Lindley and I spend the last week of her holiday in Italy. We arrived in Cinque Terra, around 6pm on Saturday night, with no room booked and had no idea how it was going to turn out. We had a long, hung over day on the train, in which we missed our stop and ended up in a different town altogether than the one we had planned. So we were a little cranky when we finally got off the train in Monterosso. We were walking down the hill, when I was trying to be optimistic, and said "well, it could be [View Full Entry]

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AAAhhh Nice. I think one of the most beautiful places I've seen so far. I could have stayed here for a month. Although the start wasn't so great... The night train experience. Imagine, 6 bunks and a room that is 7ft wide by 7ft long and about 8ft tall = screaming headache in the morning. I was unable to appreciate the scorching sunlight of 8am. We cheded innto our kick ass hostel and I decided immediately that I wanted to stay more than 2 nights (it didn't hurt that all the hottie European men seem to be hiding in Nice!!). I [View Full Entry]

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I spent 2 nights in Lille between Bonn and Paris and it was the perfect hiatus from busy travel. I stayed with the Leblons family, whom Robin stayed with while playing rugby in Lille a few years back. They are a very gracious family, taking me out to eat, cooking glorious French food and showing me the beautiful character of this very old, city in northern France. It was very relaxing which is just what I needed before the whirlwind "Tall girls tour" began (I'll explain later). Vive La Paris! So, by some fluke chance, Lindley and I arrived in our [View Full Entry]

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I have been having a great time in Bonn. Staying with my friend Katja (whom I met as an exchange student at UBC) and her boyfriend, Patrick. Even though Katja has had to work every day, her and Patrick are phenomenal hosts, doing everything they can to ensure I have as an authentic German experience as possible. On Monday, the weather wasnt fantastic, but Patrick and I went for a nice long run along the Rhine River. Katja met up with us after work and we went to visit one of the museums featuring a Guggenheim exhibit. We went out for [View Full Entry]

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I have been having a great time in Bonn. Staying with my friend Katja (whom I met as an exchange student at UBC) and her boyfriend, Patrick. Even though Katja has had to work every day, her and Patrick are phenomenal hosts, doing everything they can to ensure I have as an authentic German experience as possible. On Monday, the weather wasnt fantastic, but Patrick and I went for a nice long run along the Rhine River. Katja met up with us after work and we went to visit one of the museums featuring a Guggenheim exhibit. We went out for [View Full Entry]

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Wow, is time ever going fast! Just a week and a half ago, I was in Barcelona, since then I made a last minute decision and flew to Switzerland. I spent 2 days in Geneva with friends of my Uncle Craig and Auntie Barb. They were absolutely amazing people and made me feel at home. Never take a home cooked meal for granted! While in Geneva I saw the UN Headquarters, smaller only than the New York office. I was offered a boat ride by a local (who also happened to be a pilot), however, not knowing his "axe murderer" status, [View Full Entry]

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Hello, I have so much to tell!! Valencia and La Tomatina were amazing. Valencia mostly consisted of me lounging on the beaches of the Mediterranean. Beautiful, white sandy beaches and crystal clear water with waves just big enough to toss you around a bit. I can´t wait to hit up the Barcelona beaches (the plan for Monday and Tuesday). Valencia was also my first time couch surfing, and it was great. I stayed in the appartment of a dutch girl who is working in a near-by hostel. She also had two long term Italian couch surfers from Milan. They were a [View Full Entry]

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Did I mention it was hot here? Wow, every day has been in the high 30s or up to 40 degrees. For one of the largest cities in Spain, you sure wouldn´t guess it. By about 1pm everything shuts down and its like a ghost town. Seville is a mass of narrow, windy streets (many of which are unmarked), cafes, bars and churches. There are beautiful parks everywhere with fountains, statues and beautifully landscaped gardens. You have to be careful which ones you go to though, as some of them I have found are where the sketchy folk like to take [View Full Entry]

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Hello everyone. Well, I made it to Madrid after about 48 hours of travel, and 6 hours of sleep, including the airport floor, only to be dragged out to the bar with some Aussies, Limeys and an American. It was a good night, they definitely like to keep things going until the wee hours here - even on a Monday! Highlights - Dancing with a guy who is entering into the seminary is not something that happens everyday! I´ve had the traditional Paella, but my staple had been baguette with ham and cheese. Can´t forget the bottle of wine I had [View Full Entry]

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Well, Here I am, sitting in my little place on Cowichan Bay, this morning's dishes on my table, bags and boxes on the floor (my kettle actually got priority on the stove for once), just finished my 7th to last day at work, but who's counting and I decided I better get this travel blog thing sorted out before I go. So over the next couple of weeks, my entries may be quite boring, as this will serve as my avenue to bitch about all the details I need to take care of before I go, but also throw in my [View Full Entry]

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