I AMsterdam

Sorry it's been so long. My great and mighty plan to update this blog with rousing stories of far-off-lands sort of faded when Tim and I realized just how little time we have here. It's our last night in Amsterdam. We head to Paris tomorrow for the long haul back to Texas. If you want any tacky, touristy crap speak now or forever hold your peace.

I'll think of some way to fill you in without being a bore... I swear.

I want you to want me

Today we go from Vienna to Budapest. Yesterday we watched fireworks on the danube. More to follow.

The Worst Reporter Ever

Are Forums cool or what?

So here I am in my fourth European city in less than two weeks and I realize that I am the worst journalist (one who keeps a journal) ever. All of these exciting things are happening and it takes Tim and me five days just to find a place where it costs less than 6 Euro an hour just to get online.

If I were home right now it would be the first day of ren fest. Lighting up the grills, stealing cake from Anna in the kitchen, checking out the return rennies and the newbies, gearing up our insults and best of all, walking the beat with Alsn, dolling out scathing wit, free of charge.

But instead (sigh) I took a train from Rome to Florence (From the current capital of Italia to the former one). Man, my life is hard.

There are so many little things that have happened that I simply haven't had the time to tell you about. It's sad really.

Barcelona was a blast. Our sunburns are just now starting to peel but the memories of all the topless old ladies and their dogs will never fade. On the beach, asian women walked around selling massages and men of unknown origin sold BEBIDAS, COCA, CERVEZAS FRIAS. Really loudly. We took the openair tour bus so that we could see the city above ground, since we have a tendancy to enjoy the metro system a little too much.

We had to leave too early to catch our INSANE Ryanair flight to Rome. It's always reasuring if the plane can just manage to touch the ground upon landing instead of digging a trench.

Rome is, as ever, eternal. There is so much to see that no matter how much time you spend there it will never be enough. We visited countless churches and passed more than five hours in the Vatican Museums alone. Roman food, while excellent purely because it's italian, is being replaced as the favorite by Florentine food. There's just something about Tuscany.

I'd be a horrible friend if I didn't mention that my best friend, Trina, actually got to live here in Firenze for an entire semester about three years ago. I have to admit that I'm jealous that she got to cross the Ponte Vecchio (the only bridge to survive the bombings in WWII) on her way to class everyday. Granted, it's covered with hideous gold and silver jewelers, but it's captivating none the less.

Mostly, it's just difficult that once Tim and I get our bearings we have to pack up everything and move again. I had finally gotten a little used to the five-mile hike to the Seven Hills Villiage (For Fun-Loving People!) and after that, to the perpetually wet floors of the Stargate Hotel (across the street from the Anakin Stargate Hotel), to the crazy naked Scandinavians in Hostel Gaudi. Now Tim and I have one night in Locanda Daniel before we have to move across the street. Ahhhhhhh, I'm glad my backpack only weighs 900lbs.

It's hard to conserve money, even though we try. You can't really say no to paying the entrance fees to the greatest museums in the world when this is your one chance. Granted, we could save about 40 Euro a day if we just spent all our money on pub crawls but it's hard to see the city that way.

There's no way to describe how tired we both are but there's also no way to really describe everything that we've seen.

Today, I ate, literally, the most perfect strawberries I have ever seen in my entire life. I couldn't have believed that Strawberries that fine even existed. That's totally priceless. Totally.

this is what tired looks like

a) Tim and I ran out of conditioner three days ago. The hairdo is still going strong.
b) Any hostel that says it's a "stone's throw away from the city center" means you have to take the metro, the train and then a 30 minute walk down a one-lane country road in the dark, past a sheep farm.
c) Everything in Europe closes at seven, get up early.
d) The Euro-mullet is NOT attractive.
e) Everything costs money except tiny hidden churches full of secret art. They're also naturally air conditioned.

f) If you make it there, you've already won.

waxing moon in Gemini

I've had my five minute internet warning... Rome is kicking me off the computer, telling me it's time for dinner.

Being in the eternal city on your 22nd birthday is an excellent exercise in perspective; yeah, I'm older but thos collumns were around before Jesus. I can't beat that.

The adventures we've had in the past three days cannot possibly be explianed in less than one minute but I'll be back. Thanks for the birthday wishes.

ROMAN LOVE TO ALL.

Bienvenudos

The water is twenty feet deep and you can see the bottom. You're feet are silvery blue beneath you and suddenly you're tanner than you've ever been in your whole life. Breakfast was three donuts and a huge box of orange juice. You have nothing to do but throw a tennis ball around and look at sea glass. Black dogs are rolling in the sand. You don't even have to take pictures because it's that beautiful.

Welcome to spain. Have a Sangria or three.

BAR-celona (sung to the tune of My Sharona)

So, if you ever have the chance to take a tiny, rattling, regional train through the french and spanish Pyrannies: do it.

BUT if you ever asked whether you want a "sleeperette" or a "reclining chair" on an overnight train: stay as far away from the reclining chair as possible.

Barcelona is SO worth 16.5 hours of time spent on a train (minus the amount of time we spent wandering around the border looking for anything to put into our grieving stomachs).

So we've been here for a day and a half and, like last time, this city is absolutely beautiful and incredible. But unlike last time, it's summer now, and the high season, meaning that I've heard so many languages spoken in just this one day that it's a veritable tower of Babel. Oh yeah, and this time I get my revenge on Europe because for five months I've watched other people hold hands and whisper and look meaningfully into each others' eyes: well this time TIM'S HERE.

We spent all day enjoying the architectural genius of Antoni Gaudi. Somehow, because things always work out for us, not only did we not get charged for our train tickets here (Spain's not included in our Eurail) but we managed to show up at Sagrada Familia on the one day of the year that it's free and open to the public, annually.

If I wasn't paying by the second, I'd tell you a million more things but as it is, you'll just have to wait and satisfy yourself by looking at Tim's newly posted pictures.

Also, I beat Tim in Scrabble by a million points. After he won the first game... with my help.

This post is brought to you by the color azul.

People Aren't Wearing Enough Hats

If only one thing goes wrong in every city, we're gravy and this is going to be the greatest trip ever taken by mere human beings. So far we've had one train problem and one hostel problem, so this is good so far.

Tim and I take the night train for Paris to Toulouse tonight and then go on to Barcelona from there. Actually, the train problem allowed Tim and I to stay in Paris an extra day, giving us a chance to spend 4 hours in the Musée D'Orsay, weeping over brushstrokes yesterday. Then today was passed in the Halls of Versailles. Even blind people are offended by that much gold.

The things that get forgotten, unfortunately, are sometimes the neatest though. Like how I probably won't remember going to Sacre Coeur in Montmartre because I didn't get to go in. Apparently, Jesus doesn't like tank tops. Lies.

I will, however, remember the way we devoured an entire roasted chicken on the steps of a church and how I've missed about three trains so far because the french take vacations and call them "strikes."

Tim keeps saying "Let's cancel everything and just stay in Paris for a month." I have a feeling this sentiment will be felt in every city we go to, making leaving Europe a near impossibility. Fortunately the excitement of visiting a new city/country outweighs the pain of leaving somewhere like Paris behind.