Just Another Travel Adventure

This is one of those stories that you are hearing about because it turned out okay. And it already happened. And I don't plan on doing it again, nor should you attempt it. And yes, the guys at the office have already mandated that I re-do all my trainings because apparently I did not apply the skills set they are trying to teach. I love all my big brothers that can look me dead in the eye and ask how can I be so stupid and yet smart at the same time. 

Now, with that kind of lead up...

$#!% that Happens When I'm Left to My Own Devices: 

Katie's 1st Adventure in Brussels

Bag collected, train station located, ticket purchased & platform located.

Determined to execute my plan of getting the Brussels' central train station and getting a cab for the short distance to the hotel given the late hour, suitcase, and the simple fact that I'm exhausted and have no patience to get lost I find the taxi stand.

The first guy passes me to the next car, claiming he doesn't understand the hotel name (despite me showing it on the paper, complete with address.) The original guy comes and asks and then proceeds to give me instructions because it's "really close."

I must have made him repeat the instructions 3 times, and I repeated them back to him each time. Direction number one? Cut through a dark looking park area which wasn't too long of a stretch.

At this point I didn't even mind the stairs because I was more concerned with the swaying drunk man, beer still in hand, walking in front of me. I purposely slowed down until we were on the street before passing him at which point he starting to serenade me. Fortunately, even in the late hour, our hotel was in the thick of things so there were lots of people still out and I was able to head off in the direction I was told.

Problem is, none of the roads I saw were on the craptastic map I had BECAUSE I was planning to have a cab take me! I walked around for a good 20 minutes, trying to remember which landmarks our hotel was by after doing the search for where we wanted to stay. I hit the main street and knew I needed to back track into the cobblestone alley ways (fabulous for rolling a suitcase by the way) so I did.

It was probably about 15 more minutes of this when a guy on the street asks if everything is okay. Actually it was more of a Mademoiselle, what's wrong? As he crossed the street to his car. So I asked him where we were on the map and if he knew which direction I needed to go because it's midnight, I've been up since 5 and I'm lost. Why? Cause the taxi drivers decided that it was close enough I could walk. Ha. I can't read maps and oh, I don't have one and the directions he gave me to where he "thought" it was? Um there was the dark park to kick it off which I was okay with but then there was a really drunk guy and he was singing me a song so I booked it out of there.

No. He didn't speak English all that well so I kept all of that in my head.

He of course didn't really know where the hotel was so he asks 2 younger guys (with beers in their hands) headed our direction if they knew where my hotel is. I soon realize he's getting driving instructions and when I protest that I'll walk, my suitcase ends up in his trunk while the other 2 guys start "dude, California" and ask if I want beer. And suggest I should call them. Then one of the guys  asked me for his number but his wing man totally failed at his job because he encouraged us to get out of there.

So I get in the car. Cell phone out. (No there weren't any new numbers in there!) Seriously. at this point I could end up in Africa a lot faster than I've ever planned, but I just didn't care. I'm tired. We get to the main road and he stops and asks people. They're tourist too. Next stop was a guy...he point in some direction.

We go that direction. Flag another person down. Sends us another direction.

Flag a cab driver down. He gets us to the right street then I see a cafe with the same name as the hotel and we're on the right street. My friend Samil from Cameroon goes in and comes out with a waiter who tells us its down the street. He moves back towards the car, but I tell him I an walk the rest of the way. He claims it's a 3 minute walk...it was the across the alley and 2 doors in. 

And I was already excited to see Jeff, but after this ordeal? Words cannot even express the thrill I had when he opened the door and we promptly laughed at both our "adventures" getting to the hotel. 

In summary...

1. I would not have gotten in the car if I really didn't feel good about the situation, but it passed the gut check. 
2. I'm happy to report that the people of Brussels are super friendly, helpful, and kind. 
3. Yes, I had my personal items in my lap, door was unlocked, hand near door handle, and I was ready to see if I could run just in case events turned to something that crazy; and luckily they did not because wearing the same clothes all weekend would have sucked.

Bella (?) Napoli

I arrived in Naples just over an hour ago and despite ample leg room, personal space, and a fabulous book (Divergent) to get caught up in heading from Germany to Italy- the damp smokey air that met me getting off the plane AND walking to the luggage claim just didn't see like home.

Don't get me wrong- I'm thrilled to be back among these friends, speeding to the base on an empty road with little fear of ticket in RAVI. But the sense of relief and feeling of "home"that usually comes witht he appluase of touching down tonight felt a bit more like impeding doom.

Um...been traveling for the past day and didn't sleep too much.

When the wheels lifted up in Monterey the fear started to creep in. I have NO idea when I'll be there again. Next Thanksgiving? Next Christmas? Will I be flying in for a few days? Road tripping?

For a planner like me, these things drive me nuts. Crazy. Loca. Pazza.

A few phone calls sitting in SFO brought me back to my immediate future as I crammed a little more California in with a Warriors game playing over the bar as I drank an Anchor Steam beer.

Why is it when I'm in Cali I want all things Napoli & vice versa?

With my mind racing, filled with worse case scenarios about things, little did I know I was in the worst flight I have EVER had: hot temperature, 3 year old kicking my seat (and crying), nasty dreadlocks peaking over the seat in front of me, meals that made me queasy, turbulence waking me up when I finally fell asleep. And did I mention that my brain would not turn off?

Lots of things spinning around- all related, causing that sinking feel in the pit of my stomach and lumps in my throat. I don't even think I can identify all of the issues, concerns, doubts. It may all stem from the fact that this time on my return I'm wondering if I really still belong in Naples.

I'm sure within a few days that this feeling will flee...at least I hope that's the case!

Nothing as terrible as returning to your dungeon after 2+ weeks of freedom to question my optimism. More like adding fuel to the "I need to get married, have a few kids, and not work full time anymore." Yeah, it is going to work like that. :)

Time to sleep.
Work, errands, and kitties tomorrow. 

The Road Home

One cannot have a 28hour day with limited sleep and upon arrival at her destination not be slightly delusional or have a brain on overload. Time to download so I can try to get to sleep!
<- I started my day,  0600 CET in MdP I looked like this.

I eventually made it to Monterey 2117 PST where my parents were waiting for me with hugs and drove me home to meet my little brothers. Finni (pictured here ->) took to me right away. Tucker? Well I now know how visitors feel when Nico stalks them, but I'll win him over. Mark. My. Words.

And yes.
You knew it was coming- it always does.
International travel is always an adventure but compounding it with the fact that this is the first time in 12.5 months I've stepped foot on American soil? Momma mia, let the reverse culture shock begin. Not to mention the "well, it's not like this in Europe" comments...

#1 Why did it have to rain this morning making my last Naples drive for a while such a mess? Even more bothersome? The fact that it didn't really bother me. The shocker? On the drive home. The reflective lane dividers on the drive home AND people stayed in their lanes!

#2 I know it's typically Americans that get the back rep for "ugly traveler status", but fellow Americans I tell you that this time around that it was a German man on my Naples to Munich segment. With his shoes off, multiple special requests before the plane was loaded, he felt right at home to remind the 2 Italian men next to him that they weren't the only ones in the exit row. Yeah, apparently all the leg room in the world didn't make up for the fact that the guy in the middle seat was claiming the arm rest? When we landed, besides making the comment about Italians never listening or waiting to remove their seat belts (as mine was already unfastened) he acted like he was in no hurry. So then, can someone please tell me why he got on the girl I was sitting next to case about rushing him when his long reach and ample space to manuever his bag? This was after the 4 immendiate rows around us had all helped with the luggage switch since our stuff was all mixed up. Yep. Jerk of the day goes to him.

#3 Stanley injury (round 2) was great practice for sitting and doing nothing but watching movies for 10 hours at a time. I only took a few naps in between all the movies I watched on the long haul. 42 hands down was my favorite one I watched and it's on my "need to acquire" list despite having to look at Dodger uniforms the whole film.

#4 Only in the US do citizens holing passports for the county of entry have longer lines than its visitors. And yes our lines are way more diverse. And yes, the number of people working vs the number of podiums was a terrible ratio for us travelers.

#5 SFO Immigration people rock! Why? I only have 1 more unstamped legit page (cause everyone knows- expect for Russia- that those pages aren't for stamps). I hope Munich pulls through for me on the return flight, but if they don't I'll need a travel adventure buddy to a non EU country out/back before 23 January.

#6 Security lines suck in the US. Are we paranoid? Untrustworthy? Maybe, just maybe, if we didn't play world police we wouldn't have these issues? Is this the delusion kicking in???

#7 I'm sure seeing more orange and black than red and gold...and it's a beautiful thing. I do love my fellow SF Giants fans.

#8 Sitting at SFO, listening and observing...momma mia...I'm sure not in Italy anymore. No- I'm not being a European snob. I'm just saying that all of this seems so strange and I'm annoying by 75% of it but I think that is because I can understand the conversations happening around me.

#9 No matter how many times I see them- the stacks of the Monterey Bay Aquarium are a beautiful sight to see.  

#10 Even better than those stacks? Seeing my parents waiting for me as soon as I turn the corner. Every time. Traveling is 1,000,000 times better when you have someone(s) you love waiting for you on the other end.

Phew. Okay. Now I can go track down a cat, maybe the one meowing in the hall and get to sleep before my body realizes what time it is back in Naples....

When in Italy...

As most you know, in an effort to add to blog entries I encourage my guests and my travel adventure buddies to write an entry. It not only gives me some time off from writing (ha, I've been slacking lately) but often I'm reminded of events I've already forgotten about in the inevitably different take on the situation.

This blog post is written by my grandma, just back from her whirlwind tour of Italy with my 2 aunts- including a jaunt around Naples. Many new memories were made, but I want to have her tell you all about it. So, here's my grandma's debut guest blog, her take on the trip, and our monthly family letter (slightly edited so you don't get all the family details) penned by her. 

Is it time for a Family Letter? Katie says it is! I will review my notes, and write before my memory fades! I will probably remember this trip just fine, it was great!

Janet and I drove to Portland Tuesday evening to stay at the Radisson, left the car there. We worried about meeting up with Sandy in Chicago, she was coming from Los Angles, but it worked great, and soon we three were on our way to Frankfurt, Germany, on a Lufthansa flight. Not much room, our long femurs made our knees touch the seat ahead, but we survived. Didnʼt sleep much though, and arrived at midnight our time, six am German time. The trek across the Frankfurt airport was long, up and down escalators, from one end of the airport to the other, plus passport check. We barely made our Venice flight. Janet ran ahead to hold the plane, and they were looking for us!

Venice airport gave me another new experience. As we looked for our airport transport to the island of Venice, I saw a guy holding up a sign reading GUFFY, MANGIN, BITTER. It was our boat guide, so we loaded in and sped across the water to the Grand Canal of Venice. The driver stopped, pulled up to a concrete wall, and we were to unload. Sandy made the leap to the dock, followed by me, then Janet. It was like a four foot jump. Pretty good for an old lady! 

We walked to our hotel, about six blocks, maybe, but the streets are so narrow, no cars there. Cobblestones, and steps leading up and over the many smaller canals. We were dragging our suitcases, and I need to add that Janet insisted on picking mine up and carrying it when there were steps, sure helped. Since it was about 9 am, we werenʼt sure the hotel would let us into our room, but they did, and since weʼd been up for 24 hours, we rested for a couple hours. We were on Formose Square, a real happening place all day. Small outdoor cafes, a fruit market, and lots of people coming and going. We enjoyed it. We walked to St Marks square, the main square where the big cathedral, the Doges Palace, and other historical buildings are. 

The next morning we set off for Murano, the glass factories, where Venetian glass is famous. The island of Murano has the glass factories, and we enjoyed that, I bought my souvenir rooster. Then we got back on the boat and went to the island of Burano, my favorite. All the houses are painted different colors, a charming place. We had memorable pizza at lunch, we walked a lot, and then returned to Venice and our hotel. People eat late here, so after dark we walked to the Grand Canal area, for dinner. Janet said we needed to have our veggies and fruits, and weʼd only had pizza for lunch so...we sat at an outside cafe and the spritzers looked so attractive (an orange drink with Campari) that we decided to order those. They had a slice of orange in the glass, and they brought potato chips, so we had our fruit and veggie. We did eat healthy on this trip, and all lost weight! That walking will 
do it! Linc even lost weight, he missed me and my cooking!
! 

We left Venice and took a high speed train to Florence,
 then to Siena. Our one experience with the Roma (gypsies) was 
at the Florence train station. We found our car, and was going 
to get on the train when a young man and girl grabbed our
suitcases, and swung them aboard the train and into the 
luggage rack, then held out their hands! We gave them one
 euro each bag, although he said he wanted five! We met an 
interesting lady at that point. She explained that she didnʼt mind
giving them the euro, they “worked for it” instead of begging.
 She was an English woman artist who had lived in Tuscany 30
 years. She had just returned from a trip to the Seychelle Islands, 
off the East coast of Africa. She and artist friends were there
 painting. She told us about the various hill towns we passed 
until she got off before we reached Siena, our destination. 

We 
taxied to our hotel in the Old City, near the famous Il Campo 
square. Every town has a square, a cathedral, and a dome...The 
churches are beautiful, huge, richly decorated. I never saw a protestant church, but I know there must be some.We spent 4 hours in the Siena cathedral, Janet and Sandy climbed to the very top of the tower, but I stopped about sixth floor. I had a new soup for dinner, bread soup! It was good, beans, some savory broth, and chunks of coarse bread. I will say we never had bad food in Italy, the bread was wonderful, and we had wine with lunch and dinners. The wine seemed a bit watered down, but good.

On Monday we had booked a private tour in Siena, and the guide arrived in her van and it
was pouring rain! We saw the hill towns, wonderful old ruins of churches, built in 1100 and 1200 AD, and saw the sword in the stone. Ask me about that!! We ate lunch in a small village in a cafe where the guide knew the people, then visited a sheep
farm , again a personal friend of our guide. He owns 120 sheep, which he said was the number that his 3 dogs could protect from the wolves. He milks them and makes cheese. Showed us all his equipment, took us into his kitchen and gave us wine and his cheese with bread. Interesting to get to go into a localʼs house
! 

The next day we caught the bus and went into Florence, where we went to the museums, shopped.Walked a LOT. We all bought scarves, aprons, etc here, then bussed back to Siena before dark, Passes a US military cemetery from WW II just outside Florence. Remember, the Allies invaded Italy and fought their was up through as a second front, and we lost lots of soldiers there. More good dinners, ravioli for me. We also enjoy the gelato. Better than ice cream!

Onward to ROME! I think we walked more in Rome than anywhere, to the Coliseum, all over the Vatican Museum and St Peters Square, and church. There must be thousands of sculptures and paintings in the museum, the Sistine Chapel. All those things I've always read about, Iʼve now seen. The coliseum is huge, but I canʼt believe the cruelty of the Romans who enjoyed watching slaves, Christians, being torn to pieces by lions. They had Gladiators (costumed men) who wanted you to pay to take a picture with them. We didnʼt! Ha! 

We were disappointed to find St Peterʼs church was closed that afternoon due to a special mass. That night I thought about it, and got everyone up at six thirty am and said, “St Peterʼs opens at seven am, lets get up, take a cab, go see it, and come back for breakfast” so we did, and we were all glad we did! No crowds, got to see the most famous church in the world, the Swiss Guard, etc. You notice my offer was to “take a cab” I was learning that I didnʼt want to walk everywhere! Cabs were good, and only about $15 each way to the Vatican. Walked that evening though, to the Trevi fountain, the Spanish Steps other sites Iʼve read about in novels and movies. (Remember Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn?)

We left Rome and trained to Naples. Southern Italy is different than northern. Dirtier, less neat, but a charm of its own. Every apartment window has laundry hanging out of it. Katie met us outside the train station, and we drove to her home in Monte di Procida, about a 40 minute drive. I was so impressed with her home. Three levels, at the top of the building. Views from her balconies of the Mediterranean. Capri, other islands just off the coast. 

I was just as impressed with her driving. I havenʼt said much about Italian streets and drivers, but, crazy! People drive small cars, mopeds, scooters, and fast! I couldnʼt drive here at all, but Kate is an expert! I was in awe! Katie took us to her favorite local cafe, Mariella's, where the specialty was chestnut soup...chestnuts were everywhere, roasted on the street vendor carts, and on menus. All Italian dinners begin with antipasti, appetizers, then follows a pasta course, called first plate, then a second plate, or meat dish, then ensalada, or salad, dessert and espresso. Of course wine and a plate of bread. We left the next morning to drive south, Vesuvius, Amalfi, etc. We went to the Herculaneum ruins instead of Pompeii. Both Katie and Kristen said it was better. Fascinating, and grim to think of all those people buried in the ash from the volcano. 

Then we went to Vietri, wonderful ceramic shops. We all bought something to remember it by, then North along the Amalfi coast. All I can say is “beautiful.” Villages clinging to the cliffs, been there for centuries. Colorful flowers and painted houses. All Italians seem to be good gardeners, terraced up the mountain are small plots.This area grows lots of lemons, olives, tomatoes. We stayed in Amalfi at a charming Hotel Amalfi. The highlight there was that I got to ride with Giuseppe who backed Katie's car into the hotel garage. Clearance about 2 inches...ha He was their resident hotel employee who did that. The 
rooms we had there were in the
 garden, each with a balcony or
 courtyard. There were kitties all
 around, so Kate loved that. I loved
 the lemon trees and flowers.
 Again, gelato! We drove the 
coast to Sorrento, shopped,
 picked up bits of tile and shells on
 the beach, and then arrived at 
Kateʼs at dusk.

The next day we 
rested in the am, followed the
coast to a seaside cafe for lunch, 
and shopped in a French
 owned equivalent of Super WalMart in the 
pm. That store was huge, and very interesting. Very different from our markets, lots of pasta, frozen foods were displayed different, etc.

Our travel home was long! Good from Naples to Munich. At Munich we were delayed over 2 and 1/2 hrs due to an AC problem, so sat on tarmac , no AC, stuffy! Of course that made the plane late to SF, instead of an 11 hr flight, it was almost 14. We missed our Portland flight and were put up in a airport hotel, booked for 6 am, so got to the hotel at midnight, up at 4 to shuttle to the airport. Glad to pick up my car and drive home to Roseburg!

I surely am glad to have gone. I had fun, it was wonderful being with Katie, Janet and Sandy. We were compatible travelers, liked the same things-I liked taxi rides! Ha
!

Destination: Dubliin!

Delayed. So much for working until the last moment. Sitting in the Naples airport isn't that terrible though, 30+ bags tossed when the cart took a sharp turn, a huge explosion resulting in people looking around semi panicked (blown tire on fuel truck), and adorable kids sure helped pass the time. At our most desperate moment we called the office to see if the C-9 and pilot were available. Cost effective? Um...we could use a cheer squad. No luck. Something about not enough lead time for airspace clearances???

Reason for delay? Routine maintenance went longer than planned. Really? Finally arrived to Dublin, rain and all. It was so refreshing landing in a country where I can read signs and communicate! Well, mostly. Apparently I still have the luck of starring at a map and picking the opposite directions...but there is always more than 1 way to get somewhere and when exploring a new place? Who cares if it takes a tad longer?

Our hotel room is fabulous- it's part of the converted attic space and probably about the size of the living space of my Van Buren Street apartment. Dicey's (the hotel's beer garden) located next door has been hopping since we arrived but it's not too bad volume wise. Again, Naples living combined with living on Frat Row in SLO, and near downtown Monterey? I sleep better when it's not silent.

As far as food goes...fish and chips paired with a Guinness! I'm a happy girl. So much so I'm adopting this culture for the next 6 days- pass the potatoes, yes I want a pint, that's grand. It may be the second pint but my eyes seem bluer, freckles more abundant, and my curls and showing a little more red than normal as the rain makes them curlier. Miss Molly Malone and I sure seem to have some similar traits....Mom, Dad, am I really Irish?

Let's Hear It For Zagreb!

Zagreb.
You know- the capitol of Croatia?

For right or wrong, for better or for worse, somehow Budapest has always been dubbed my favorite international city. Why? Maybe because in Budapest all those years ago (2006)  my sister and I had a fabulous time. Since that trip, I've been stacking up the new destination to beautiful Budapest. Even the fabulous Barcelona couldn't knock it out of it's Katie O. #1 ranking...but guess what? I'm here to say that Budapest no longer holds the #1 spot on my list....

ZAGREB does!

Zagreb because...

• I didn't see one mosquito or get bitten.
• Things are still inexpensive, for now.
• Even if rainy weather hits, there are about 100 museums you can visit and they are all housed in beautiful buildings.
• Friendly people that speak enough English to get by that are proud of their city. 
• The Museum of Broken Relationships- need I say more?
• Lots of parks and "green" spaces tend to make you forget you're in a major city.
• The whole place just feels safe & clean- cameras, guards, trashcans (that are used).
• There are a ton of dogs, but not strays! Most are enjoying a walk or hanging out in an outdoor cafe.
• Public transportation makes sense. 
• Lots of interesting history with the city. A lot of it recent history (think early 90s) that makes you impressed that much more with what the city is today. 
• The buildings are beautiful. 
• Streets are filled with outdoor seating for the restaurants and cafes lining the sides. So many options it's overwhelming! 
• It's easy to get out of the city for a day to see the national park.
• Cotton candy for 10kn? I'm sold.
• A zoo with lemurs, bats, and red pandas?!?!
• Carbs are a primary food group.
• There's just this feel, vibe, & energy pulsating through the city. 

Okay and now looking over this list, I'm seeing a lot of things that never bugged me living in Monterey (when I fell in love with Budapest), but now 2+ years in Naples maybe they're more important to me. Or maybe it's the fact that I've seen so many other places in Europe? I'm not sure.

I do know that you need to check Zagreb out.  Split and Dubrovnik always seem to be the popular cities to see, especially with the ferry from Bari, but head inland- it's worth it!  You probably don't need 3 full days there, unless you're huge museum goers in which case plan on being there Tuesday-Sunday since they are closed on Mondays and only opened until 1ish on Sunday. Fact. The Museum of Broken Relationships is open until 10pm. Just trying to assist with trip planning.

Do it.
You won't regret it.

Bucharest According to Irma

Alright, so I already shared with you how my Bucharest turned into a group event. You even already read traveler #3's take on the trip. Well, here's traveler #2, Irma's, answers to the same questions previously answered by her teenage daughter.

Katie: What 3 words describe Bucharest?
Irma: Diverse, sad, food

Katie: What is the strangest thing you experienced on the trip?
Irma: I think the strangest thing I experienced was the statue outside the Modern Art Museum.  I’m not really sure what was going on with the naked man holding a wolf with a snake sticking out from somewhere.

Katie: Describe your trip in 30 seconds please.
Irma: Trip started in a small elevator for two, continued to a missed bus stop and a check by the metro police (for payment), which eventually led us the travel agency before closing time-barely.  After that, public transportation went well, no major catastrophes.  The trip to Transylvania was interesting, but would have been more interesting if it was Vlad “the Impaler(’s)” castle, but it was still nice to visit (in the rain).  I really enjoyed all the different ethnic restaurants we were able to enjoy, including the stop at Chocolat to warm us and experience death by chocolate. Great trip!


Katie: Any words about the weather?
Irma: The weather was very interesting.  It did give us an opportunity to spend time with the homeless man in a wheel chair under an alcove.  I’m still not sure if maybe would should have paid him for sharing the space with him.

Katie: What was your highlight of the trip? You know, the thing you will forever associate Bucharest with.
Irma: The highlight of the trip for me was the trip to the Natural History Museum where we experienced the Human Body Expo, that was a very interesting exhibit.  Another highlight for me was the pure goodness of the hollow bread cylinder called kurtos.

Katie: Would you go again?
Irma: No, but that’s because I like to experience new places.

Bucharest According to Taylor

My solo trip to Bucharest, Romania turned out to be Katie + 2!
How? Well, from what I hear it went something like this:

Irma (my coworker) to her husband: Katie is going all alone to Bucharest this weekend. Isn't that terrible? She says it's okay if I want to join her, and I do because I don't think she should go alone. 

The response? You can go, but take Taylor. 

I love this family! I'm not sure if it's because their last name also starts with "O", when I sit at their dinner table I feel like I'm reliving chats with my family, or the fact that I get along with them so well. Irma and I have traveled together (although there would be no blog post to link as reference, trust me, we marched all over Munich) and more importantly, we traveled well together. Our trip went fabulously- well we had a few minor mishaps, but that's all part of the traveling adventure.

Taylor, the daughter, is my second interviewee turned blog post. Shoot, I don't even know if she wanted to go to Bucharest and was just thrown in the deal or what? What I do know? Her love for bread, easy going nature, and facial expressions made our trip even more memorable for me. Here's her summary, the short form, after all- she is on summer vacation!

Katie: What was your highlight of the trip? You know, the thing you will forever associate Bucharest with.

"The Potato on a Stick"

Taylor: The potato on a stick statue made me laugh every time you guys said it so I'll probably remember that.

Katie: What 3 words describe Bucharest?
Taylor: Loud, Historical, Surprising.

Katie: That is the strangest thing you experienced on the trip?
Taylor: Strangest thing was hiding out under that arch during the rain with the homeless man.
(Make sure you read my version here.)

Katie: Describe your trip in 30 seconds/100 words, please.
Taylor: There was a lot to see in Bucharest. Our trip seemed kind of relaxed, because we had listed what we definitely wanted to see and were able to stop at a lot on the way there. The tours we took to the castles and around the city were very informative. The weather was crazy, but bearable. I liked the wide variety of food, that was available even though it took us a long time to choose, each time. Bucharest had a really interesting history, which was actually kind of fun to learn about. So all in all, I actually enjoyed the trip very much, although I did freak out in the beginning because I thought we were going to be kidnapped and forced into prostitution like all the movies and stories you read about.

Katie: Any words about the weather?
Taylor: Bipolar

Katie: Would you go again?
Taylor: Probably not to Bucharest, because like the site (or whatever it was) said, you can practically see everything in 2 days. I felt like we were seeing things over and over near the end of the time we were there.

Katie: Anything else you'd like to add/put on the record?
Taylor: Make sure you don't end up riding to the very end on the bus.

Rainy in Romania

When traveling I really do try to "unplug" from the computer. The lack of smart phone sure assists with this task but when traveling in slightly shadier places...say Romania, the check in factor with friends and family sort of becomes important. When my travel companions offered the use of their technology, I sent a few emails off relaying the events of the day.

Well, there were two versions. Yes, there are always at least 2 versions. Here's the hybrid between the two and those who I sent these to, hope you don't mind that I'm sharing my words with others but it's way easier than creating a new post.
- - - - - - - - - -
In Romania and visited two museums today, and got stuck in the rain after each. This apparently is one of the of the countries where you can be drenched in your own sweat one minute, and drenched in rain the next. Luckily the thunder alerts you and the homeless man let us share his alcove when the trees weren't cutting in on round 2. This was after a man with mic and camera crew asked me some question at a craft market and I had to "decline comment" because I had no idea what he was asking.

Yes, homeless man.
Yes, let me back up and explain a tad more. 

Leaving the Peasant Museum cafe (beer break) after I sat on the floor of the gift shop searching out the perfect painted eggs, we realized the sky was about to dump every ounce of water it had absorbed in the previous hours. We found a great tree (previous rain avoidance tool) and huddled under it.

Wind starts making the rain attack us. No, I'm not made of sugar but that doesn't mean I like being drenched in rain. So we sprint across a way to an alcove/driveway to and share it with a homeless man in a wheel chair. 2 minutes pass and we move because the rain drainage is like a small creek taking over our feet.

Thunder.

Lightning.

Wind.

Hail.

Yes, the day started off at 80F and 100% humidity. My umbrella was in the apt for the sunscreen bottle to fit in my purse.

As soon as the rain slowed, we went back to our tree. Then the front of the museum, where there were several people and 4 dogs. Slowly we made our way over to the metro. At our stop we decided the rain had passed, so we marched on to St. Nicolas Catherdral and then in what felt like a terribly long march, but I think that's because my sandal wearing feet were gritty with dirt and my feet were still sliding around them due to the rain and slick roads? 

Needless to say we were laughing about it by the time we plopped down for dinner and made our break for the dessert place prior to the 3rd downpour of the day. And yes, we packed our umbrellas the next day. Of course it didn't rain!

Snowy Stuttgart

With quad chart of action plans in hand, contact information, maps, and knowing exactly where my extraction point was it was like I’d applied all my annual trainings for the arrival in Stuttgart. Or you know, I was emailed FOUO/Katie Specific classified information by my favorite Army guy in an effort to avoid a repeat performance of our now classic adventure tale in Barcelona.


At any rate, I was super excited to disembark the plane trying to figure out which plan I was going to follow and how much waiting time I was going to have. Okay, I was excited, but the previous night rainy cold night run, last minute packing, and crummy sleep had taken their toll, but as soon as I saw MAJ 545 on the other side of the luggage claim that was all pushed out of mind.

With the kick off of our adventure round going so well, it was a sign for a smooth sailing weekend right? Ha. Not quite, but what can you do but adjust to the potenital immediate departure of your adventure buddy if the call comes from the office? Luckily for us, contingency plans are something we're both oh too familiar with and once things settled down a tad, our snowy castle adventure began.

That's right- snow. Lots and lots of snow and temperatures registering in the negative range with a C following the number.  Yes, it did take a few double takes for this California girl to register exactly what I was looking at when looking out the window and saw stuff floating down from the sky. But I did it. I travel to all these places to experience different things- like winter time in Germany. I can do this. Good thing MAJ545 is an east coast guy and is used to all this snow stuff...he's going to be the perfect guide!

I Still Prefer the Destination

I love to travel. The exploration, adventure, & learning that comes from being plopped down in a new location is something I can only describe as one of my passions. The buildings, colors, smells, food, people, geography, flora, landmarks, and just the "feel" of the city beckon me to look up various airfare prices at least once a week so I can pick a new place to explore.

Growing up destinations were mostly domestic and travel was often completed by car. With the family van loaded up we'd trek out for summer camping trips in the National Parks, visit Colorado to see the aspen leaves quiver in the October wind, drive to Disney Land, or head north to Oregon to visit relatives. The travel days were part of the adventure as we would stop in cities along the way. Visit the quirky roadside touristy stops. Pick up fresh produce from the stand on the side of the road. Although the time spent in the car was often frustrating with 3 kids often bickering about something, a) it was always the fault of my brother or sister and b) it's part of the things that (now) make each of those trips special. The trips that required airplanes; Indiana/Ohio trip to visit family and friends, Cancun for Fanta e pan, Florida to catch the cruise ship after time spent at Disney World were not only exciting because of their destination but because of the airplane ride! Of course when back on the ground and loaded into the back seat of a car you either get 3 cranky kids or some of the best radio talk shows the world will never hear coming out of the Fanta bottle...but don't let me digress into family vacation stories.

But, oh airplane rides! They were different. How is that plane rides with your family or friends are always a million times better than a complete stranger? Is it because you're not afraid to spill over into their seat and use that shoulder as a pillow? Is it because you can agree on "time shares" for the window vs aisle seat? Because you're comfortable with passing out if you really are tired? Have someone to chat with when all the movies are lame? Someone decides that it's time to drink and your row single finishes all the red wine on board? Or you know, my personal favorite- playing truth or dare with the entire group your traveling with (all recent 8th grade grads) and get the "this is a reminder for those in economy class, that the service buttons should only be pressed if something is needed" announcement and then bursting into laughter as the other passengers try to settle in for sleep on a 16+ hour flight to Osaka, Japan.

Problem is, I'm becoming not so much a fan of the actual travel part...as in the traveling from your residence to your destination and don't even get me started on the return trip. As I sit here in the Munich airport waiting for my last connection flight of the day you can bet that it's really just these long transatlantic flights I'm talking about. Travel solo has it's perks- better chance of moving seats, not having to worry about someone else's eating schedule, but it gets boring. No Dad, this doesn't mean you should have driven up to SFO to keep me company while I sat there forever. First of all- I'm thankful that my return trip wasn't impacted at all by this week's storm. Second- I'm shocked that we've actually been early on both arrivals today. Third- I really do want to head home and I think that's what kills me. And if that fact isn't enough...I have to work in the morning. Yeah, not one of my more brilliant planning moves.

When traveling by train or car you really don't have the stop and wait torture. If you've stopped it's for the night, fuel, food, or a I-80E road closure (that was a fun road trip day). Well, when you're on a layover you're just there. There in the airport terminal with normally my luck the partial construction These over night flights are particularly the worse for me cause I'm ready for sleep when we are boarding (which is why I napped), then I'm being served food,  and just when I think I'm passed out for good... it's time for more food? I'm so confused and definitely not in need of airport food, not even a beer. Why did they serve me breakfast at 4pm local time? How come it was so hot on the plane I couldn't sleep? And why is it so dark? And why am I so grouchy? And tell me again why I agreed to book tickets with a 2.5 hour layover in Munich? The flight is less than 2 hours!

Ironic part? I already know I'll be looking for a new travel destination by the end of the weekend. BUT flights within Europe are so much less painful than this one. And don't let this talk you out from visiting me...it really isn't that bad I'm just super tired, anxious to get to Naples, & beginning to wonder if I can wait another 24 hours to pick-up Signore Nico.

CA Girl Gone Italian

No doubt about it- I'm leaving California knowing without a doubt that I'm not the same person I was when I made the original trek in May 2011 or even in January of this year. Funny thing about it? While in Italy I didn't see this change was taking place, but throw me back in my "natural habitat" and suddenly it doesn't seem so natural anymore.

And yes, we're talking more than the culture shock.

I'm still trying to figure it all out and although it's driving me crazy...this is one of those things that I'm okay with the outcome so, if I can't put my finger on exactly what has changed I think I'm going to be alright.

My Adventure...HOME!

Thursday Night (in Italy)
2000: Nico was dropped off at "spa" where he was feeling rather brave all things considered. No growling, no meowing, no hissing...even with a little boy calling him "she" and really wanting my not so much a lap kitty to be a lap kitty. When the boy learned that I was going home to visit and he'd have my cat until Halloween, I was told "okay, go."

Giants won! And my internet was reliable enough to feed me the entire game via GameDay. Woohoo!

Packed. If you want to call it that.

Short nap.

Friday Morning (in Italy)
0300: Alarm went off. Expected Nico to tell me to get up. He didn't.

0400: departure from house because without Neeks there, it's just a really large boring place to be.

0500: Naples Airport- with lots of folks. Stuck on bus outside of plane due to system failure. Sweltering heat. AC turned on while it's raining outside.

Sprinted through MUC airport after bus with heat on dropped us off.
Quadripled screened by security as they are making their last call.
Made it to flight and the attendants accuse of me of having too big a smile of my face. "Hey, I'm going back to the states- what's not to smile about?"

FOREVER LONG FLIGHT. Lots of movies to watch. Lots, especially when you don't feel like sleeping more than 45 minutes.

Spotted a mini green lady in the water welcoming me to the USA.

Newark custom's guy told me the Giants got lucky; I told him we'd take it and oh, by the way? Grand slams aren't just luck as my stamped passport was returned to me.

Found gate.
Got in line.
Turns out it was the wrong flight...really there was no room for me on that one to get to SF a tad earlier?!

Friday Night & Early Saturday Morning (in Italy)
Slept from NJ to CA with the exception of hourly wake ups which I dealt with by eating a few Junior Mints before seeing what I could out the window. BTW. Huge body of water out there maybe one of the Great Lakes?

Landed in SF! Late. Because really, why would any of my flights be on time?

Found gate. Plane wasn't there. Listening the grumblings of folks around me they had all been "awaiting aircraft" for a while and also dealing with delays. Checking the board (again, for the 5th time) I saw the gate changed.

Found new gate.

Sat at gate. And sat a bit longer watching people rush up asking if the Monterey flight was boarding yet. Nope. No plane.

Plane finally shows up. Thank goodness it showed up before any fog!

Landed in Monterey and found my parents. Okay, they found me first, but I'd been up for really the past 30+ hours.

Got home.
And now I'm awake.
Why? Oh you know, it's my morning...in Italy.

Destination Ed-in-burrrr-aah

I mean why not? Nessie. Kilts. Bagpipes. Braveheart. That's pretty much how my brain processed Scotland whenever it came up in conversation. Well, used to. I now can add several other things like: rain, haggis, scotch, castles, clan wars, stone walls, highland cows, amazingly clean air. 

I left Rome on a hot muggy Friday morning and arrived in Edinburgh Scotland a few hours later to find low fog and drizzling rain. Even with my boots, jeans, and layers (the top one being a short sleeved sweater) I got crazy looks from bystanders. Sure it was a good 30 degree cooler than Italy, but this Monterey girl felt right at home as I found my way through the fog and rain to find my coworkers at the hotel. I found them no problem, and was promptly given shortbread cookies from their stash that had been refilled after the raid of the maid's cart. Fortified with sugar and tea we headed out to do exploring around New Town.

The first destination was The Georgian House located on Charlotte Square. New Town's start was in 1750 when Old Town started to get too crowded and many wanted to provide a better environment for the wealthy. The house looked like it belonged in one of PBS' historical movies- complete with the servants bell outside the kitchen door with each bell labeled with the location. As we toured the dinning room, bed rooms, drawing room, parlour the realization that I would have died growing up in this time period sunk it. I'm not sure if my parents would have been able to marry me off; have you seen my needle point skills?! Then again we found some rather fun clothes in the play room, but since we weren't exactly their target audience there was nothing that would fit...so we had to settle for bonnets.

Our next stop was a scenic walk through Rose Street where we spun the VitaminWater wheel and all walked away with "gold medals and bottles of their newest flavor. Hydration is important, especially when you're continuing your walking tour that will eventually land you at the Edinburgh's Disgrace, but more on that later because we have lots of other things to talk about- like all the fun things along Princes Street! 

For those of you that have traveled with me, you know I like to do the "oh! look at that thing up there...let's go find out what it is" method of traveling. Well, along Princes Street there were lots of pointy towers and interesting buildings so I was in heaven. Granted my travel companions may have not appreciated my method, but I let them help pick the order. It worked out- the perfect balance between wandering but still having a destination. As we walked along the park (so much green) both museums and monuments lined our walk. I was happy because we found the Old Calton Burial Grounds and on the gray day, the stones looked beautiful with the green grass growing up along side. Yep. I love old cemeteries almost as much as windows! Although it was in the cemetery that I realized things weren't that old here in Scotland. Guess that's because everything was destroyed? And let's face it...I'm living in an ancient civilization zone. Not much can beat the ruins I see on a daily basis...

But then we saw it!
What did you see Katie?
Thanks for asking.

On top of Calton Hill we saw several monuments. Apparently Edinburgh is known as the Athens of the North. I still don't fully understand this comparison, but as such apparently they needed their own parthenon. Well, a partially completed one. The National Monument of Scotland AKA Scotland's/Edinburgh's Disgrace was originally planned to commemorate the Scottish soldiers and sailors who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. That was the plan, until funding fell short and it was never finished. (Typical government project?!) Apparently proposals have been made to revamp the project on several historic events but again funding issues and lack of local enthusiasm have ended any plans.

The view from the hill was amazing providing a near 360 degree view of Edinburgh and the surrounding communities. The Royal Mile laid out beneath us and the ancient volcano (now seriously eroded after a glacier wiped out large portions of it) towered above just about everything. The water ways connected the surrounding pieces of land while reflecting the gray sky. It was absolutely stunning. Toss in a few little birds splashing around in rain puddles and make the air heavy with the scent of fresh fallen rain and well, I was ready to pack up my bags and relocate!

Madrid: Tease

Fej & Nini  are still in Madrid, but I made it back this morning, and with only mild delays, and an older lady passing out on the flight back.

Our pictures haven't been uploaded. (Shoot, the camera is still in Madrid.) They haven't started their guest posts. Some issues occurred BUT...

we're talking about the kids that entertained ourselves with Fanta bottles in Mexico, built forts in ivy, and made up songs about forgotten suitcase. Although lost luggage wasn't part of the plan, shopping in Europe became part of the cultural experience.

Bottom line is we've  always founds ways to keep ourselves entertained no matter what the issues are and this adventure is no exception! Here are a few highlights from the weekend, and yes, expect more explination in the days to come:

* SANGRIA * hostel * Lost Luggage * walking * 

QUALITY-TIME * Aguascalientes * MUSEUMS * Map Issues * Creepy Taxidermy * Cervezas * jamón *

Barcelona Part Uno

Living in a place like Southern Italy, you have to adapt or you will be miserable. There have been several instances where people have mentioned that Italy Katie is different and I'm okay with that. Change is crucial, especially when you were stuck in a stagnant place like Monterey. I know I'm changing with each challenge that gets thrown my way (and there are a lot). Last Friday headed to Barcelona though mid flight I realized that my "just go with it/little planning" plan may have backfired...even when I caved last minute and picked up a tour book from the library.

See, the plan was to meet one of my friends out there. Flights were purposely picked to arrive within an hour of each other so we could link up and then find the hotel. Well, that's a great plan if both flights land in the same terminal. Not completely freaking out when I realized the different airlines did in fact arrive in different terminals, I caught the shuttle down to the next terminal where his flight had arrived 45 minutes prior. He of course was no where to be seen, and so panic began to set in.

What kind of idiot travels without getting his number from the email? Why don't I have a copy of the hotel reservations?  Do I even know the name of the hotel? What am I doing here?

Luckily, I have amazing friends that look out for me and as I waited to get back on the shuttle (thinking maybe we crossed paths?) I frantically texted to see who was up and willing to hack my email for info. Paranoid or maybe just observant I watched out the window and guess who I found? Yep. I actually snuck up on him because he was too busy trying to figure out how to get into town. Seeing a friend after a while is always a fabulous event, but finding one when you're near panic, in a new country, exhausted, and it's almost midnight? Dare I say priceless? And yes, hug worthy.

It all worked out. (This time and yeah, USA Katie tendencies will be sticking around on trip planning for just a while longer...)

The weekend was fabulous but throughout the trip there were several things that just made me say "we're not in Italy are we?" Since he's been living in Europe too there were several conversations of "what do you mean it's not like this in Italy?" Which would then lead to the "I know, you only saw Rome and Rome isn't Naples." (Which a couple from around Rome while at La Sagrada Familia totally confirmed by their reaction when the heard I was living in Naples...)

I love Italy. I really do. But sitting outside at a cafe sipping sangria while birds chirped, cars obeyed traffic signals, and leaves floated in the wind just felt like home. Don't interpret this wrong- it didn't feel like the US. I could still tell I was overseas due to the levels of smokers, attention to detail in architecture, and the "all the time in the world" mentality.

But then on our adventures things would transport me back to Naples, like a car parking in a spot that required full bumper contact. Of course everyone stood looking on in horror while I just continued to walk down the sidewalk. Totally normal in my world.

What wasn't normal? The huge parks in the middle of city. Trash cans every corner with 99% of trash actually in them, not on the ground. Cars passed without honking. The plethora of cuisine offered by the restaurants lining the streets. Streets truly meant for driving "normal sized cars" and sidewalks for more than a single file line of pedestrians.

Several times, especially when crossing streets, I realized I was very paranoid to cross until I not only saw the "green guy" but also double checked for cars up to 10 seconds after the light change. Jaywalking? I don't think I did that until Sunday afternoon and even then I wasn't happy about it.

Language was another huge thing. From day one of Italian class, I've had to train myself to remeber that just because it's not English doesn't mean that Spanish will work. For months I've been trying to replace the few Spanish palabras that remain from my high school days con italiano. I'm happy to report that the change is taking place. When trying to do the simplest of order (ie for coffee) latte came to mind rather than leche. Small is now piccolo, not penqueno. There were so many other instances that I caught myself translating between English, Italian, and Spanish each night to try to straighten my brain out. Even numbers threw me for a loop. Then again, with Catalan who knows what you're really hearing...

After getting back to Naples on Monday, I thanked the gas attendant with a gracias. Go figure since I think just about everyone in Spain got a grazie. Now he really thinks I'm crazy.

One thing I found that still (yep, still) hasn't changed is my jumpiness with lizards. By "stick lizard" sighting three one afternoon I think MAJ545 was seriously questioning how sane I was. One day I'll get over it. Maybe. 

La Vida Dolce

Well, I'm back in Italia and all smiles. Granted the return trek was a little long, okay a lot, but worth every mile as I looked out my window to the brilliant urban sprawl next to the sparkly blue sea. My landmark recognition of Napoli is still nothing compared to my Monterey skill set but I spotted a few! Like normal my suitcases were among the last to get off the plane but they arrived and were quickly loaded up into my car because I had a kitty to go rescue!

Signore Nico was all purrs but a little sad to leave the newest members of his fan club- even the littlest one who grabbed his tail with every pet. The problem was easily solved with I promised him roof access as soon as we got home since he'd been house bound for 3 weeks. Well, the roof and letting him ride shot gun on the way home kept him happy. When we got to the house and had to wait for 3 cars to head out the driveway he moved to the center console and watched all the cars drive out. One of the guys commented about il gato as we waited. Yeah, just add that to the "Cat Lady 101" Handbook. I would like to state, for the record, that he was babied a little too much. Too much and I have some serious work to do

Believe it or not, the suitcases are already unpacked, laundry sorted, and I even managed to scrounge some food up in my freezer- more than the candy corn! Now my next challenge is to....stay awake until 7pm. Yep. Real challenge. 

Really. It is.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

I arrived on schedule last night to two very happy parents, my brother and a freezer with several containers of peppermint ice-cream- I'm a happy girl. Of course I would be happier if Nina would show up right now but I can be patient. Sort of. If I have to. 


My flights were pretty uneventful on the way over here; minus some serious turbulence from Naples to Munich. It didn't bother me much though as I was (for some reason) thinking about just how much cilantro I could buy for $5 once in California. I know- random right? I guess I was still in shock that for the first time leaving Naples I didn't have to load a bus to travel 5 yards. (Did any of you know they did this?) 


The Munich to LAX flight, all 11 hours 22 minutes of it, proved to be not that difficult to stay awake. Granted, it may have been the fellow passenger a few rows back snoring so bad I still heard it over the engines but that was okay...I got to catch up on movies. I did get a few cat naps in because when I thought we hit more turbulence it turns out we were actually on the ground. Oops. Totally allowed though since my flight didn't leave Naples until nearly noon my grand plan of being on CA time didn't exactly play out since the bulk of my travel hours happened during day time in CA. (And starting my day Thursday evening in CA sure didn't help matters...)


Once in "enemy territory," through customs, and in my next terminal, I wasn't quite sure what to do. 


The lack of coffee bars, pizza, or panini places threw me off. 


Stores filled with USC, UCLA, Lakers, & Dodgers merchandise made my skin crawl.


People were dressed in sweatshirts and flip-flops wore backpacks. And, they spoke English. 


(Queue the culture shock.) 


I survived. How? I tracked down a Starbucks for my first (and way over due) peppermint mocha. I was thrilled to see it came in the skinny version, however they didn't have anymore of that mix but nothing was going to stand between me and that peppermint. The guy at the counter assured me that it's better with all the calories anyway. I didn't care. I'm not going to have a decent cup of coffee my entire stay here and I wanted that mocha. Bad. As in, just make it already and pass it over the counter. Grazie! 


With coffee in hand I found my gate. On the way though, the signs for Baja Fresh, CPK, and other various chains still overwhelmed. So I did what I any person would do- called home with the flight status and to confirm the fog was cooperating. Now I had to wait. Wait. Wait. 


When then waiting was over it was time to board. The plane was barely half full so we all spread out. That's a good thing because if someone had been next to me I would have driven them crazy. The less than hour flight was anything but restful. As my emotions went from pure panic, to anxiousness, to pure joy I saw my favorite coast line pass below my window. For a while I was playing guess that city but they sort of all look the same at night. 


Then I heard the engine noise change; we began our descent. Scanning anxiously the city below I gathered we were near Salinas and as the plane turned I knew we were over the bay. Still frantically looking for my landmarks- MHS, Del Monte Mall, the wharf I didn't see them. 


Then I spotted it.


Just off my side of the plane stood a round tree with blue and green lights. Knowing exactly where to look I saw my next tree of white lights on the Marriott roof. *Sigh* Sports Center. Check. NPS. Check. Taxing to the terminal I couldn't get off that flight soon enough but when I did there were my parents.Who apparently had been waiting there long enough to get the stories of other people also waiting in the terminal? I <3 the Monterey airport...my luggage made there before I could walk, that's right, walk to the terminal. 


Once home we caught up (since I was rather awake) over peppermint ice cream and homemade lemoncello from my landlady sent home for my parents. Sitting on the kitchen counter with my family (minus one) made my forever long day totally worth it. 

A Germana

I know! I am suppose to be headed to new countries, not ones I've already seen multiple cities in! Oh well, it was nice to actually see something other than the Munich airport for the first time this year. This weekend I headed to Garmisch for a women's retreat with 10 others from Naples. The conference was decent- although I swear if I was asked one more time what service my husband was in I was going to slap someone.

Getting there was quite the adventure. My traveling buddy quickly dubbed it as our "planes, trains, and automobiles" day and it was 100% accurate. We left Naples at 0700, took a train from Munich to Garmisch, and then a cab took us the last few miles. On the first segment of the flight (the 30 minute one) I was in what would have been the perfect seat for flying home in: tons of leg room, cushy, wide, window seat in row 2. The Rome to Munich flight had me seated much further back and sharing my aisle with a German who I'm pretty sure was shocked when he heard my American accent. Yep, it never gets old playing my "I'm going to keep my mouth shut and see what language people talk to me in" game.

When it was time to catch our train, we all got on the first one with no problem. As we tried to get on the regional train at the main station there were very few seats. Luckily my traveling buddy didn't want to sit around waiting for the next one, so we boarded using our luggage as seats for the first few stops. I really wish I had pictures to show you just what we experienced on this close to 2 hour trip because I fear that you won't believe me!

While we sat on our luggage in the crowded exit area of the car we had no personal space. No personal space as in I was thankfully the one in the corner. Then again maybe not. At one point I glanced over to the passageway (on the other side of my friend) and saw a college student bending over. Well, that's what I thought I was seeing but upon closer inspection I think he was adjusting the zebra print thong on the outside of his jeans. Um yeah. You try not to laugh when you see that. There was a girl about the same age standing across from me and the looks we shared translated just fine even with the language barrier.

As soon as he left, the beer pong parade began. Yep. More college age guys started to make their way through. First we saw a drunk guy. Then it was a guy holding a stack of plastic cups with ping pong balls in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. Next up was a rather intoxicated guy balancing a crate of bottles on his shoulder. For some reason he felt the need to stop right in front of us and once again, my travel companion was subjected to danger. Keep in mind, we're on a moving train, this kid has been drinking, not holding on to anything, and he's balancing a crate of glass beer bottles (German sized, not American). A few times it looked like we would have beer falling on us- both in liquid form and bottles filled of it. When a hand reached upward as to prevent the corner of the crate in her face, one of his friends thought she wanted one. Ha. That triggered the "I bet if you take one they won't even notice" talk but luckily for us they got off within a few more stops- along with their traveling table.

We didn't realize we were on the party train!

As the entertainment ceased we started to realize that we were starving and tired; it had been nearly 9 hours since we woke up for our coffee. Not a minute too soon we pulled up to the station. As tempting as it was, we didn't head straight to the Mexican place by the station- I don't think it would have been any better than Taco Bell. We headed up the street in search of anything open and non Italian and settled on a little bakery where the girl spoke English. You know who didn't speak English? The cast of Scrubs on TV. Talk about confusing! We got over it rather fast as we inhaled our sandwiches, coffee, and strudel.

Finally we made it to our destination (via cab), as did the rest of the group not too much later.

Like mentioned before the conference was okay. The highlight of the weekend for me was running around the downtown area early Saturday morning. It was so cold even with my 4 layers on but after the initial shock of cold mountain air it was a great run. I've really missed running the empty streets of a city with the stars overhead. It was relatively flat too so I was a happy camper. Of course after I got back and saw my skin was cold to the touch even under all those layers I was a little thankful Naples is warmer in the winter. I did get the shock of a lifetime when after the sun came up I realized just how much frost was out there. Guess that explained the lack of sweat!

Um, I really didn't see anything new in this town nor did I see anything new while back in Munich the day we were flying out. Again, had fun and did some shopping (yummy raspberries) but nothing I deem blog worthy.
Maybe my attitude wasn't the greatest- I was just ready to head back to Naples. don't get me wrong, I love the mountains and it was a nice change of pace but Garmisch in particular is such a touristy place it sort of reminds me of why I hated Monterey so much. It's funny. For the 3rd time this year I find myself in a beautiful place that is a lot more like home than Naples is and yet I find myself longing to be back in Naples.

Who'da thunk!

More France

Okay, here are more pictures from the trip. I'm sure that I'll remember more later, but as of now I think I shared the highlights but you've still missed out on a few of the photos. I told you- it was the food tour. And yeah, there were some fun sights as well. Check out those mountains...even as it was raining!