I got to Santorini without a reservation thinking I would catch a bus and make it some where. As we came into the island I could see the famous white washed cities on the edge of the cliffs like snow on the peaks of the craggy island. We came to the port to see that it was a dock at the bottom of a cliff with a little set of Zs going up from the boats as the tourists slipped from water to wheel to float up the Zs. I got off thinking I hope o do not have to walk [View Full Entry]

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I had so much fun meeting people on the trip from Bari to Athens. The first people I meet were two art teachers from university of Oregon. They were looking for the bus to the port just like me from the Bari train station. Then a Greek Canadian came and joined us, he was an out of work computer programer traveling for 9 months. They were all real nice and we all hung out once we got to the port and on the boat. When we were waiting for the boat I was a little nervous because I got a deck [View Full Entry]

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 I got into Napoli and hopped the "quick" little train to sorrento where I was staying. I had heard Napoli is a crime center. I asked what train to get on and I was told wrong or I did wrong because I ended up in Sarno, not what I was hoping for. It took quite a while to get to Sorrento but I go my act together. Usually this would not put me in mood not ready to take in a warn reception from a city. However I think Sorrento is awesome! It has a little of everything. I got in [View Full Entry]

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It is now my third day in Rome. The first day I got in the afternoon and had some trouble finding my hostel since there are so many plazas, I was using the wronge one as refference. I then made it to the Navagator Hostel and waited outside with some Italians that said they were ringing and could not get the place. I waited about 15 min and finaly found they were trying to get to a different hostel in the building. I got in and found it to look like a normal apartment. I got my room and was relieved [View Full Entry]

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I got off the train in Florence and imidiately I felt I liked Italy better, I do no know what it was but I could feel I was going to like this city. I got to my hostel and it was very Americanized, or I guess Aussied since most guests like most backpackers were from oz. I was pitched a wine tour by the tour office there and for the cheap hostel price I thought it was a good chance and I stept aboad. That afternoon I walked most the city and saw the sunset from the high point of the [View Full Entry]

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I came to Como looking for a relaxing time on a lake, and that is what I got. I was planning to stay up the lake at a smaller town but Como worked out great. I got in and had a walkabout to see what was to see. It was a very rich area as I was told but the city was not as pompus feeling as many towns I have seen of the same type. The lake was still the best part. I walked to the otherside of the lake from where my hostel was, this was not as far [View Full Entry]

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 This was amazing to say the least! I have a new favorite part of my trip. Every part was better than the prior, and there were so many parts the stack got about as high as the mountain. I got the train from Zurich to Chur. Alice Gasser did not know I was coming but Anna Marie talked to Otto her boyfriend and let him know. I was to stay one night in the Calandahutte and get to the summit in the morning. I got to Chur and then the bus to Haldenstien to start the trek. It started with the [View Full Entry]

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My first day back to Zurich I got in late and did no have a solid plan for what to do the next day. But I had mentioned to Anna Marie that I was thnking of the calanda and maybe the Matterhorn, and Jeffery was going out of town to Finland to watch ice hockey so my plans were in the wind. I woke with them having a stake in the ground. Anna Marie had looked at the weather and it was the last day Zermatt, where the Matterhorn is, was to be nice for a while. So I packed a [View Full Entry]

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Innsbruck is a nice city but I am afraid it does not make the exceptional list. I got in when it was dark and woke to the pleasent suprize of a wonderful view from my hostel window. I started walking around and saw many nice things but nothing exceptional. I think this is very much a winter town. The reminants of the winter olympics can be seen every where. Ski jumps, lifts and bobsled. I decided to take a walk up to the base of the chair lifts since the lift to the top was pricy. It was a good hike [View Full Entry]

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Sarah and I decided to go to Hallstatt on the recomendation od Rick Steves. I was glad to have heard the word. This was the most serien lake and mountain adventure I think I have ever been a part of. You get off the train to nothing but a lake. There is a little ferry you need to get to go to town, the whole time your antisipation mounts as you look across the lake to see a little town built into a cliff onhe water. The lake is large but the only ripple is from the ferry coming to pick [View Full Entry]

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