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Published: September 22nd 2008
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Camp Nou Stadium capacity about 100 000 people The last time I wrote I had just gotten back from the FC Barcelona soccer game. I spent a few more days with my friend in Barcelona, and I saw many more things. One day he took me to Montserrat, a mountain about an hour north of Barcelona. I didn't know Spain had so much to offer. The mountain is known as a very spiritual area, and consists of temples and large churches. It was a fun day walking around with David, his wife and young son Ian. Ian is almost 3 years old, and his little legs weren't quite up to task with all the walking we had to do, but for the second half of the day he had the luxury of riding on my shoulders. Something I didn't mind doing, and something he couldn't stop smiling about. After the mountain, we went back into Barcelona and checked out a park that Gaudi had designed. His architecture style was obvious everywhere in many crazy forms.
The next day I took a quick swim in the ocean even though the sun wasn't quite out. I couldn't be that close to the beach and not swim at least once. Then
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Awesome seats, bought a scarf to support the home squad David took me to Girona, another city about an hour and a half north of Barcelona. We walked the narrow streets and explored the old town before having lunch. After lunch it was a bit more eploring then back to David's home so I could pack. I got my things packed up and said goodbye to David's wonderful family, and then we headed to the train station. I caught a night train to Orelans, France because I had a friend staying near there.
I arrived to Orleans at 7 in the morning, and bought another train ticket to Tours, France. I then had to wait around for a while before I could get another ticket to the small village of Chisseaux where my friend Dave was staying with his parents who work in the area. Chisseaux is a small village in the Loire Valley which is known for it's wine. There are many small villages all centered around the business of grapes and wine. I had a good chance to see the villages and wineries as I was riding along with Dave's dad on his trip to pick up wine and deliver tourists luggage. Friday night I went to
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Montserrat a Division 2 soccer game in Tours with Dave and his parents. It was a much smaller crowd than the Barcelona game, but I would guess there were still 8000 people in the stands. The home team won 3-1 in a very entertaining game. It was nice to once again be able to crack jokes in english and have someone understand them.
I spent Saturday hanging out with Dave in the sunny 28 degree weather. I never would have guessed that the best weather of my trip to this point would be in France. We kicked a soccer ball around on a local field and went for a bike ride through the village. Sunday Dave and I got dropped off in another town nearby called Amboise. Throughout the area there are many castles which is one of the main reasons that tourist come to the Loire Valley. We went to one certain castle where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last few years of his life. We walked through what was his home, and got to look at models of all the inventions he created. I didn't realize that he had done so many things, that were clearly before his
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Classic Gaudi time. His ideas for the helicopter, parachute and double hulled ship are just a few of the many different creations he made. All of them in the 1500s, long before they would ever come to be known and used. After the castle, we walked around town until we met his dad and went back to the village. We hung out and went for a good bike ride with his mom, before making it back to the house and playing cards for the rest of the night. This morning I woke up and caught a ride to the train station.
I bought a train ticket to Dijon, France where I will spend one night, and then tomorrow make my way to Geneva, Switzerland. I will spend 2 days in Geneva and then move on to Luzern, Switzerland where I will meet up again with Chris, a guy I met in Finland. I will stay with him for the weekend, and he tells me that he has some good mountain climbing planned. Rwanda2008 continues rolling along as smoothly as I could hope for....
One side note: I plan to try and go to a Canadian Embassy soon and see what
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In Girona it takes for me to vote in the federal election. Not because I am a diehard political nut. Merely for the fact that it will be cool to say I voted from a foreign country. Wish me luck....
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