Viva Europa!!

Ok, so I know I'm mixing languages there but I really don't care. I have just spent the last 19 days in the lovely continent across the Atlantic. My sister, Kat and our friend Elizabeth traveled through seven countries (well they actually traveled through eight because they also went to Wales) Scotland, England, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and the Vatican City, which is it's on Principality so it counts as it's own country. We were only in France long enough to catch our next train and I completely slept through Switzerland but that's just being nitpicking. We just had the best time. I really don't think I can even describe how much fun we had, so I'm just going to give the highlights.

1. Going to the Pubs with our friend Alistair. He went to college with Kat and they have stayed close since then. He is just so cool. He is so funny and very intelligent too. I love talking to him because he has such interesting insights into American politics that I miss because I live here. I usually subscribe to thinking of "No one can hit my little Brother by me" when it comes to criticizing the USA but because Al has spent a fair amount of his life living in the US, working and going to coverage I think he has a better understanding of politics here and the advantage of looking in from the outside as well. Anyway, we had a wonderful talking and going from Pub to Pub. Scotland is great for that.

2. In Edinburgh, we did a Literary Pub tour, which explained the history of the new and old cities of Edinburgh and the major authors great works and inspirations. Not surprisingly, a lot of them came from what they saw in the Pubs. They are Scottish after all. *lol* After the Tour, we had a couple of pints with one of the Tour guides, James. Who was just a riot! He walked us back to the train station because we were staying in Glasgow and out of nowhere he started singing "American Pie". Elizabeth just happened to know all the words to the verses and we all fumbled through it until we came to the chorus. I'm sure everyone thought we were mad.

3. Queuing! I got to see my good friends Anne and Caz again. They are just two of the coolest people I know. And then you add in Jeff and you have a fun group to hang out with. The first night, we spent catching up and talking about tennis. We in line behind two Aussies and up the street was two different contigents of Scots and Welsh men. We spent most of the night drinking and talking everything from who America doesn't have history like Europe to music. Eventually we were told we were to loud and had to go to bed. As for the next two days, Anne, Caz, Jeff and I were all over the AELTC watching the best tennis players in the world and avoiding the rain. On the third day, Anne and I went by ourselves. The day was a complete rain out but we had fun anyways. We got to see Andy Roddick and other players on the Weakest Link and cleaned out the Wimbly shop. Well, not quite.

4. Twice in Barcelona we got to see Penguins! I love Penguins!!! First we got to see Humboldt Penguins at the Barcelona zoo and then at the Aquarium. I highly recommend both of these places if you go to Barcelona. I know, why go all that way to see a Zoo or an Aquarium but they are both excellent and worth seeing. And did I mention you can see Penguins!

5. We got to see the Barcelona Gay Pride Parade from the balcony of the Erotica Museum. How perfect was that? The Museum had a wonderful collection of artwork from as early as ancient Egyptians(they were reproductions) to Playboy. We heard the music from the window and stepped out on the Balcony to watch the parade. It was so cool. The Brazilian were there with their drums, there was a little old lady holding the transected flag, a whole team of Gay Elvis's but best of all was the guy who saw us standing on the balcony underneath the sign for the museum and realized where we were and gave us the thumbs up. Now that was cool.

6. Rome is a beautiful city but not the easiest to get around. They only have two metro lines because every time they try to make more stops, they find more ruins and have to shut down productions but one sight you can't miss when you come out of the Metro station is the Coloseum. It is literally the first thing you see when come out and it is just an amazing sight. To see this 2000 year old building coming out of a modern mode of mass transportation. It's just awe inspiring!

Hmm...That's all for now. Maybe I'll come back with part two of highlights but after all that traveling, I need a nap.