Final Thoughts - Make it Count

This year has been really, really incredible for me. I was able to fulfill a dream that I didn't think would ever become reality. I learned a ton along the way. I am so very thankful to all those who helped me and shared in my experiences. There's been some good times, some bad times, and some scary times. These have all added to the overall significance.

In addition to the obvious - setting out to see new places and explore the history of Europe - I went on this trip to "get back to the basics". Way too often, I'm guilty of being laser-focused and not appreciating the little things in life. This trip has brought many of these things to new light. It might be as simple as an evening sunset or a conversation with a friend - it's all relevant.

I'm very happy that I kept this blog account throughout my journey. I was a little unsure at first - hanging myself out there. But, it's been excellent. It's been a way to express myself that I would otherwise not have had. I'm still uncertain where my future path will take me. One thing I know - I want to give back in some way. I'm truly lucky. I've been very fortunate throughout my life. Positive things have been the result of great people who've inspired me each day.

So, to wrap up my blog - I wanted to hit on a phrase that I never used once throughout my entire trip. Maybe it was inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio in "Titanic" or perhaps it had roots in Tom Hanks final words in the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Or - maybe it's just what I believe. I'm not sure.

No matter where you live, what career you've chosen, or what talents you possess --- everyday, extend your personal limits to a place that makes you feel a little uncomfortable. That's how we grow. Be thankful for what you have and use those abilities in the best way possible. Quite simply: "MAKE IT COUNT".

Thanks for sharing in this journey with me.

Best of the Best

I wanted to include a page to recognize the very best highlights of the trip. A few of those are listed below:

A.) FAVORITE COUNTRY
1.) Germany
2) United Kingdom
3) France
4) Ireland
5) Switzerland
6) Italy
7) Spain
8) Austria
9) Greece
10) Norway
11) Iceland
12) Israel

Second Tier: Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Sweden, Vatican City

Third Tier: Finland, Hungary, Litchenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Peru, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey

Fourth Tier: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine

B.) FAVORITE CITY
1.) Paris
2) Prague
3) Rome
4) London
5) Munich
6) Berlin
7) Istanbul
8) Barcelona
9) Edinburgh
10) Jerusalem



C.) BEST PARTY
1) Ocktoberfest - Munich, Germany
2) St. Patrick's Day - Dublin, Ireland
3) Running of the Bulls - Pamplona, Spain



D.) BEST SPORTING EVENT
1) British Open - St. Andrews, Scotland
2) Wimbledon, London, England
3) Tour de France - France



E.) BEST MARATHON
1) Machu Picchu
2) Athens - 2,500 Anniversary
3) Iceland



F.) BEST DAY TOUR
1.) Berlin City Tour
2.) Auschwitz Concentration Camp - Poland
3) Vatican City
4) Giants Causeway - Northern Ireland


G.) BEST BOAT RIDE
1.) Norwegian fjords
2) Greek Isles
3.) Rhine River Valley

H.) MOST UNIQUE 1-DAY EXPERIENCE
1.) Pyramids of Giza
2.) Beaches of Normandy
3.) Highland Games - Scotland

I.) COOLEST EVENT TO HAPPEN UPON
1.) St. Jordi Day - Barcelona
2.) Paul McCartney Concert - Hyde Park
3.) Feria Festival - Seville, Spain

J.) BEST MOUNTAIN
1.) Jungfrau, Switzerland
2.) Zermatt, Switzerland
3.) Chamonix, France

K.) BEST CHURCH
1.) St. Peter's Basilica - Rome
2.) Notre Dame - Paris
3.) St. Mark's Basilica - Venice

L.) BEST RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
1.) Walking the Via Delorosa (Stations of the Cross) - Jerusalem
2.) Seeing the Pope - Vatican City
3) Lourdes, France
4.) Passion Play - Oberammeragau
5.) Road to Santiago de Compostela - Spain

M.) BEST MUSEUM
1.) Anne Frank - Amsterdam
2) Picasso - Barcelona
3.) World War II Museum - Caen, France

N.) BEST PEOPLE
1.) Irish
2) German
3) Danish/Swedish

O.) MOST BIZARRE
1.) Obese gentleman's house in Scotland
2.) Straggler in Bulgaria
3) Cab ride in Athens

Trip Summary

I did this at the 1/3 point of the trip, and decided to hold off until the end to summarize things one last time. Here goes:



Days on the Trip ---- 284



Continents ---- 5 (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America)



Countries ----- 45 (Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Litchenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Vatican City)



Nights Stayed in each Country ------

United Kingdom - 37 (London-23, Edinburgh-5, Belfast-2, Cardiff-2, Carnoustie-1, Glascow -1, Inverness-1, Portree-1, Windemere-1)



Germany - 30 (Baden-Baden-8, Munich-7, Berlin-4, Frankfurt-4, Schrobenhausen-4, Oberammeragau-2, Hamburg-1)



Italy - 25 (Rome-6, Florence-5, Venice-3, Milan-3, Sorrento-2, Assisi-2, Parma-1, Ravenna-1, Torino-1, Verona-1)



France - 23 (Paris-11, Annecy-3, Nice-3, Caen-2, Biarritz-1, Bordeaux-1, LaRochelle-1, Lourdes-1)



USA - 22 (Bloomsdale-13, St. Louis-5, Raleigh-3, Chicago-1)



Ireland - 18 (Dublin-8, Galway-3, Cork-2, Killarney-2, Ballycroy-1, Castlebar-1, Limerick-1)



Spain - 16 (Barcelona-5, Madrid-4, Granada-1, Leon-1, Pamplona-1, Salamanca-1, San Sebastian-1, Santiago-1, Seville-1)



Switzerland - 11 (Geneva-5, Interlaken-3, Zurich-3)



Greece - 10 (Athens-8, Kalambaka-1, Santorini-1)



Peru - 10 (Cusco-5, Machu Picchu-2, Lima-1, Uramba-1, Yucay-1)



Norway - 9 (Oslo-5, Lavik-2, Voss-2)



Sweden - 7 (Stockholm-5, Alingsas-2)



Denmark - 6 (Copenhagen-6)



Russia - 6 (Moscow-3, St. Petersburg-3)



Austria - 5 (Vienna-3, Innsbruck-1, Salzburg-1)



Finland - 5 (Helsinki-5)



Turkey - 5 (Istanbul-5)



Iceland - 4 (Reykjavik-4)



Portugal - 4 (Lisbon-2, Faro-1, Porto-1)



Czech Republic - 3 (Prague-3)



Egypt - 3 (Cairo-3)



Israel - 3 (Jerusalem-2, Tel Aviv-1)



Netherlands - 3 (Amsterdam-3)



Poland - 3 (Warsaw-2, Krakow-1)



Romania - 3 (Bucharest-2, Suceava-1)



Belgium - 2 (Brussels-2)



Croatia - 2 (Dubrovnik-1, Zagreb-1)



Montenegro - 2 (Bar-2)



Bulgaria -1 (Sofia-1)



Canada -1 (Toronto-1)



Hungary - 1 (Budapest-1)



Lithuania -1 (Vilinius-1)



Serbia -1 (Belgrade-1)



Slovenia - 1 (Ljubljana-1)



Ukraine- 1 (Chernivtsi-1)





Number of different locations stayed --- 152 times I changed places



Average Cost of Hotel Stay ---- $76.53

Day #284 - London to USA (Last Day)

Thursday, December 23rd

Gentlemen (women), welcome to the final day of my journey. You are the Top 1 Percent of all faithful blog followers, the ELITE, the "Best of the Best", I think in a way - we've made each other better this year.

It's 2:45am. I'm sitting here in my hotel room in London - frantically finishing up some final things before my 5:30am departure to Heathrow. It was long ago determined that I would not sleep tonight. That's OK - I think that just about every trip I made back to the states on this journey - I did not sleep prior to departure (my sick night in Istanbul, my sick night in Paris, the night I came home to see my dad, and now tonight).

Well, I'm going to be posting 3 more pages with some summary items. But, maybe you can tell with my words, this is a pretty weird feeling for me right now. This year has been incredible. It's been special. I'm so lucky to have great family and friends. I don't know - but I really feel like this journey has exceeded my expectations. I hope I can take with me some things I've learned and apply them to my everyday life. Thank you for sharing this with me.

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Alright - to bring it home, the #1 country on my list, "O'zapft is!" - (the keg is tapped) ------ GERMANY

Israel (#12)
Iceland (#11)
Norway (#10)
Greece (#9)
Austria (#8)
Spain (#7)
Italy (#6)
Switzerland (#5)
Ireland (#4)
France (#3)
United Kingdom (#2)
Germany (#1)


GERMANY (#1)
Well, I spent 30 days in this country - 1 month. It must be clear in what I have written, because many people have emailed me today stating that they felt Germany would be my #1 selection from the very beginning. That's good.

I spent 8 days in Baden-Baden - the Black Forest area. This is a smaller community - but an incredibly peaceful location. I never felt better in any particular town than here. I spent 7 nights in Munich. I saw the Christmas markets and particpated in the Ocktoberfest celebration. I spent 4 nights in Berlin. It's here, standing over Hitler's Bunker and looking out over the remnants of the Berlin Wall, that I asked myself: "Am I really here?". I spent 4 nights in Frankfurt. I did day trips to Heidelberg and Cologne - and did a boat ride on the Rhine River. This day may have sealed the #1 selection. Sitting out on the deck of this boat, with a tall adult frosty beverage, talking with the local Germans, who spoke better English than I did. Then I spent 4 nights in some smaller towns - Schrobenhausen, Regensburg, Bamberg ---- incredible areas to visit. What about the passion play in Oberammeragau. Special. The town itself is reason enough to make a visit. And finally, a night in Hamburg, where I saw arguably the best sunset of my trip.

And with all that said --- the main reason I picked Germany is because I felt the best here. It was right. People speak English, people are organized, they are calculated. They enjoy a beer, but are not scared of working. It's home to the Mercedes ---- and Ocktoberfest. It has incredible history -- World War II -- it started and ended here. It has natural beauty -- the Black Forest, the Rhine River Valley, and the Alps. Basically, when I looked at my requirements for obtaining the best - this place met each and every one.

With admiration and respect --- I'm proud to list GERMANY as my #1 country on my Gap Year 2010.

Day #283 - London, England

Last hotel - Jesmond Dene - near Kings Cross Station

The London Underground - the Tube

Entrance into St. Pancreas Station

Wednesday, December 22nd

Well, for all practical purposes, this is my final day in Europe during my journey. It doesn't seem real. It started in Paris and will end in London.

I'm staying up by the Kings Cross/St. Pancreas Train Station. If things would have worked out a little better yesterday, I would have done some site-seeing today. But, I just had too much to do. I spent the better part of the day just shoring up things for my return.

I spent time at the Post Office, at the barbershop, at a few souvenir shops, and different Wi-Fi accessible cafes.

It's now approaching 7pm on Wednesday night. (If I was in STL right now - I'd be preparing for the big MU-IL Braggin-Rights basketball game) I have a taxi set for pickup at 5:30am tomorrow morning to bring me to Heathrow Airport. I feel really inspired right now. I have some people to Thank for the next few hours --- it might well bring me to my early morning departure.

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So, it comes down to the Final 2 countries. Who to pick? Albania and Serbia are both on the board. So are Bulgaria and Latvia. But-- it's not them. What about Vatican City or San Marino? Both excellent spots, but I couldn't spend a week there (1 of my requirements). Hmmm - Czech Republic and Sweden are awesome. Belgium and Denmark are great as well. These 4 are in my next best 10. If I've been true to myself and provided accurate descriptions this year -- you should already know the final 2. Would it surprise you that the final 2 countries both speak English very well -- it shouldn't. Comfort. Peace. If I had to live outside the US in Europe, I would only want to live in 1 of these 2 countries.

"Get on with it". Well, I'm currently sitting in my #2 country. Coming in tonight as my #2 most favorite country on my Gap Year 2010 is ........... UNITED KINGDOM

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

Italy (#6)

Switzerland (#5)

Ireland (#4)

France (#3)

United Kingdom (#2)

UNITED KINGDOM (#2)

To be honest, this pick would have surprised me before entering my journey. I would have anticipated maybe Italy or Spain in this position. But, I kept an open-mind throughout. And, the UK stood out for me. So many things to see and do. I'll be looking at this later, but I've probably spent over a month in this country alone. It's like a country made up of 4 smaller ones: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.

England --- It starts with London. This is a Top 5 city for me. I really enjoyed my stay here. Endless things to do. Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Picadilly Circus, River Thames, Wimbledon -- you could spend 2 weeks in London proper before you adequately saw everything. Then, the day trip possibilities from London are immense. One of my favorite spots: Oxford University and Blenheim Palace. You have Cambridge, the White Cliffs of Dover, Stonehenge, Bath, Shakepeare's Place in Stratford Upon Avon, Southhampton, the Lake District, Windsor Castle, and Warwick Castle.

Scotland -- This was my favorite. This area secured the #2 position. Going to the home of golf at St. Andrews and then golfing at Carnoustie and Turnberry - unreal. Edinburgh is a fantastic city. Then there's Inverness, Loch Ness, Aberdeen, Glascow. I spent a unique day at the Highland Games in a small town in western Scotland. What about my day in the Isle of Skye. I most definitely would like to return to Scotland at some point. I didn't even do any hiking - and Scotland is known for this.

Wales and Northern Ireland --- both interesting areas. I spent limited time in each, but both were neat places that offer more than most countries.

Adding up the sum of the parts --- the United Kingdom comes in as my #2 most favorite country.

Day #282 - Paris to London, England

Waiting to board the ship from Calais to Dover

People anxiously watching the Departure Boards at the Nord Train Station in Paris

Tuesday, December 21st

So, today was just as challenging as expected. The good thing however -- it ended with me arriving in London, England at 12 midnight. At that point, nothing else mattered -- the day was a success.

I got up and went over to the Nord Train station in Paris. I had a 2:30pm train to Calais, France booked - but I was fully expecting this to either be delayed or cancelled. My goal was to find backup. Well, it didn't take long for me to realize that the travel situation in Europe is serious. It's definitely real, and it's definitely not to be underestimated. This was clear from the faces of the thousands of people in the train station - a look of panic, anxiety, and desperation.

When I spoke with the lady last evening concerning trains to London, she didn't speak English well, and I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me. Today I get it. Due to snow issues in both England and France, there's been many delays to the Eurostar train connecting the ciites of Paris and London. Because of the delays, the tickets are completely booked for 7 days. The train lines are operational - but no spots are available.

The only 2 countries in which trains go directly to England from the mainland are: France and Belgium. I learned that this was not an option for me. I then checked into buses. Nothing. Long range bus options in France are not great to begin with, but they were completely booked as well. OK - deep breaths. There's 5 ways to get from Paris to London: car, train, bus, boat, or plane. Well, 2 of the 5 were eliminated as options (train & bus). I decided that the car option would be the absolute last thing I do. I wanted no part of driving in snow (on the wrong side of the road in England) to make this happen. Therefore, I had to look into 1) Boat or 2) Plane.

I did find a plane that would have gotten me into Southampon at 10pm. I could then take the train to London. It was pricey however - $400. So, my plan to take the train to Calais, then a boat across the English Channel to the White Cliffs of Dover, and then a train to London ----- this HAD to work. I had called the boat operator via Skype. I spoke with a guy from England. He told me that the ferries were currently only half full and the trains in England were running - just on delays. At that point, nothing else I could really due but cross my fingers. I sat around the train station waiting for my 2:30pm departure.

Luckily, the train to Calais went off on time. Just about everybody on this train was trying to get to London or other parts of the UK. We arrived into Calais, then took a bus into town. The crowds were massive, people were panicky. "Were the ferries to Dover going to be full?" Once into town, we had to get another bus to the port of Calais. Swarms of people were trying to make this happen. At this point of the game, I am lucky I had the ability to move quickly. I was taking no prisoners and negotiating around people to find the front of the line. We boarded the next bus to the port. All great - the boat leaves at 6:15pm. I buy a ticket - $50. Ouch - but it could be worse. We board the boat. We sit there. We sit longer. Announcement: "We have technical issues - more information to follow". We sit longer. 2 hours have passed. We should have already been in Dover. Announcement: "We have issues that cannot be repaired on this boat - everyone must deboard and a new boat is on the way". Not so good. We all stampeded onto the next boat and left the Port of Calais around 9:30pm. (over 3 hours delayed)

We arrived into Dover 1-1/2 hours later. A nice benefit, however, the time in England is 1 hour earlier than France. So, instead of being 11pm, it was only 10pm. I again hightailed it around many people to get to the first bus to Dover train station. Here, I was able to purchase a ticket into London for $40. I took the 10:44pm train to London and arrived at midnight.

I had no hotel, so I found a cafe open at the St. Pancreas International train station. I found a place within walking distance. I got there, and dumped my gear in my room about 12:45am. Whewww!!!!

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OK - the Top 3 countries. Coming in as my #3 favorite country on my Gap year 2010 is............................................................... FRANCE

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

Italy (#6)

Switzerland (#5)

Ireland (#4)

France (#3)

FRANCE (#3)

Well, the reason I placed France in this position is simply due to the overall magnitude of 'Things To Do" in this country. France is not listed as the #1 most visited country in the world on most lists (with the USA being a very distant second place) by accident. It all starts with Paris. My favorite city in Europe. The Eiffel Tower, the Lourve, Notre Dame, Sacre-Coeur, Champs-Elysees, the Seine River, Invalides, the Bastille, the Republica - it goes on and on. Probably the main reason I like Paris so much, it's a great city to walk around. Endless things to see and a great atmosphere for doing such.

If the only attraction in France was just Paris, however, it may not have even made my Top 10. Circling the country clockwise starting at the 3-o'clock position -- you have the Alps. Awesome. Chamonix and Annecy were a couple of my favorite places. I've also skiied in Val d'lsere. It's not a surprise that many of my favorite countries border the Alps. Next, you come to the French Riviera. Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo -- this is a great spot. The beaches may be a little rocky, but the atmosphere makes up for it. Continuing south to the French/Spanish border - you have Lourdes. This was one of the most special places for me on the whole trip. Coming up the western coastline, you have Biarritz. This is a great town with incredible beaches. Next, further north, you come to the beaches of Normandy. The history here made me ask myself: "Am I really standing on Omaha Beach?". You come around to the city of Strasbourg before entering the Alps once again.

France is also apart of my heritage. I'm still not giving up linking some of my relatives to the Lyon, France area. What about the whole interior of France - with the wine country of Burgundy (and the endless other places I didn't even get to). Coming in as my #3 selection on my most favorite country list - France.

Day #281 - Paris, France

A look down the Seine River at the Eiffel Tower

Christmas lights of Champs-Elysees

Looking up to the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees

My 'spot" - at night

My 'spot' - during the day

Monday, December 20th

A really nice day in Paris. I slept in and then decided to walk down to the Champs-Elysees. It's a pretty good jaunt from up near the Sacre-Coeur where I'm staying -- but, this being my final day in Paris, it had to be done. I didn't look at a map and just started in the general direction. I grabbed a 'large' coffee and a sandwich to go from a local cafe.

It took a while, but I eventually looked to my left - there was the Arc de Triomphe. Very nice. I walked the length of the Champs-Elysees and went over to my favorite Eiffel Tower viewing spot. I have a couple pictures posted today of this spot (1 in the daytime and 1 at night). This is the exact location where I saw the Eiffel Tower for the very first time.

It was early afternoon. The temperatures were wavering around the freezing mark. I know this only because it was snowing early and then it started freezing rain. I decided to go to the second floor of the McDonalds that overlooks the Champs-Elysees. I worked on my computer for a few hours while watching the people go by. I had to see this place at night - 5 days before Christmas - so I wasn't going too far.

By the time I packed up my gear and left the McDonalds - it was dark. I walked outside to a sea of lights. Impressive. All the trees lining the main drag where decorated with white lights. On the far end of the street, on the way to the Lourve, there where many outdoor stands (similar to the German holiday markets). I made my way back over to 'my spot' and took more pictures.

It was freezing rain pretty good about this time. I decided that I felt comfortable with my time in Paris. I've walked the better part of the entire city on a few different occassions. With a little bit of sadness, I hit the metro and took it back up toward the Sacre-Coeur.

I decided to stop at the Gare Saint-Lazare to see about getting a train ticket to London tomorrow. It's here where I received some bad news. "Sir, there are no trains to London until Sunday". My response: "You're gonna do what?" I talked to this lady for 15 minutes - and I just didn't get it. She initially said: "Oh, haven't you heard about all the bad weather in London?" I then said: "No, even if there was bad weather, how can they definitely cancel all trains for 6 days?" I'm a big fan of saying it out loud to see if it makes sense. What the lady was telling me just didn't add up. Plus, she wavered from her stance on the weather and said that they can only give tickets to the people who have tickets. Needless to say, I was more clueless after leaving this lady then when I got to the station. Since I had waited in line for about 45 minutes to hear this, I decided to walk in the rain for a while to figure out my options.

So, I'm here in my hotel and have formulated a plan for tomorrow. I'm getting up early and taking all my gear with me to the Gare Nord station. This is the station where trains leave to London. This is also the station where I have a train reserved to Calais, France at 2:30pm. My plan: 1) Talk to more people. Get confirmation of train closures into England. If possible - get on a train, even if I have to stand the whole way. 2.) If the train is absolutely NOT an option, I figure out if all trains in the entire country of England are closed. 3) If trains within England are operational, I'll look to go by boat to Dover from Calais. This is actually what the lady told me at the train station. There's a boat to Dover around 5:30pm. It arrives around 6:00pm (1 hour time difference). Then, I would take the train to London. 4) If trains are completely out - I have to book a flight into London - no other options. (because I somehow need to get across the English Channel - swimming is not a great option right now)

So, tomorrow looks to offer another logistics challenge before I enter my final country of the trip. I anticipated so much, that's why I gave myself a few days leeway. I just need to be in London by Thursday morning at 7am for my 9am departure to the states. I have 2-1/2 days to make this happen -- let's see if I can do it.

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OK -- the Final Four. Any country in the Final Four has got to be pretty special. I will say that the things that separate these last few countries have more t0 do with comfort and feel, then sheer sites alone. Don't get me wrong, they have the sites, but they also have the whole package. Tonight, coming in at #4 on the list of my most favorite countries during my Gap Year 2010 is........................................................................ IRELAND

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

Italy (#6)

Switzerland (#5)

Ireland (#4)

IRELAND (#4)

I haven't stepped foot in this country since Easter Sunday. And - I knew it when I left - this place is special. I had an open mind throughout my entire journey, Ireland wasn't set in stone. But, even with all the other areas fresh in my memory, Ireland still pulls a Top 4 ranking. Solid. Why? Easy answer: the people. I like Ireland because it's very comfortable for me. From religion, to attitude, to national pride, to friendliness and approachability --- Ireland is fantastic.

It started in Dublin with St. Patrick's Day. I was more impressed with the national pride that I saw - then the party that ensued (and that was a great party). Dublin has some interesting sites: the Guiness Brewery, Trinity College, and the Temple Bar District. I had a chance to go to a 6-Nations Rugby match while in Dublin. Outstanding. To really experience Ireland, however, you gotta get out of Dublin. Cork - a reverse backbend to kiss the blarney stone started it off. Then there was the Ring of Kerry bus tour. After a nice Irish coffee, we sat on the bus and listened to some traditional Irish music while looking out the window at these incredible sites. I stayed in my first hostal ever in Killarney, Ireland. I met some people and went to an Irish dance school. Then there's Galway. You have Connemara and the Aran Islands - both top spots. What about the Cliffs of Moher -- now I relate every cliff hanging into the ocean to this day. Ireland is the place I came to appreciate a nice cup of hot tea (I still don't do the milk, but I'm learning) Then, to top it off, even though technically it's apart of the United Kingdom, I went to northern Ireland and did a day trip to the Giants Causeway. Great - and I got to learn alot that day because our bus driver was very informative concerning recent conflicts in the area. Throw in a truly memorable 2-day stay with my buddy Liam's family in Castlebar & Ballycroy---- it's an absolute pleasure to see Ireland come in as my #4 favorite country in Europe.

Adder: Checkout this website: http://thestar.blogs.com/weather360/2010/12/anger-rises-over-european-travel-chaos.html ----- Oh boy --- tomorrow I need to perform

Day #280 - Baden-Baden to Paris

Parting shot from Baden-Baden

Cafe near my hotel in Paris

Christmas lights in Paris

Sunday, December 19th

Coming to you live from Paris, France - my home city throughout my travels this year. This is the 6th different time I've been to Paris in 9 months. I began my trip here on March 15th. Other visits included: the French Open, Bastille Day, a weekend after the Normandy Beaches, and a return flight from the states. I like it here. I'm pretty comfortable with the city layout. If you're going to have a 'home away from home' - why not make it the best city in Europe.

Today turned in to a little adventure to navigate the rail system from Baden-Baden to Paris. I had things lined out pretty well initially. I had a 12:45pm to Karlsruhe and then a 1:30pm connector into Paris - arriving at 4:30pm. Well, the connector from Karlsruhe was cancelled. No delays - just wiped off the boards. Luckily, I made 2 friends that would help me the rest of the day. A German guy and a French girl. Perfect. They had the language covered. All 3 of us needed to get to Paris. We let the German guy take over first. We got rerouted to Stratsbourg - a 2-train combination. Only problem - we were then going to have a big delay. We let the French girl take over. She worked the system to find an earlier train option. We jumped from 1 train to another as soon as we hit the ground. We found a direct option to Paris - and arrived at 6:30pm. I could have swung it by myself - but it was fun just to 'follow the leader' and not have to think. They both had connections out of Paris - to Nice and Toulousse, France respectively. We said our farewells and were on our own once again. (It's amazing to me just how many folks have helped me along the way this year -- today I would have been OK -- but so many other times, just arbitrary people have been my saviours.)

Our train arrived into 1 of the 6 main terminals in Paris - Paris Est. I had previously booked a hotel in the northern part of town - a couple hundred yards from Moulin Rouge. I knew the train terminal was close to my hotel, so I took a taxi. (8 euro) I checked in around 7pm and have just been relaxing most of the night.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see what the City of Lights has to offer at Christmas time.

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OK - I've come down to the Top 5 on my country list. The kidding around is just about over. Coming in tonight in the #5 position on my most favoritie countires list during my Gap Year 2010 is......................................................... SWITZERLAND

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

Italy (#6)

Switzerland (#5)

SWITZERLAND (#5)
Well - this country is spectacular. By now you realize how much I enjoy the mountains, hiking, skiing, and just being outdoors. I don't think there is a better place in Europe for these activities. Two places I'll remember specifically when I think of Switzerland are: Zermatt and the Top of Europe (the Jungfraujoch). Zermatt (the Matterhorn) - I had my best hiking day here. Sitting out on the deck of Sunnegga Paradise Lodge, watching the para-gliders over the mountains -- it was amazing. Jungfraujoch (the highest rail station in the world - 11,400ft) - I had a chance to hike over to this lodge on a snow trail. The pictures I got during this walk are on the short list of best photos on my trip. What about Zurich? This place is elegant, classy, and a ton of fun to walk around. Then, you have Lucerne - one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. I did a day trip to St. Moritz and walked around the lake. Speaking of lakes, how about the city of Geneva. Walking around Lake Geneva in mid July was incredible. I'll remember the couple days I spent in Interlaken. Swizerland is also very unique in other ways. It has it's own money - although completely surrounded by countries that use the euro. Switzerland stands for quality, money, finance - it may just be the most expensive overall country in Europe. It has a history of neutrality - unlike its neighbors. Combine all of these things - sitting strongly in the #5 position in my favorite countries list ---- Switzerland.

Day #279 - Baden-Baden

A nice place to run

OK scenery

Downtown Baden-Baden

Holiday markets - the Saturday before Christmas

Interesting walking paths

Central water fountain

Saturday, December 18th

Back to back great days in Baden-Baden. I pretty much had a similar day as yesterday. I included an hour run in the middle - all good stuff.

Honestly, I don't have much else to say. This place is exceptional. Period. (It's like when they were watching the sunset on the movie 'Crimson Tide' -- sometimes, you don't need to say anything at all)

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OK - another big one comes off the board tonight. A country that everyone knows, everyone likes in some way or another. A country famous for it's wine. Coming in at #6 on the list of my most favorite countries on my Gap Year 2010 ---------------------- ITALY

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)
Greece (#9)
Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

Italy (#6)

ITALY (#6)

I just spent about 3 weeks here - so, I remember it well. My favorite city - Rome. This place was special. I truly enjoyed Vatican City - the day tour of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, and the morning with the Pope. Then, there's the Colisseum, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. How about Florence - the Uffizzi Galleries and the Statue of David. Tuscany - wine country and great food. Then you have the uniqueness of Venice -- the city on the water. You don't drive - you take a boat. Milan - the city of shopping. What about the scenic Amalfi Coast. Walking around Sorrento at Christmas time. Hiking the Cinque Terre. Posing in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. St. Francis Basilica in Assisi. What about Romeo & Juliet in Verona. Bottom line ------ Italy is awesome. It is with great respect, that my #6 most favoritie country is Italy.

Day #278 - Baden-Baden, Germany

Baden-Baden - Holiday Markets

Main Street

Concert near Holiday Markets

Bee Wax candles

Restaurants - decked out for holidays

Alot of snowfall

Friday, December 17th

Exceptional day today! Baden-Baden may be the most peaceful place I've ever been. It may have just topped my first plane ride and me sitting out by the pool in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I write this down tonight because I want to remember this feeling. No question that my current mindframe is helping with my peacful state. I'm at the end of my journey, it's Christmas time, I'm in the middle of this incredible town in Germany filled with special sites -- it truly doesn't get much better. I'm not exaggerating or making something out of nothing - this is very real to me. I realize I will soon need to flip the switch. I'm prepared to make this happen. When I do this, however, I want to have more of this in my life -- that's important. One thing I've been lucky with on this trip - I truly think that I get it. I am not taking things for granted or overlooking the significance of certain areas. I hope to make this continue in the future.

So, last night, I stayed up until about 2am watching some old movie that was in English. It was great - don't even know the name. It was some scary movie that could compete with Friday the 13th. Then, I fell asleep and awoke this morning at 11:45am. I had to do a double-take on my watch. I had not moved or regained consciousness for 10 hours. I should have gotten a standing ovation for this sleeping performance. I guess the combination of me running yesterday and sitting at the pool/sauna did me in.

Next, I walked the streets doing some Christmas shopping. It was snowing, Christmas songs playing ---- it could get worse. Then, I went back to the pool for a couple more hours. I followed this up with more walking at the holiday markets. I made it back to the hotel and grabbed a shower - preparing to meet up with my friends I had met during my last stay here.

Rick (friend of Jan from Minneapolis) and I went out for dinner. It was outstanding. His wife, Dagmar, couldn't join us -- but we still had a great time. I learned more about the country of Germany in 2 hours than I ever could have picked up on my own. Fascinating! I really enjoy learning about new countries and new areas. A 2-hour bit like this can put so many things into persepective. I had some unique German dish for dinner. A veal, pork, potatoe, vegetable combination -- it was outstanding.

The night ended and I said my farewells to Rick. "Thanks for your hospitality - it's greatly appreciated".

Another day of relaxation on the agenda tomorrow. I'm going to try and run for a couple hours sometime in there - and then, although unwillingly, I have to prepare to leave Germany for my final time of my journey early Sunday morning (19th).

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OK - this is a big one tonight. Coming in as my #7 most favorite country on my Gap Year 2010 is -------------- SPAIN

Israel (#12)
Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

Austria (#8)

Spain (#7)

SPAIN (#7)

This country offers so many things, it would be impossible for me to leave it out of the Top 10. I came upon many unique festivals and events during my time in Spain. There was the Feria in Seville (celebration of the end of Holy Week), St. Jorge Day in Barcelona (books and roses given out), the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Then you have the cities of Madrid and Barcelona. Exceptional. Both are very different, but offer some great nightlife and active scenery. I went to a Bull Fight in Madrid - is there a better place to go to a bullfight? I did the last part of the pilgrimage to the city of Santiago de Compostela. I attended a soccer match in Barcelona - and saw, arguably, the best team in the world play. I'll always remember the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa - where they shot red wax balls against a white wall. How about the sunset in San Sebastian? Then there's the unique towns of Avila, Leon, Salamanca, and Segovia I visited. Man - after I read all these things - why didn't I rank Spain higher? Well, that must mean there's places out there that are even better. But, I can assure you of this, you can't go wrong with a visit to my 7th most favorite country in Europe - Spain.

Day #277 - Baden-Baden, Germany

Baden-Baden

Snowy streets

View in front of Thermal Pools

Christmas in B&B

Quiet streets

Thursday, December 16th

I took a train out of Munich today for Baden-Baden, Germany. This is the place where I spent my birthday - in the Black Forest. The town lies on the Germany/France border. Since I really enjoyed the area on my initial visit, I thought it would be a good stopping point before heading into France.

I actually got into town earlier than I had anticipated - arriving around 2:30pm. I dropped my gear at the hotel and went out for a run. Snowing - unbelievable atmosphere. (I realize I continue to use similar descriptions - just can't help it. Again, I'm able to appreciate smaller things more this year than ever before. While working - I would have hardly noticed the snow - unless it slowed me down on the roads.)

I don't know if there is a more peaceful and relaxing town than Baden-Baden. It's not the party capital of Europe - but that's not why you would come here. After my run, I hit one of the pools. Then, had a sit-down dinner. I'm back in my hotel now. Tomorrow night, I have plans to meet up with Rick and Dagmar - the couple I had dinner with during my initial visit into town. This should be alot of fun - look forward to it.

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OK - we're getting into the tough portion of my rankings. The country coming in as my #8 most favorite country on my Gap Year 2010 is: AUSTRIA

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)
Austria (#8)

AUSTRIA (#8)

The Alps - the fact that Austria has some of the most scenic countryside in the world goes a long way with why I'm placing it in my list. I spent minimal days here - but enjoyed my time immensely and would easily come back. I travelled across the country after leaving Zurich, Switzerland to my final destination of Vienna. I first came to Bregenz - an awesome small city on Lake Constance (one of the big recreational lakes bordering Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). I then had a day in Innsbruck - home to the Winter Olympics and a great skiing destination. Next, came Salzburg --- Mozart and "The Sound of Music". I really enjoyed this town. Finally, there is Vienna. This is one of the most under-appreciated cities in Europe in my opinion. The architecture, amazing buildings -- it really is a great place. Maybe it doesn't have the 1 big drawcard (like the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, or Vatican City), but the consistent quality was the feature I was most impressed with. Sum it all up -- Austria comes in as the #8th most favorite country on my journey.

Day #276 - Munich, Germany

Christmas in Munich

Candle Stand

People everywhere

View from Marienplatz

Street between train station and central square

Wednesday, December 15th

Wow - I can't believe it's December 15th! This has gone too fast. Today I spent my final day in Munich just wondering the streets (primarily Christmas shopping). The atmosphere was unreal. Not sure I could find a scenario which would provide a better holiday feel -------- It was snowing steadily. The ground's covered, it's about 20 degrees F, the holiday songs are playing on the streets, swarms of people crowd through the holiday markets drinking hot tea or coffee, stores are filled with customers, and the mood is upbeat and positive

I really don't have much else to report other than me getting organized for my trip home. I spent several hours tonight working on this video I'm making. I thought it would be a cool summary. Rather than look back at all my pictures in the future - I could just watch this and get a general overview of everything. I honestly never did this before. I'm completely winging it. I'm using Windows Live Movie Maker. I have no point of reference, other than the internet, on how to go about this. I once put a movie together from my trip to Australia many years ago. At that time, I used tape from a camcorder and a VCR. I even editted in clips from other movies into the one I made. I'll watch it every now and again and laugh - quality is severely lacking. I was sick as a dog when I was doing it. The fact I completed it was good for me.

I just finished going through all the pictures and picking out the best ones for each day of the trip. The video is 41 minutes in length. I've added a number of songs. The next 8 days - I will edit and trim this down - hoping to get somewhere near 30 minutes (give or take).

Tomorrow, I head to the western portion of Germany -- I want to see Baden-Baden at Christmas time.

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Alright, coming in tonight as my #9 most favorite country on my Gap Year 2010 is: GREECE

Israel (#12)
Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

Greece (#9)

GREECE (#9)
This country is filled with incredible history and natural beauty. My most memorable days in Greece were in the Greek Isles - when we took our boat ride to Santorini. There are so many other islands I'd like to see (Crete, Mykonos, Rhondes). Blue water, beaches, cliff-top towns. Then, you have Athens. The Acropolis and the many "hills" for viewing the city below. I'll always remember running into the Old Olympic Stadium with Chariots of Fire playing at the end of the 2,500 Classic Athens Marathon. When you also consider the out-country unique sites, such as the Monasteries of Meteora, the Delphi and Mount Athos -- it's easy to see why Greece is positioned in the #9 spot of my most favorite countries.

Day #275 - Garmisch, Germany

Ski-jump venue

Impressive ski slopes

Huge mountain peaks

Resort town

Great views

Tuesday, December 14th

Today I did a day trip from Munich. I took a 9:30am train down to the town of Garmisch, Germany. It was a 1-1/2 hour trip. The name is actually Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The 2 towns were separate for centuries, until Hitler forced the mayors of each town to combine forces in 1935 while leading up to the 1936 Olympic Games.

Garmisch is a small ski town located on the Germany/Austria border. It's location is not far from Oberammergau - the village I visited for the Passion Play back in late September. I really wanted to go skiing today after seeing the slopes and getting that craving. 3 reasons I couldn't: (1) Main reason -- I don't have the proper gear. I would have to rent it all or buy. (2) Can't afford to get hurt with my investment in the Antartica trip (3) More fun with others.

I spent the day walking around. I made my way over to some of the Olympic venue sites. The ski jump was awesome to see. Supposedly, they have a big ski jump competition each New Year's Day. The tallest mountain in Germany - the Zugspitze (9,731 ft), sits at the base of the town. There's a cable car or cog railway to the top. Since it was pretty overcast today, I didn't make the journey up the hill. Major skiing area - as the 2011 Alpine World Ski Championships will be held here.

Jumped back on the 3pm train and returned to Munich at 4:30pm. I'm calling it an early night tonight.

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Alright, coming in tonight as my #10 most favorite country on my Gap Year 2010: NORWAY

Israel (#12)

Iceland (#11)

Norway (#10)

NORWAY (#10)

The Norwegian Fjords. This area will forever leave an impression on me. It was the best boat rides of my entire trip. I spent 3 days looking up at these huge cliff-faces as our boat passed through the gap between them. Our ferry looked like a toy in a bathtub along side these solid masses. I also went on the famous Flam Railway. I got to take pictures of this incredible waterfall at the halfway point. Then, you have the city of Oslo. Expensive, but great to walk around. I really enjoyed the Nobel Peace Prize Center - looking at the room of honor with the descriptions of all the recipients. You can take a boat from the Oslo Harbor to access a number of interesting museums: Viking, Kon-Tiki, and Munch. Throw in the fact that Norway lays claim to the North Pole and has spectacular sites north of the Artic Circle (including the Aurora Borealis - "Northern Lights") - it's easy for me to include Norway as my #10 Most Favorite Country.

Day #274 - Munich, Germany

Munich - Christmas markets

Marienplatz market

Major crowds - throughout streets of Munich

Awesome window display

Another market - 9pm

Monday, December 13th

You know why I like Germany - large coffees. Well, one of the reasons anyway. Today, I spent a leisurely day in Munich. I slept in after staying up half the night working on the computer.

I went out for a 1-1/2 hour run early afternoon. It's cold here. Right now, it's 21 degrees F. I'm training for the last event of my year off. On February 20, I leave for Antartica. I will be running the Antartica Marathon on February 28th with the group from Athens (minus Kim). My goal is to use the first 2-3 months of 2011 to get re-engaged into society. This will truly be a year at this point, as I officially resigned from my company on February 5th, 2010. When I return from the marathon - full speed ahead. Hopefully, I'll be starting a new career in a new location (what & where - still to be determined).

The month I took off from running after Athens has really helped me. I feel alot better. I'm going to just get miles in the next 2 weeks and then follow a more stringent plan when I get back to the states. The temperatures in Antartica where we'll be running are typically between 10-30 degrees F. Today was ideal training - I just need to get comfortable with it.

Munich is awesome this time of year. I spent a couple hours this afternoon and then again tonight walking around. One of the reasons I came to Munich before my return - to see the Christkindlmarkts. These are holiday markets scattered throughout the city. This place screams Christmas. Endless booths filled with ornaments, candles, wood-carved toys, and traditional figures. The music is playing in the background. There are endless food and drink stands. People are everywhere - all the better that it's cold and snowy.

Probably the neatest market can be found at the Marienplatz. This is the central square in the middle of Old Town. A huge Christmas tree stands in front of the Rathaus - the Town Hall. This is the take-home site in December in Munich. Incredible. When I think about the holidays in the future - I will likely think back of today.

Back in the hotel, going to call it an earlier night tonight. Going to try a day trip tomorrow.

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Alright, in keeping with my 12 Day's of Christmas theme, the country making the list in the #11 position as my most favorite country during my Gap Year 2010 ----- ICELAND.

Israel (#12)
Iceland (#11)

ICELAND (#11)

I only spent 5 days in this country, but it was great. I'm including it here - because it's a place I really want to go back. Reykjavik has a small city atmosphere - located right on the ocean. It's an easy city to walk, with some unique sites. People speak English everywhere. But, the main reason I'm including it - the day trip options available to tourists, as well as the Ring Road. The Blue Lagoon is a nice day trip from Reykjavik. Also, there are endless whale watching trips available. Then, rent a car and drive around the road that circles the country. I've had plenty of conversations with folks who've done just that, all agree - the natural sites are nothing short of incredible. It's not really as cold as one would think either. I just checked the temperature, it's currently 40 degrees F in Reykjavik - it's 20 degrees colder in Munich. For all these reasons, Iceland comes in as my #11 selection as my most favorite country.

Day #273 - Verona to Munich, Germany

Snow covered Alps as I pass into Germany

Deep snow in some areas

Restaurant car on the train - had a great bean soup

Sunday, December 12th,

Coming to you live from Munich, Germany. It's 1am - just starting to write. I've been working on different things all evening. I feel better - more organized.

I took the 9:05am train from Verona and arrived into Munich at 2pm. The trip was great. We headed due north through the Alps. We past through Innsbruck, Austria and up into Germany. It was snowing must of the way. The snow is deep in several places. It was incredible scenery to just sit back and watch the mountains pass by.

It's snowing in Munich right now. It's like a winter wonderland out there. I hadn't booked a hotel prior to my arrival, so I walked around a little before I found a spot. I'm real near the Munich HBF (main train station). I didn't set out for any site-seeing today. Tomorrow we'll get it rolling again.

So, in keeping with the Christmas spirit - I thought about doing something different for the next 12 days. I have 12 days until I return to the states. 12 days. Like - in the 12 Days of Christmas.

With that being said, and because you may have realized that I'm a big fan of lists, I've decided to rank my favorite countries on the trip - from #12 to #1. I have 44 to choose from (as the US was one of my 45 - that doesn't count).

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So, drumroll please. My 12th most favorite country that I toured in my Gap Year 2010 is: ISRAEL

Whoa! Left field? Let me first explain that I thought about this list for about 4 hours on my train trip today. Not winging it. The countries you'll see in the next 12 days have these things in common: (1) I could spend a week plus in each of these countries. (2) I learned something when I was there. (3) Each country had some kind of unique site - something that made me take a minute - and ask myself: "Am I really here". (4) Each country has a combination of history and natural beauty. (5) And finally, I felt some sense of peace when I was in each of these countries.

One thing I'll point out as well, just because a city is great - doesn't mean that the entire country is great. For example, I'm going to include Istanbul in my Top Cities List. But, I would not put Turkey in my Best Countries List - as I would have no desire to explore outside the city proper.

ISRAEL (#12)

You can spend a long weekend on the beaches of Tel Aviv. These are 'great beaches'. In my opinion, better than the French Riviera. Maybe not the same clientele, but the sand and water are great. You can go south and scuba dive in the Red Sea. This place is said to be the second best diving in the world to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. You can do a day trip to the Dead Sea and float around for a while. You can go north to Galilee and Nazareth. Or - go south to Masada and Bethlehem. Everyone in the country speaks clear English - and it's fairly simple to get around. AND - then there is Jerusalem. This place is special. There's no 2 ways you can say it. There were many times while I was walking around that it didn't seem real. Certainly, this is a country of conflict in many ways, but it's intriguing. Interesting. And - for that matter - it makes the list as my 12th most favorite country on my trip.

Day #272 - Verona, Vicenza & Padova, Italy

Bridge in Verona

Romeo & Juliet's Balcony

Statue of Juliet

Scrovegni Chapel - Padova

Teatra Olimpico - Vicenza

Saturday, December 11th

This morning I started out of Parma at 7:50am bound for Verona, Italy - arrival time around 11am. I had to take 3 trains to make it happen, but everything worked out well.

Verona is located between Milan and Venice. Actually, all 3 towns I visited today are on the same train line between these 2 cities. Milan - Verona - Vicenza - Padova - Venice. If you take the fast train, it will generally only stop in these 3 locations, and take 2-1/2 hours from point to point.

I'm staying in Verona right now. Really a cool city. I just came back from walking around the outdoor markets of the central square. It was great atmosphere. Saturday night, 10pm, stands filled with food, and all kinds of merchandise. I made a couple purchases - all good. I spent some of the late morning here as well before daytripping to Vicenza and Padova. Verona is fairly big, with a population of over 700,000 people. It has the Arena - an outdoor Roman amphitheatre completed around 30 AD. It's the 3rd largest in Italy - behind Rome's Colisseum and the arena in Capua. Another interesting site was the castle that overlooked the river. The arch bridge Ponte Scaligero, built in 1356, crosses the river from the castle.

And finally, one of the claims to fame for Verona, Italy - the setting for Romeo & Juliet. This was classic. I had no clue where this place was located - so I couldn't just stroll up to any dude and ask the quesstion. So, I spot the friendliest-looking lady in this outdoor market. I went up and bought an apple and said: "Ummm - where's this Romeo & Juliet place?". She just smiled and pointed me down a street: "It's number 23 on the left".

I saunter may way down the street. You walk through this archway into this small plaza. Saturday afternoon - the place was packed. They had the balcony, as the residence of the Capullets. People were walking out on the balcony and taking pictures. They also have a bronze statue of Juliet in this small plaza. Legend goes that you must rub the right breast of Juliet to bring you luck in love. This was great people watching - one of the funnier things I've seen on the trip to date. People would line up to get their picture taken with their hand on the breast. You saw people embarrassingly stroll up to the statue, then others would have no inhibitions whatsoever. Then, there were a couple of guys (no doubt several cocktails in), who took it 2-3 steps further. Did I touch the breast? Well, actually, no - on grounds I would have looked like a major pervert under the conditons that presented itself. It's all fun and funny with a group. I should have done it - it would have made for great TV.

Onward to Padova. I spent the least amount of time in this city. Just enough to walk the main street and go tour the Scrovegni Chapel. This is a 13th century chapel famous for it's frescoes. Giotti, the same artist that painted the frescoes in Assisi, lays claim to this work. 38 scenes - depicting the life of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Onward to Vicenza. I spent some time here just walking the streets of Corso Palladio It was late afternoon, around 5pm. The streets were packed with people. Great atmosphere. At the end of the busy street was the Teatro Olimpico. This is a famous theatre built in 1580. It looks like some sort of castle. Plays are still held here today. My book states that it's a pretty big ticket.

I trained back to Verona where I hit the markets. It's about 1am now, I have a 9am train to Munich tomorrow. I say Farewell to Italy. Great country. Certainly, it can be enhanced by your company and the time of season. But, regardless, it's an excellent place with alot of variety. I clearly see why it's ranked so highly - it deserves the accolodes.