closed for the night. After about 40 minutes of walking around I finally found the bus station I was supposed to find. It was a hidden marking that would only be clearly seen from the inside of the tube station. Luckily I meticulously followed the map at one of the other bus stations after walking around the equivalent of the Wall Street area in NYC for those 40 minutes. I got on the bus and was on my way. She met me at the stop and I was at her flat by 4:00AM! That was quite a journey. Still unshowered from the train ride from Prague and a long day of walking around in 2 hot places. Mmmmm. I was feeling quite grimy. We sat up and chatted for about 2 more hours before we retired for the evening. What a long day.

The next day was a lazy one and not getting started until the late afternoon. This was okay. This is the relaxing part of my journey. I'd already been to London and seen the major sights. This part was just to meet friends and see and experience the London I wouldn't get to see from getting here by cruise ship. I did some laundry, caught up on some internet, and then we went for a late lunch in Covent Garden. We walked around a bit before deciding to buy tickets to se Spamalot that evening. We decided to head back to her flat to change and then we discovered there was a tube strike. Only 3 lines out of 12 were running and the strike was expected to last for 2 weeks (a fortnight according to the paper). Wow. It was packed on the platform. Every tube that came on the Piccadilly Line was packed full and people were smashed in there like sardines. We let 2 trains go by before deciding to squash into one. We got home, freshened up, and we were out again. The train ride in was easy and we made it to the show just in time. Fabulous. The show was awesome and what a PERFECT show to see in London. It was the musical about the Holy Grail story by the famous comedy troupe of Britain, Monty Python. It brilliantly made fun of stage musicals and had a somewhat political view as well. I was dying of laughter and got most of the jokes and British humor thanks to Kerry (my friend I was visiting). We saw the show with her roomie and afterward headed back to their flat for a late night snack and just to hang out. Another friend of the Prinsendam showed up and we just hung around chatting until 1:00AM. I kind of feel at home here since London is a little like NYC in the sense that there is loads of theatre, artists, and also a busy business community. There are tourists galore here and everything is expensive. With the same TKTS stand in the central part of Covent Garden in the West End, it definitely felt like Manhattan. It's been great so far and the trip is now nearly over.

This part came at the right time just as I need friends to keep my spirits up during troubled times. I'll be anxious to go home in a few days once leaving here with my mind full of the wonderful places I've been and ready to deal with the heaviness my heart will feel upon landing in Ohio and knowing the changes that are happening on the home front. Today we're taking London very casual and hoping to meet up with more friends. Another nice and relaxing day in London.

Italian Express...

My luck ran out again last night. I enjoyed 3 hours of alone time in my train cabin before 2 smelly Austrians came in. We got waylaid in Austria for a bit before we headed out. Just as we shut down power on the train, my computer decided it was going to cut out. With both batteries down and my memory stick still connected this couldn't have been a more inopportune time for this to happen. Power came on for a bit and I was able to safely take it out. Whew. I decided it was time to go to bed since I exhausted all my entertainment options. As I slept through the night I woke up to 3 more surprise visitors. A full cabin. 6 People! Whew. I finally woke up again in the morning around 7:00AM to the bustle of the others. Two of the guests had already departed and there were 4 of us left. I got my breakfast and freshened up a bit before pulling into Venice. I had about 3 hours to stroll the area. I wasn't planning on major sightseeing today. Just something to pass the time. I went in and out of the shops admiring the MANY artistic masks. I stopped for a little cappuccino before wandering off again. This time I found internet to hook my computer up to. Why didn't I find this before?!? And cheap!!! I stayed for a bit and check some things out, updated my bloated inbox, and was on my way. I didn't have much time left. Now I'm on a train to Florence where I have a very quick connection to Pisa. From Pisa I go to the airport and take off for my evening flight to London. Yay!! English people and familiar faces.

So in overlooking and misunderstanding the military time for my flight to the U.K. I thought I was leaving at 8:44PM when in fact I leave at 10:44PM. I was on a train that with all connections would get me to the airport at 5:45PM. Five hours in an airport? No way. I got off at Florence and looked at my options. They looked good, so I stored my bags for 3 hours and went exploring in Florence. This was an unexpected and pleasant journey. Again I was in a city I've never been to or had any sort of familiarity. I got out of the train station as wide-eyed as an actor from the Midwest arriving in NYC for the first time. First thing was to nab a map somewhere. Ahh, a hotel across the street. No luck. I went into town and found a tourist shop with some free brochures. Inside the pamphlet near the end of the adverts was a map. I ripped it out and I was on my way. Woo hoo. The first thing I headed for was the Duomo. I figured this was the prime attraction since in Pisa the leaning tower was also called a Duomo. Whoa! I got there and I was floored. The colors on the buildings just popped out with their designs. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this and everything was so close together. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the sun was just hitting everything the right way. I was a snapping fool. The buildings of this place take you right back to the Renaissance Era. Everything so finely carved and the detail in all the structures were so amazing. Statues were everywhere and once again it was a thriving artist community. I was in the Tuscan region after all and this brings out a new kind of Italian from the Roman or the Venetian. I headed down the street to what I can remember seeing in all the pictures of Florence the icon on the Bargello and across from it another tower Badia Fiorentina. I was speeding through the city and it's a thriving and noisy city. The crowds were immense and the people traffic was difficult to navigate. This was my McFlorence trip. Florence in 3 hours a la cruise ship style. I ended up at the Arno River where it offered wonderful views of the city against the backdrop of the Tuscan Mountains. I crossed the Ponte Vecchio, which was lined with jewelry shops and all sorts of other shops just like the Rialto Bridge in Venice offers. I crossed over and wove through all the narrow streets before reaching the Pitti Palace. Unfortunately the grounds were closed for the day so I headed back and caught some views from the bridge. The charm of these old cities is the narrow cobblestone streets. There's barely enough room for one person let alone all the traffic that this city was having today. Also the streets can barely fit the width of a normal car and these vans and cars were passing down each road like mad mixed in with the motorcycles or occasional bicycle. I had to have eyes all over because I was walking so fast and my attention was getting drawn to every corner of this place. At one point I spilled out into the Piazza di Signora and I believe in front of the museum there (Palazza Vecchio) was a replication of the statue of David. I wasn't going to look for it today and I won't know until I look up its location later whether or not that was the actual statue. It was beautiful anyway so I got some photos. I wish I had time to really appreciate this city and I suppose I could've nixed Rome (which I'd seen twice already although it was a lovely visit) and used the time to appreciate and enjoy Florence with the Tuscan countryside. What is done is done and I appreciated the time I had here and in Rome. I made my way to see some other sights around the city just wandering through the narrow streets at high speed snapping away with my camera trying to be all-artistic with every angle I saw. Finally nature took over and I needed something to eat. I grabbed a pizza at one place and some gelato at another. Yes, more gelato. Yikes. This will probably be my last true Italian gelato though for this trip. I enjoyed every bite. Although I am getting kind of sick of pizza. I went to the train station to check my options again and realized I had another hour. Yay! I went out venturing again hoping to get some nice shots as the sun set on the river.

It was at this moment I decided to turn on my global phone and see if I could contact my English friend or see if she's tried to contact me. No, but I got 2 voicemails from my dad of the unexpected kind. It turns out that my uncle has passed on today. He was battling cancer and he was only expected to last through the spring of this year. He fought long and hard especially with my aunt being in her condition and finally his body couldn't take it anymore. I was hoping to at least see him once more before he moved on, but it wasn't possible and I kind of knew that. I couldn't and still can't process this information and probably won't until I get home or I'm on that plane to Ohio. Right now I'm content that he's out of pain and in a safe place. When I received the phone call I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do at this point. My bags are on the Prinsendam and I have to wait to pick them up on the 8th anyway, which means by then I should just wait for my flight to carry me home on the 10th. I put it aside and went on with my day, as I know my uncle would want me to do. He was never one for making a fuss really. What was sad in the last year was the fact that I saw my uncle deteriorate from the lively man I knew in my childhood to an old man rapidly. I saw him once before I left Ohio for this recent journey and I'm happy I got to see him then and for the holiday. Life always throws us change and change is happening to me now. Familiarity of the past keeps slipping away as the years pass on and I have to accept it and move forward. A friend sent me a story of 2 mice in a maze and 2 humans in the same maze. In short, the humans found this wonderful piece of grade A cheese and they loved it so much they didn't want anything else. They shared it with their mice friends and were very proud of it, but like all things it dwindled away and they never noticed it happening. The mice did, adapted, and moved on to find another piece of cheese. The humans didn't a dwelled on why the cheese was missing, why could it happen to them, and how come the world is so cruel to take it away. The whole point of the story was very uplifting where we have to accept the change that is placed in front of us no matter what it is and move forward with it be it good or bad. Change is not the end of the world; it's what makes life interesting. Yes, I will mourn the loss eventually, but for now I have to enjoy what I am seeing and doing and know that my uncle is now in a safe place. I hope my aunt in her state can deal with the change, but I know her disease affects her ability to do that when so much change happens on a daily basis that affects her security in life. I hope I get to see her before she departs as well.

Despite the sad news I took the warm air in with a deep breath and let it out again as I approached another beautiful piece of Renaissance motif. I pressed on for another hour an a half before practically running back to my train to make sure I made the connection and gave myself enough time for error when I got to the airport. Now I'm on the train to Pisa and then to the airport where I'll catch the night flight and meet up with my friend for the night. We were supposed to go out tonight, but since now I'm in the clothes I was in 2 days ago and haven't showered at all today, I don't think that will be happening especially since I'll be getting into London central around 1:30AM. What a whopper of a day.

PRAGUE Complete....

Overwhelming would be an understatement for this city. My first impression was not the best one. The train pulled into Hlavni Nádrazí station in what I thought was the center of Prague. Well, it sort of is. It's between old and new town, which would I guess make it the technical center, but it wasn't near the old town, which is where all the sights are. THAT is what I would call the center of town. So the adventure begins with no hotel or hostel booked for the night. I get off the train and immediately someone looking to fill a spot in an apartment approaches me. It turns out she wanted someone in there for longer than a night. So I go into the station and like my friend said there are many places to change money and get a hotel. I change money and later realized I got ripped a new one for doing that. I needed the local currency though, especially to book a hostel, and I didn't want to lug my stuff to God knows where to get a decent rate. Oh well. I got the money. I can use it or lose it at the end of the trip. I'll use credit cards for as much as possible to get the best rate. I got a place that the lady said was about a 10-minute walk from the station. Great! I thought. So I began my journey with a room for $20. Fabulous! I was hoping for $10, but since I was looking for a room by myself tonight (I need it at this point to just sprawl out again) I had to take what I could get. If I wasn't in such a hurry to get this process over with I might've found a better deal, but I'm glad for what I got. So I walk. She neglected to tell me it was all uphill. Fifty pounds on my back. Whoa. I arrive and the front desk clerk checks me in and I go to my room. The place LOOKS like a hostel. I get in the elevator and there's a pull out door, but no sliding door to separate the elevator from the shaft. I could reach out and touch the floors as I passed them. Lol. This was getting funny. I got out and it looks once again like a high school hallway with no lockers lining the halls. It's long and wide. I find my room and there are 3 beds in it. No towels. Hmm. I go back to the front desk and ask to make sure I got a single. I wouldn't want any surprise visitors in the nights like when I was in shared rooms and thought I'd be alone for the night. He assured me it was a single. I then asked about the towels and he said to leave a 100Kc deposit for the towel and I'll get it back when I return the towel. Okay. No problem. He gives me the equivalent of a hand towel. Whoa. I needed a shower thought and I wasn't going to complain. I went back upstairs and the showers are communal and very open. Scary. They have stalls, but glass doors. It doesn't seem crowded here so I won't have much of a problem. I took my shower to get the grime from the train ride off me. That felt good. Staying in hostels is not for everyone. It's almost like camping in a way. Glorified camping. I was happy with clean clothes and a clean body and went out to venture. I wasn't all excited because as I walked through the residential area to get to the hostel it looked like parts of Russia. It was very plain, desolate, and I had to question the safety of the area. Both the lady at the train station and the hostel clerk assured me it was okay. It just looks like a run down neighborhood.

I walked into town and it was like the curtain rose from a dingy theatre and presented this colorful production of lights, sets, and sounds. I stepped into beauty and medieval times. It took me a while to get into town. I think I took a round about way. I finally made my way to the main street of Václavské Námestí. This was where you find your chain stores such as TGI Fridays, H&M, Zara, and a bunch of others as well as casinos and exchange places. Everything just got a little pricier in this area. To give an example: to buy 500mL of water where I'm staying in a residential area not far from the train station just cost me $0.38 while buying that same bottle of water in this area escalates from $1.25 as you get closer to the old town and the tourist area. Funny how economics work that way. I was told you could get a beer, pork, sauerkraut, and the dumplings for less than $5 if you find the right place. That same Czech meal in the old town was like $18.00!!! Almost 4x as expensive. I just had munchies all day because my friend told me not only is it gorgeous, happening, and artistic here, but it's damn cheap and that's part of the charm of coming here. If you want to stay in dorm rooms, you can stay here for $5/night!!! Mine cost a little more for location and a single room. Food was noted to be just as cheap. Anyway, enough economics. I ended up in old town and it was breathtaking. I came into Old Town Square. Beautiful stoned buildings with such artistic carvings and paintings. I couldn't believe my eyes and my trigger finger couldn't stop catching photos. Just from today I think I got about 140 pictures to go through. The square is the home of the astronomical clock where on the hour a skeleton empties his hourglass and a procession of apostles march by. I was too taken aback by everything around me and the things I was seeing to wait for the clock. Every turn was amazing and I don't think I could describe it anymore than it felt like I was walking into a storybook. Incidentally I have to look up Pinocchio now. This icon was prevalent everywhere and a handicraft of the area seems to be marionette making. I thought this story took place somewhere in Italy, not Prague.There was even a black light black theatre marionette show I considered going to. Wood toys and puzzles also a specialty of the Bohemians. I also found out they specialize in the Paganistic ritual of Easter. I jut learned today that most Americans combine the Christian observance of Easter with the Pagan ritual of decorating eggs. This decoration of eggs is a Pagan ritual to represent the fertility of spring. There are beautiful eggs in some of these shops decorated to unfathomable beliefs. Some even cut like snowflakes and how they did that without breaking it I have no idea. There were also these fascinatingly ornate gingerbread cookies made with dark honey dough. Along with the paintings, classical music, marionette makers and puppeteers, dance, and other artists in general this is a thriving artistic town. I bought a ticket to see one of the avant-garde black theatre shows at the Laterna Magika called Kouzelny Cirkus or The Wonderful Circus. This was after strolling down and discovering the Vltava River after passing through the Jewish quarter of Josefov. So many things to see. I saw the Prague Castle in the distance and had to venture. I ran into the House of the Senate and all it's beautiful gardens before realizing I was running out of day and should maybe save the Prague Castle for the next day. I have until 5:00PM to catch the train. I wandered around that area and Bohemia finding all the cute and crafty stores carrying such specific items to Prague before I found the infamous Charles Bridge. I guess the bridge was made famous not only because of its architectural beauty against the backdrop of the Prague Castle, but because where St. Jan Nepomucky was tossed over the bridge for guarding the secrets of the Queen from the suspicious King Wenceslas IV. I didn't know the history, but found all the statues and stonework against the river and the city views a stunning sight. I came back over the bridge and walked down the river to find another famous sight called the Dancing House. The same architect who designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao designed this house. I was there!! Not for the designing process, but to see the Guggenheim. Frank Gehry is the architect and this was definitely in his style of curvy and strange shaped buildings. Clearly I didn't schedule enough time for a true Prague experience. The sun was setting and I bought a ticket for the show. I had to get back to change and I wanted to get out before the sun set over the Charles Bridge. I saw some breathtaking photos from artists of different vantage points as the sun set or night shots and I wanted to capture that as well as best as I could.

I shuffled back to the hostel and didn't have time to stop and eat. I changed and went right back out again just making it in time for the show, but missing the sunset. Damn! The city is too big!! Lol. The show was fascinating. It was like watching an old 70s Pink Floyd video or something. It combined film and dance. The show itself is 30 years old and started in Prague in 1977. I guess that's how old the film is as well. The characters in the film looked almost identical if not close to the actors on stage. I wonder if they re-did the film for the cast or if the film is still in the 70s. It sure looked like it, but what remarkable casting. It was very avant-garde following these two clowns that were born in eggs that seemed to be birthed by a rose. The characters switched between stage and film. These curtains created the screen that raised and lowered and as the dancers passed through the slits, sometimes they appeared shortly after on the film. There were some hilarious moments like when the clowns were riding a ladder on a few stretches of road. The film was 3 screens large so it gave the real sense of motion during this sequence. There were some dark moments too with Punch and Judy marionettes and the skeleton marionette as well as the circus tent catching on fire. The dancing was phenomenal, but the show was so powerful and active I lost some of the dancing while watching the funny things on the film or I was watching the dancing while missing what was happening on the film. It was so much to take in. I was so alert through the whole thing and never bored. If I were on acid though, it would've been one great trip. That's how avant-garde it was. I mean there were moments where it was just an eye on one of the big screens or one eye for each screen just watching the dancers, or the two clowns would be huge on either side of the stage making faces or watching with an eye or blowing a whistle. It was freaky. There were some black light moments that were definitely a treat to watch. I was so glad I did this, but I was shot afterward. A full day of walking around AND seeing this amazingly captivating show. I wanted to go to one of the social scenes. It IS a Saturday night, but the bars are generally not my scenes when I'm alone. I like to go in groups to socialize, but not by myself. I don't like drinking alone unless I'm waiting to meet someone. I declined and decided to head back for bed. I have to be out of the hostel at 9:00AM and then do the train again that night. I'm looking at exhausting days ahead. My party time will come when I meet friends in London and Amsterdam. For now I say good night Prague.

I woke up early on this second day because I had to check out of the hostel by 9:00AM. No bother. It gets me going. I had my communal shower all to myself. Yay! I was also able to store my bags with the clerk again. How nice. I ventured out in search of breakfast. Nothing seemed open on this Sunday morning so I stopped at a local grocery store and loaded up on snack croissants and water. I ventured casually into the old city again and stopped at a coffee shop for my morning brew. It was then I decided to wait around until the astronomical clock struck the hour to see the puppets play. It was interesting. Cute. Next stop Prague Castle. I ventured across the Charles Bridge and realized you could go up in the first tower so I did for some spectacular views of the city. I stayed up there for a while since I like being up high over things. My knees don't like it, but my brain and other senses do. It was a 135-stair climb with my knapsack on my back. Whew. I crossed over the bridge and into the town on the other side. It was a steep climb through the village to get to the stairs to initiate my ascent to the castle. There were 208 stairs to climb (yes I counted later). Whoa. I was getting a workout today. I went up and my mind was boggled with all the options I could take to see the grounds. Spectacular views of the city, wonderful architecture with the main church, manicured grounds, and all kinds of nooks and crannies. I was like a kid in a playground. I spent a good hour roaming the grounds before deciding to head back down the stairs. I decided I wanted what my "Lets Go" guide called a traditional Czech meal for lunch. I saw a restaurant called U Melenáse and decided for 222Kc it would be fine. It came with roast pork in gravy, red cabbage, and a special dumpling. To start was asparagus soup and to finish was apple strudel. I had an espresso with milk because the guide said that the coffee here might not be palatable for western tongues and judging by the coffee I had on the train and in other spots as I was coming in, I agree. The lunch was fabulous and relaxed. I loved it. It was somewhat close to what my family used to make some Sundays at home, which made me wonder about my roots possibly being from Czechoslovakia as well. After all, family lines lie in the recipes they pass down to each other or am I crazy? I left the restaurant very satiated and headed for the center of town again. I was worn out with sights and sounds and wanted to do a little window-shopping of the art pieces from here. I found out about Pinocchio. It turns out that the story does take place in Tuscany in a real town there. Because of the black theatre and wood carving artistry of the Czechs, marionettes are also a part of that culture and Pinocchio is just a perfect icon. A lot of the stores had marionettes from Pinocchio, Faust, and Punch and Judy. They were well crafted and cute. They also carried various wood puzzles and children's toys. The crowds started getting large in the area so I headed back to the residential area to see if I could catch some wireless waves. After some trucking along various side roads I found a place called the Illusion Bar that gave me full signal. HALELUJAH!!! I was able to hook up with my OWN computer. Yay!! I stayed there for the afternoon after which I collected my bags and headed to the station. I was able to find my train this time and that's where I sit in my 6-person cabin!! Yes, 6 people are expected to take this overnight journey with me. So far 2 are missing that were supposed to get on in Prague. Maybe I'll just have one again or none if I'm lucky. I'll all the way up top again. Booo! It's like gymnastics to get out of this bed and I can't see out of any windows. I'll see how the nights progresses. Until then I say goodnight and goodbye to Prague. I should've spent more time with all the things to do and see here. I'll know better for next time. ;)

Journey to Prague...

The journey continues. I'm now on my train to Vienna, Austria first where we'll take a break and then off to Prague in the Czech Republic. After leaving the Blue Café in Venice I strolled up to the area where the internet cafés were to do some catching up. Afterwards I strolled the streets looking into the various shops. I wanted to buy some things here, but decided against it for now since I had no way to transport it and I was heading on a long and questionable journey to Prague. Questionable meaning I'd never taken this trip ever and wasn't sure how the cars would be or the trip itself. After being in the city for only a day I was able to navigate the streets by now on visual cues. It was exciting. Just by looking at a building or seeing a particular sign or piazza I knew exactly where I was in this labyrinth of old world buildings. I guess it's like the rat in the maze. It leans how to get to the cheese and then remembers how to get there based on visual cues. Although I don't consider myself anywhere close to a rat. I wound down a bit since I've been walking so much so far. My cavs are going to be awesome after these 2 weeks. I bought my tickets to Pisa after I get back from Prague so I can catch my flight there to London. My original plan was to do Verona, Tuscany and Florence, but Prague being so expensive from Amsterdam I decided to take this route since it came highly recommended for scenery and such. I strolled through the labyrinth again grabbing yet another slice of flat pizza and after picking up my bags at the hostel I enjoyed yet another 2 scoops of home made gelato. Yum!

I got to the train station and patiently waited for my train to show up on the board. Nadda. So, since I got there so early and my OCD was kicking into high gear, I went to information to inquire. Aha!! It was a train first to Vienna, which I didn't know. Austria. Wow. So I get on the train and there are 4 bunks. I'm on the top bunk. HIGH!! It's so high it almost goes over my head!! I hope I don't roll out at night. If my fellow travelers don't show up (two were supposed to show at the first stop and they're no shows and I'm expecting one at the next) I will take the bottom bunk for sure. I guess I get breakfast in the morning since they asked if I wanted coffee or tea with my breakfast. Wow. The car is no larger than a standard train car. I'd say about 6 feet wide by 12 feet tall. It has the capacity for 6 bunks!! This was set up for 4 bunks. I'm on my way now. I wonder how the night will progress this time. I'm tired so I should go out real fast.

Good luck so far. I've been on the train now an hour and no roomies. I guess I'm missing out on the social aspect of this trip, but like I said before, if I were meant to meet people I feel they would step into my life. I love the friends I have and made and it would be great to make new ones, but I won't seek them out. I've been doing okay on my own thus far and I'll see some familiar faces in a few days, which I'm totally excited about. I hope to party with some friends who are disembarking in Amsterdam from the ship and staying for a while as well. The social part will come, but the journey has been solo so far.

I had a pretty good night sleep, but it wasn't the best. It got cold suddenly in the night and all I had was a sheet. Brrr. I wonder if it's cold outside. I'm typing now at 8:30AM and rolling outside of me is the Czech Republic. This was just like being on a cruise. Sleep the night away while you travel. I think the only day I'm going to lose to travel through all of this is September 3 when I make my way to London, but even then I'll have about 3 hours to spare in Venice again. I think this was planned well. Especially this trip. Hello. Fifteen hours on a train. That would suck if it were a day trip sitting in a seat. A night train with a bed was the way to go. My luck ran out some time in the night. A roomie came in around 11:00PM, which is fine. It's only 1 person, but he's still asleep and I'm done sleeping. That's what sucks about roommates and I'm glad on my next 6 month contract I won't have one. My passport was stamped twice already. Once in Austria and another as we crossed the borders into the Czech Republic. I can't wait to see what lies ahead. I hope this guy wakes up soon so the lady will serve our cabin breakfast. I bought some snacks yesterday so I already nibbled on those. I did a little freshening up and now I'll just watch the countryside roll by. So as I was freshening up I noticed my one knuckle got hit 3 times, then along my thumb, and on my upper thigh. Those little mosquitoes. Ooooh! How I hate them.