http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/saintjohnnymexico/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from saintjohnnymexico en-us Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:02:54 +0000 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:02:54 +0000 My Blogger of the Year Acceptance SpeechAfter 4 months of traveling there are so many people to thank in no particular order thank you all of you. Tara and I appreciate all of you. And thanks to everyone who read this stuff it was actually a lot of fun to write. Rob and Carl Dublin became our home base for family planning and learning about Ireland and Europe. It was always nice to have http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Marin/blog-370204.html London Bridges Falling DownHave you ever gone out drinking and thought ldquoman this is boring or same ol same old.rdquo Then friend I have the answer for you I give you legalized gambling onhelliphellipMONOPOLY In some of the bars in England they have the Monopoly game where you answer trivia questions and then win actual cash. Me and Matt won 10 Euros after spending only 3. If y http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/London-City/blog-369851.html Mind the GapMind the Gap A Comprehensive Guide to All My Thoughts In and About LondonGetting to London only furthered the nightmare that became travelling on planes trains boats and taxis. It took us 52 hours and cost about a 1000 to get from Rome to London but we finally made it. Irsquod go over how awful and hellish it was but instead I will only speak of two highlights first and fore http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/London-City/blog-369841.html Motherland Part 3 Down the Rome StretchI find it hilarious that despite my warning to strangers not to read my Croatia blog or write me about it i still received four angry emails and 1 genuinely nice email that restored my faith in Croatia. Still it baffles my mind that people always have to wiss on the electric fence regardless of the clear warnings.Much hype surrounded Rome in my head. Aft http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-362547.html Bun nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh BATMANThat could be my best start ever.Florence Report Card People CThings to Do BFoodBeverage AArtMuseumsSights ACost BDiarrhea Not AvailableHomeless and Annoying Peddlers FCondoleezza Rice Sightings Not AvailableSo It begins...Since Irsquove gotten to the motherland and all Irsquove had is wine and a few sips of water that snuck into my mouth when I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-362026.html My Sweet MotherlandAfter the buttfuck that was Croatia we had arrived in the motherland. For months in advance I had planned on kissing the ground of Italy once I stepped foot on it. My plan was instantly foiled when I arrived in Venice. I had two choices kiss the train floor which was sure to be riddled with all the hepatitisrsquos stds pigeon shit and urine. I soon discovered that my o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-362025.html Croatia Donrsquot Ask Donrsquot TellDISCLAIMERTHERE IS NOTHING POSITIVE IN MY TALE OF CROATIA. CROTIA WAS HELL. I HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO SAY AND YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF DEPRESSED OR EVEN ANGRY AFTER READING THIS. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE IN A GOOD MOOD BECAUSE YOU WILL FEEL LIKE PUNCHING A PUPPY BY THE TIME YOU ARE DONE. EAT A DICK CROATIA WE ARE NOT FRIENDS AND WONrsquoT BE UNTIL I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Croatia/Central-Croatia/Plitvice-Lakes-National-Park/blog-357312.html European Union My AssDear Random Internet Blog Reader This is one of those blogs where i'm not too happy. If you aren't friend of mine personally and you randomly came across this blog don't read it. And if you do don't complain. I only listen to my friends and i don't feel like reading your comments after i warned you not to read this blog.After spending about 1000 to get from Rome to Londo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-357742.html Asian Ninja Massages and Jew Pac ShakurBefore I tell you the story of Budapest I think everyone should be aware of the freebies that exist in life. At any hostel especially in San Francisco exists the book exchange. Here you can find many books left by hostel visitors and travelers with a wide variety of choices to choose from. Since I started book swapping in Berlin Irsquove taken up a re http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Hungary/Central-Hungary/Budapest/Buda/blog-357311.html So tara and i have been in a bit of a fight lately. See tara faces a tough decision. Her final performance of her Broadway show ALL MY SONS is on the same night at the Golden Globes where i am nominated for my supporting role in Tropics of Thunder. Personally i've seen the play and Tara does a lousy job and the play sucks but my movie rules almost as much as Scientology. I am ike the king http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Aosta-Valley/Pila/blog-356709.html ViennaFirst of all I must give Austria its cake and let it eat it. Austria has the best nonAmerican given name of the whole European collection. Take your pick of the lot Lisboa Espana Duestchland theyrsquore all pretty weak but Austria is the strong arm of European titles with Ostereich. I have no fucking clue what it means but it sounds like some sort of vicious predator bird that e http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Vienna-State/Vienna/blog-356102.html Moon Over MunichI stole the title of this blog from the Dead Kennedys song Moon Over Marin. It's a fairly good song one of Bob's favorites check out the lyrics before you check the song.This blog is written under extreme stress on my train ride to Vienna. Irsquove quit taking a dump on trains. The last two times I tried to crap on the train the train has swerved mid log drop and the log hit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/Bavaria/Munich/blog-356101.html The Color PurpleI donrsquot know what day and time it is. My laptop for some odd reason is continually resetting itself to January 1st 1970 254am. Just in case anyone was interested thatrsquos a Monday. Unlike Bill Murrayrsquos version of Groundhogrsquos Day my day doesnrsquot repeat I donrsquot get to sleep with a bunch or random women or cheat death itrsquos just the same http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Salzburg-State/Salzburg/blog-356100.html Giggle Fight in PragueIrsquom starting a new boy band. The cycle should be picking back up in about a year so we have plenty of time to prepare. The bandrsquos name will be Giggle Fight which is kind of a take on Brittrsquos punk rock band ldquoRock Fight.rdquo Here is the member list.Louie The minorityChris Ganz The Bad BoyBrian Tatko The devastatingly handsome one with no talen http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/Prague/blog-356094.html Praha The Anger Scale Kicking ChurchesPrague started bad. Actually to say it started bad is somewhat of an understatement. The way Prague started was like a patient coming into the E.R. with a shotgun wound to the face aids and he just stepped on a land mine that turned his legs into hamburger meat. We were given directions from the wrong train station and we had no clue how to get to the r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/Prague/blog-356093.html Berlin Intro Skip it if you're here for slapstick read it if you're here for moreIt has been a long time since i was in Berlin last. About 21 years to be exact. With the Berlin wall soon to be taken down and my family lived in Germany. My father packed us all up and we headed to Berlin. Back then you got to the Russian border. Then a swarm of Russian Military soldiers would inspect your c http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/District-of-Berlin/Berlin/blog-353089.html Land of OrangeItrsquos funny to me that in the land of orange they canrsquot grow orange trees cause itrsquos too cold. Another thought what the hell does a windmill do exactly Did the Dutch really invent the donought Why invent the clog when itrsquos the most uncomfortable shoe in the world and makes a horse hoof sound when you walk in it Holland has explaining to do.Every one i http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-351924.html Anarchy Train Teen Wolf and ThanksgivingWe met this guy named John from Ireland at our Bruge hostel and he told me the story of ldquoThe anarchy train.rdquo In certain countries and certain citiestowns in Europe during football games people were able to rally the entire town together and storm a train. They wouldnrsquot pay and they wouldnrsquot follow any of the rules of the train. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Marin/blog-351861.html Train IntroUpon entering German territory we encountered what I would call a German Goon Squad. This is where a group of drug alcohol and criminal authoritative figures enter your train compartment and do ldquorandomrdquo searches and questionings of people. We all know that random usually means any of the following dark skin male slightly sketchy looking or carrying strange amounts of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-350762.html Trading Beach Towels for TobagansWe always start with trains so today will be no different. The first train of the day was built in 1704 by a blind man who dropped out of engineering school after one semester. This man also had no concept of how the human spine works and developed seats so uncomfortable they actually made parts of my body go numb but no train no pain no gain. I have half my http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Berne/blog-349612.html