Hello Everybody! Today I spent most of the day on a train. I got up at 6:30am packed, checked out, took the tram to the train station, found my train and then sat on that train until 3 pm. I was in a car with a Czech family and they didn't speak any English. The little girl was cute, but very loud. It gets annoying listening to someone talk right in front of you when you can't understand them. When I got to the Prague station I had to find an ATM, figure out how to buy a metro ticket, figure out the metro station, wait for my train, and then find my hostel using very vague directions like: go straight its right there. Except straight from where? Which straight? There are four cardinal directions and ... read more

Hello Everyone, Yesterday I visited the Memorial at Dachau that is at the site of the former concentration camp. Dachau is infamous for being, not only the first concentration camp, but also the training grounds for the SS. The SS were Hitler's elite police/army who were in charge of the concentration camps all through out Germany and its territories. The SS training was for boys 16-19. It was basically training in torture. All of the future concentration camps used Dachau as a guide and the rules and regulations used in all the camps were drawn up there. Dachau was the only concentration camp open for all 12 years of the Third Reich, 1933-1945. Today I took a tour about the rise of the Third Reich in Munich. I learned a lot of things I never knew ... read more

“The economic realism of this great commercial city prescribed a tolerant attitude toward those of different religious convictions.” -Amsterdam Historical Museum Facts about the sex and drug trade of Amsterdam: 1) There are 200 licensed ‘Coffeeshops’ in Amsterdam. Although the sale and possession of marijuana is technically illegal it is officially ‘tolerated.’ 2) There will never be any more licenses issued. You can loose your license if you sell to anyone under 18 or sell hard drugs. 3) Smoking tobacco products in public buildings is prohibited by law, but you can still smoke marijuana. 4) Prostitution in Amsterdam was legalized in 2000 but it has been established since the 13th century. Proving that making it illegal doesn't stop it at all, it just makes it more dangerous for the prostitutes who would have no protection. 5) ... read more

June 30, 2009 I have a confession to make. I have a weakness. I feel this confession is appropriate as it hit me right away when I arrived in Amsterdam this morning. I love cheap touristy junk. I had to exert huge amounts of will power to resist the plastic Eiffel towers they were selling in Paris. And here it is even worse! There are cute plastic windmills! And witty t-shirts! What am I going to do? How can I resist for 5 whole days? This vice is dragging me down already, and I only just got here. Oh well, Amsterdam is the reigning champion of vice cities. Where else can you buy sex and drugs in a legitimate buisiness and then go buy a t-shirt that commemorates the occasion? As vices go mine is pretty ... read more

Hi Everyone! Yesterday I rented a bicycle and rode down from Bruges to the coast. I had a bottle of Diet Coke, my mp3 player was playing Twilight the audio book and it was a beautiful sunny day. A moment of pure bliss. Along the way I rode through a small town called Damme. It was quite adorable and had 3 used bookstores, though the only English books I found were the Harry Potter books. I hung out on the beach and watched people fly kites and generally frolic in the ocean. The bike ride was about 4 hours round trip. Unfortunately I forgot my sunblock so now I am a crispy critter. You would think that someone going to the beach would remember their sunblock, wouldn't you? They conveniently pave the bicycle paths here, even ... read more