Neil and I have decided to become alcoholics. And it's not that this seemed like a really good idea, or something we had thought about before the trip. However, the economics of Prague really seemed to make it the obvious choice, or, in our case, way of life. The first step in us becoming alcoholics came about because we did not understand the currency. We've left the territory of the Euro and entered the land of the Czech Republic Koruny, which is a very mysterious entity indeed. Allow me to do a conversion: 75 Czech Republic Korunys is equivalent to 1.3 Hogs Heads, which is about the same as 1 Cow Liver. A Cow Liver is trading for 3 euro, which is $4.75 Canadian. So what you end up with is $1 Canadian = 15.2 Czech ... read more

Today I had one of those spectacular travel experiences that makes people want to spend there whole lives traveling around and doing nothing else. In fact, today was above in beyond anything I could have thought about. In fact, I may have achieved a state of travel nirvana, and ruined traveling for everyone else. How? I went to Liechtenstein. But first I set out to explore Feldkirch. It didn't take long. But it was really nice. I also went on a short hike recommended by the hostel clerk where I got great views of the town and the neighboring countryside. At one point, I could see Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland all at once. I like this place. The hostel is awesome, the scenery is great, the people are really friendly and helpful, and I would definitely ... read more

Hey! Do you want to hear a slightly amusing anecdote? We've seen signs that post hours in Italian as "11:00 - 24:00" and in English read "11:00am to 12:00pm". It's kind of funny, but it's also really thoughtful of them to have made an English sign in the first place, so I'd never make fun of it. That's why it's just an "amusing anecdote".... and I realize that the amusement is limited..... very limited.... moving on... Ok! The Cinque Terre! Here we come! More beach time! And it's our last destination in Italy before Amy heads back home and Neil and I head off... wherever. The rail strike was over, but our train to Pisa was significantly delayed part way down the line when it hit someone. Apparently they had been standing on the platform and ... read more

I left Positano to meet up with Neil and Amy at the train station in Naples, which meant I got to take the crazy bus ride one more time. I've really gotten used to it though. The fact that the drivers don't slow down around blind corners seems natural enough now. Daniel also left Positano at the same time. On the way to Naples I realised I forgot to pay for my hour of internet time, and Daniel realised he forgot to pay for his bed on the second night... I guess since they didn't ask they forgot too, right? Just to be safe, I better let a couple of years go by before going back. When I met up with Neil and Amy at the train station we quickly swapped stories about how the last ... read more

This entry is long. You can do a lot in 5 days. First of all, allow me to recommend the Amalfi Coast. Second, let me suggest the southern coast. As spectacular as the north coast is around Sorrento, the south side is somehow five times more spectacular, and the bus ride there is incredible! I'm looking forward to telling you all about it. But first, a couple of adventures I forgot to mention about Rome: During our second night in the hostel, I got up to go to the bathroom, but the power must have gone out, or maybe they shut it off, I don't know. Also the bathroom had no windows. I wasn't too concerned initially, and assumed that the small amount of light coming in from the main room would bleed through the crack ... read more