Solaris40

I'm back where it all began - London. Except instead of suffering through cold, rainy weather and heightened security, I'm enjoying the Notting Hill Carnival (the largest street party in Europe) on a perfect, cloudless day. Obviously the blog thing derailed some time in Croatia. This was partly because of limited internet access, but mostly because a server crash erased a couple of pictures and draft posts, thereby lowering my confidence in the website. The good thing about seeing so many places for little bits of time is you end up remembering everything. I'll finish my ''journal'' for my own benefit when I get home. This last post is just a quick summary of the many things came to mind during a walk around London this afternoon. I've seen and done more in these last 60 ... read more

My trip began with a bus to Salerno (just south of Amalfi). Once at the train station, I chose Sicily as my next destination (over Greece) as I have always wanted to go, and was not quite ready to leave Italy. I was expecting cheaper prices, nicer people, and a more authentic, grittier version of the Italy I've come to know over the years. And for the most part, that's exactly what I found. I decided to start in Catania, where a Canadian guy I met in Amalfi was headed. I had a great conversation with a Sicilian guy (about my age) on the train. It was a little more difficult to understand as the dialect is very different from proper, Tuscan Italian, but I was able to manage quite well. This is precisely why ... read more

Had a nice visit in Rome. Nothing extremely noteworthy to report. Enjoyed some pretty nice meals, drank a lot of wine and walked around quite a bit. Met a good group of guys the first night (just after arriving to the hostel) and hung out in Campo Di Fiore for drinks. Good lunch the next day and lots of relaxing in various piazzas, the spanish steps, the trevi fountain ... all the usual stops. Wrapped things up with a nice dinner, met a VP from Merrill and his friends (in Rome for a wedding) and exchanged info for a lunch after I start up ... Didn't want to spend too much time in Rome as I've been four times now (although still haven't made it to the Vatican), so after a second night at the ... read more

url='/Videos/4302.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/4302.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;' The Line-up Edit: click on the video icons to see a couple of movies that I took ... _______ When I last wrote I was hours away from taking a night bus to Pamplona for Festa de San Fermin. I lucked out and was able to store all my stuff in the hotel lobby (even though I wasn't staying there) and I was quickly off in my new traditional outfit (see pics) with only my camera and some cash ... I was also really lucky to meet Noelle, a 28 year old girl from Palm Springs, who was traveling with Steve and his wife (both from the US but living in Germany) ... We hit it off on the bus ride and we all went off to have dinner ... After a few ... read more

Quick update ... took an 8 hour night bus from Valencia to San Sebastian ... no sleep once again as our bus stopped first in pamplona and was filled dirty, noisy people (you know those guys who sell purses and sunglasses on the street?) ... I was extremely fortunate to run into some girls on the bus from the Valencia hostel and they let me crash on their floor for a bit this morning and take a shower, which was good because it had been awhile since I had gotten any sleep or an opportunity to clean up ... and it may be a little while again, as I´m off to Pamplona tonight by bus ... will stay up the night with the crowds drinking sangria and dancing in the streets before watching the running of ... read more

Today is 7/7/07 ... I´ve had a nice couple of days here in Valencia. First day I hit the beach which is about 20 mins away by bus. The sun was incredibly strong and despite an unbrella/chair combination, I got a bit burned on my foot and back. But now the red is turning to a nice tan color which should stay around until the next beach city ... Met a nice Australian guy (Henry) at the hostel after the beach and went to another hostel to grab a few beers. Nice chat about typical cultural differences, politics, traveling, etc. He got me a bit excited about Pampalona/Running of the bulls (more on this later) ... Then met a couple of girls from Boston and went out on Calle Caballeros for a drink ... although ... read more

Last minute change ... not staying the night in London ... rolling to Barcelona on a 6:40am flight ... need some sun! ... read more