In the last 30 days, I have seen.... the Coliseum in Roma, St. Peter's Square and Church in Vatican City, Pope John Paul II tomb, the crater of My Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and the Isle of Capri, the statue of David, the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo, the canals of Venice, the Sound of Music in Salzburg, the resort town of Hallstatt, the Vienna Opera, the architecture of Prague, the Berlin Wall, the Bavarian Alps, the hike and luge in Fussen, the tiny walled town of Rothenburg, the castles of the Rhine Valley, Van Gogh's Starry [View Full Entry]

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Yes, it's true.... all roads lead to Roma. I fly out back to the States tomorrow from Roma, so I guess I have to get there. But first!!! Waking up and checking out early in the morning of my room was a little sad, I loved the morning view! I stored my bag at the Riomaggiore train station, and began my hike. The Cinque Terre National park was fantastic! I did a 10km hike all along a wonderful sea cliff. I am glad I had plenty of memory card left in my camera, because now, it is all gone (the pictures [View Full Entry]

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Buon giorno! Yes, I am now back in Italy. It is fun coming back to a language that I felt l was learning some of the basics. My mind is still stuck on French, but it didn't take long to get back to Italiano. Along my travels, I heard many people speak of a magical hiking spot in northwestern coastal Italy called Cinque Terre (5 lands/towns). It was right on my way back to Roma for my flight out on Thursday the 14th, so I figured a night there would be perfect! I bid France and Nice au revoir, and hit [View Full Entry]

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Bonjour! I am still here on the French Riviera in Nice! BTW: My hotel is called Hotel Paradis, the street is called Rue Paradis, and it is about 50 meters from the beach. How perfect is that? Today is a rest day for moi'. Not much to report, not too many pictures either. I have been looking forward to going to the beach and getting some serious sun, and that's exactly what I did. I spent most of the day just 10 feet from the water. The waves were lightly crashing on the beach, so the spray from the waves made [View Full Entry]

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The French Riviera! I woke up in Paris bright an early for my longest train ride yet, to the southern coast of France. 7 long hours later, I find myself with a quick question. I see my train is going to stop in Cannes, right before Nice. Hmmm, the Cannes Film Festival begins when.... when.... I read my guidebook.... it says 'Mid May.' Hey! This is mid May! Within 2 minutes of the thought, I get off the train, without a map, guide, anything, and walk down through the town of Cannes to the water. I am overtaken by two things. [View Full Entry]

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Bonjour. I thought I was going to leave Paris today, but some rain is at my next destination, so I thought, "Where else to spend an extra day, but Paris?" It was a little overcast in Paris today. My sunshine has left me. I slept in a bit today, and I woke with a full night's sleep. I had another morning breakfast of breads, pastries, and today, hot chocolate! I went to the home of King Louis XV / XVI and Marie Antoinette, the mansion at Versailles. Before you read this, know that I am jaded. I have been to MANY [View Full Entry]

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Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up, you open your eyes, and you just KNOW that today is going to be a good day? Yeah, that was today... It was a little overcast with breaks in the clouds, and a tad cooler today (around 68 F), so I was happy I got a lot of outdoor photos yesterday with the sun. I began retracing some of my steps from yesterday with my almighty museum pass in hand (yes, angels are singing...). I started where any abnormal mortal would... The Louvre! I took my guidebook's recommendation to [View Full Entry]

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Bonjour! Paris in the spring!!! It is a BEAUTIFUL day here, blue sky, bright sun, and about 73 degrees F. Perfect weather for exploring a new city, especially Paris! I wanted to get orientated with the city as it is very large, so with the weather being so perfect, I didn't want to be inside much. I wanted to walk the city as much as possible to see the sights and then go inside the museums and sights tomorrow and/or the next day with a 2 day museum pass (pay one price, get in many museums for 2 consecutive days). I [View Full Entry]

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Yes, I have been in 3 countries today! What a day.... I woke up ready to leave Amsterdam. I had to wait a while to get a train reservation as anything international going into Paris uses the high(er) speed Thalys trains, so it took about 30 minutes. I took off for Paris via Brussels with a 2 hour layover in Brussels. "Great! I can read up on Paris during those 2 hours," I thought at first. Then it hit me.... I have 2 hours in Brussels!!! Run Run Run!!! I did a quick readup in my travelguide about Brussels, and luckily, [View Full Entry]

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Happy Liberation Day everyone! May 5, is not only Cinco de Mayo, but Liberation Day in the Netherlands. Not really sure what that means, but I'm sure it's just a Google away. It's been a chilly, drizzly day here. I don't think it reached 60 degrees F. I got a good night sleep last night, I was exhausted! I had a pretty good breakfast of meats, cheeses, breads, coffee, and juices (I still can't believe they are included with the night's stay!). I think I found out my camera problem so hopefully I will be able to upload photos on a [View Full Entry]

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