Home Sweet Home

Its officially been a weekend and then some since I have returned from my adventure. Although not much has happened in the days since my arrival in this winter wonderland I find my self plagued by the need to express myself once again. It is a weird feeling, although i have no shortage of people to talk to I enjoy conveying my thoughts through a visual medium.

I find it funny that one of the first questions that I am asked is how I feel about returning to the cold. While anyone who lives here can tell that it is technically not "cold" yet, I feel as though i am adjusting nicely. It has not yet reached the temperature in which I feel the need to never leave my house or possibly leave far away and never come back. I dont mind the weather and the snow for now, it adds to the Holiday feeling.

Speaking of holiday feelings, coming home amidst the height of the season makes things feel a little different. First off all the air is ripe with the season. Christmas feels nigh more than ever, a feeling which is heightened by the fact that I have so few shopping days left. On the other side of this coin it also feels like it doesn't make sense that Christmas is right around the corner. I think that it is because I just removed six weeks from my normally scheduled life.

In the spirit of the origins of this blog I will inform you of some of the on-goings that made up my weekend. I must say that the lights of the legislature are pretty cool. I was strolling the grounds with some friends the other night and we took in the lights and got to hear an ensemble of French horns (called Horns of Plenty) play just inside the Legislature building. Which coincidentally reminds me of some of the buildings in Europe just maybe on a way smaller and less ridiculous scale.

Ledge Grounds via Iphone

To conclude I will tell you to go see Tron. In 3D. In the IMAX. It was amazing. It doesn't matter if you know nothing about the original or you think the concept looks dumb or it doesn't look like a movie you would like just go see it anyway. The visual effects and music in the movie alone are enough to merit everyone to at least give it a shot.

I have not had the opportunity to catch up with everyone yet, I apologize, it is a busy season. I wish to see you all and share holiday cheer over a glass of eggnog.

Song for the Day.

"Letters From The Sky" By Civil Twilight

It really is good to be home... mostly.

The End.

Clutching his mortally wounded side stumbling through the jungle slowly losing consciousness from the loss of blood Jack is at peace with his end knowing that he fulfilled his purpose. Making his way back to where it all began on that fateful day he collapses amidst the bamboo with Vincent lying loyally by his side. Just before he breathes his last breath Jack sees the plane carrying his friends safely home fly overhead and with that his eyes close as he drifts away.

Millions around the world watched in awe as the conclusion to the greatest show of all time had just aired before their very own eyes. There was yelling, there was crying, there was frustrations, happiness, and relief all at the same time. Even writing about it now I get a little teary eyed.

I am willing to bet that at one point or another while reading my blog you asked yourself, hmm I find it funny Nathan hasn’t included some sort of LOST reference in his blog. Well many times I thought about it but resisted because I have been saving it for my very final blog titled “The End”. Which subsequently was also the title of the final episode of LOST.

All 6 seasons of the show were filled with mystery after mystery intertwined with the struggles of the characters that we came to love. During that glorious two and a half hour television event which was the finale much of the mystery of the show was left in tact. What the writers chose to focus on was the resolution of the characters and their story’s. Reflecting on my journey I believe that this part of my story has come to a very similar conclusion. Much of the mystery in my life is still present; many of the questions I am seeking answer for are still burning in the back of my mind. Much like the ending of Lost drove many people crazy the mysteries of life can also drive people to the edge. The exact same questions the characters were asking on LOST are the same questions that people ask themselves everyday. Why am I here, what am I supposed to do? While no one answer can ease your mind and give piece to your soul I believe that there is a way to provide resolution even when deprived of direction.

What is necessary for everyone to achieve happiness amidst turmoil and uncertainty is to shift your focus. A shift from the past to the present, a shift from the negative to the positive, A shift from the worldly to the Godly and what I think is most important is a shift from the exterior things you cant change to your own actions which you have total control of. This is way easier said than done. Trust me when I tell you that although the journey is hard and essentially a life long trial but, in the end it is more worth it than anything else you will put your efforts into.

I find it funny and unnerving at the same time that our focus as people is almost always on the negative. Someone could say ten kind things to you and one negative thing and the only thing you will remember is the negative. I am telling you from my own experience that although you may have every excuse to focus on the negative things it is way healthier for you to go against your first instincts and choose a life where the negative things that happen don’t affect the path that you are on.

This trip has not given me a lot of answers but my resolve to find them and to live my life the way I want has never been greater. Let me tell you my two rules for succeeding in life.

1. Never stop seeking Gods call for your life
2. Never stop seeking out what makes you happy

If anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying both to you and themselves. You are never too young or too old to change the path that you are on. Every passing minute is a chance to turn it around. Don’t make excuses, People who live their life saying things like “some day” and “eventually” end up on the sidelines of other peoples adventures saying “ I wish I would have”. Is that you? Are you sitting on the sideline of a friend or family members adventure reflecting on the life that could have been or could be? Don’t let your self get caught up in feeling sorry for yourself, if your not currently breathing your last breath then get up walk out the door and find whatever it is your looking for.

Breath in and then breath out, that breathe could have been your last. Its not just a clever saying, it’s a reality that many people lose touch with. The fact is that at any random time the breath of air that you breathe into your lungs could quite possibly be the last one you take. We are all dying, one breathe at a time, some faster than others, some closer to that fateful day. Many people will look at that statement and feel depressed, the challenge is to reflect on it and feel alive and motivated.

I look back at everything I have experienced over this last crazy year and more and I stare into the darkness that is the unknown and scream, you will not break me, you will not shut me down, you will not smother my Joy.

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
- Audrey Hepburn

The End

Time To Say Goodbye

I didn’t really know what I was going to fill my last day with since I had done all of what I wanted to do in Venice. So I looked online and wanted to discover something to do. I came across one traveler who recommended a visit to the Teatro La Fenice. Although I was cold and tired after lunch I was really glad that I went for a visit.

The Teatro La Fenice is one of Europes most spectacular opera houses. The people of Venice claim it to be the best but I don’t know if that’s true, although it could be very close. I took the audio guide, which was really informative as far as the history of the building was concerned. Its really quite astounding, Fenice translated to English means Phoenix, which is a mythical fire bird that when it dies is reborn from its own ashes. This particular theatre definitely lived up to its name because it was burnt down twice, once by accident and once by arson. And after both times was rebuilt more glorious than the previous version. There was so much gold inside the theatre is was ridiculous.

After the tour I decided to go up to the Royal box sit and have just chill out with my Ipod. Listening to Andre Bocelli and imagining that I was actually listening to an Opera was seriously sublime. I sat for almost an hour listening to the same song and reflecting on my journey over the last six weeks, it was one of my favorite experiences. What a crazy ride it has been.

“I have dreamt in your name, but now that dream has gone from me”

It is very sad to be leaving Italy, I love it here, I hope to one day return.

Amsterdam is really great, its not as cold as I had though it was going to be. The overnight train was literally the worst sleep of my entire life. I happened to avoid being on the bottom bunk but still it was awful, one minute I was woke up sweating the next I was freezing and I could not get comfortable for the life of me. I almost wish I would have left an extra day for Amsterdam because I really like the city. It looks beautiful at night and the food here really is as good as people said. I found the custard filled dough ball… It was fantastic. I could just spend another day trying different foods from vendors.

I’m taking time in this blog to say this now because There isn’t room for it in my final blog tomorrow. But I am super glad I decided to take this trip and especially happy I got over my self enough to blog about it. The memories will stay locked in longer now. Thanks Rae. This is my last trip blog, tomorrow I am going to write a reflection about the whole experience (dont miss it!). I think though I will continue to blog after the trip is over, certainly not everyday, my life’s not really that exciting. I will just muse about movies music and the goings on of like from this point forward. You can keep reading if you feel so inclined. 

Theme Song for the Day

“Time to Say Goodbye” By Andre Bocelli & Sarah Brightman

Bye for now.

Undisputed Champion

In case you don't know the title of the blog is a shout out to Canadian home boy Georges St. Pierre for showing Josh Koshcheck what mixed marshall arts is really all about. Im talking about UFC 124 that happened in Montreal on the weekend, I finally got a chance to watch it here, and it was worth the wait. Today actually was the most television I've watched since I have been here. Everyone at the hostel gathered around the TV while we were eating dinner to watch the Manchester United vs. Arsenal Game, Im definitely gonna miss that.

Although tonight is my last night in Venice and Italy its technically not yet my last day. Tomorrow my train is the night train so it doesn't leave until the evening. I really am not a huge fan of that, i think i should have maybe left tonight but oh well, theres not much i wanna do in Amsterdam besides see a bit of the city and pig out on all the great food I've been hearing about. (theres a large deep fried ball of dough filled with custard that I am dying to try). Today was a pretty chill day, I crossed of the final sight to see for this trip by visiting St. Marks Cathedral and climbing to he top of the bell tower. The cathedral was pretty sweet, it was really shiny on both the inside and out. I think i wasn't as impressed as i should have been because it is my last one and after seeing dozens it takes a lot to wow me. The view of Venice from the bell tower however was something incredible. I have mentioned a few times before this place seems to good to be true, this is one of those views thats just mindblowingly perfect in every way. Besides the freezing cold it was the perfect view of Venice.

Theme Song for the Day

"Beat It" By MJ

Rest In Peace

I wont be blogging tomorrow because ill be on the train.

So I will see you the next day in Amsterdam or I will see you at another time.

Island Living.

Venice is gorgeous. The perfect word for this city is picturesque. Walking through the streets over the canals and on the boardwalks I am waiting for someone to come out and yell cut! It just seems like its not real. I really think its a testament to the dreams of man, that some people could think this up and dream it could be a possibility and then create it. This may not be my favorite city but it really is the most beautiful place I have ever set foot in. Everything you ever imagined what this city could look and be like it does indeed fulfill your every dream.

Today we ventured out in the water taxis out to two of the islands surrounding Venice. Murano is known for its history in creating blown glass and Burano is known for it embroidery. Murano was really cool, we went and toured a workshop and watched a guy create a cool vase. Burano was super cool because we didn't really go for the embroiderery, although the girls that we went with did some shopping. our main reason for heading to Burano was to see the town that was painted with petty colours. almost every single house was a different colours and it was such a surreal experience walking through.

The journey home is gonne be stupid, I have to train it overnight to paris and then catch another train to Amsterdam where ill spend one night then fly out the next morning, i looked into fly but im in venice and it would have been more complicated. As much as the beauty of Europe continually amazes me and i am having great times with my new friends I think i am finally ready to come home. I think I will start planning my next trip soon, there is so much more to see.

Theme Song of The Day.

"Memories" Kid Cudi

I feel as though interest in the blog may have gone down. Its okay, i forgive, its been a long trip. I would however implore you to at the very least tune in to the final blog on the 16th. I have been carefully crafting it since the beginning. But for now let your imagination take you to the place you've always wanted to go and slowly drift away.

Peace.

Firenze!

“Never before have I wanted to take a picture of a naked man so badly”

This would be Casey talking about our reason for coming to Florence, The Statue of David. The Gallery it was in didn’t allow you to take pictures, but don’t worry we got some. I think they underestimated my sneakiness. There are three statues of David located in Florence, two of them of course are fakes or replicas. The real one is located in a museum along with other famous statues and paintings in the heart of Florence.

"Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel." - 2 Samuel 5:12

The Statue of David is an immaculate larger than life piece of art. It is much bigger in than I though it was. The detail in the statue was amazing, everything from the building veins on his arms to the waving locks of hair. It really is mind blowing to see that a man can stare at a block of marble and then come up with that.

There was a pretty cool market in the centre of the city so in the evening we did some shopping and had some legit pizza for dinner. It was delicious.

The Internet was down at the hostel so I am posting this a day late. I’m currently in Venice and you can read about that tomorrow!

Theme Song for the Day

“Beautiful Day” By U2

It’s getting colder here and I am not dressed for the weather. I refuse to buy a coat because I cant afford it and don’t really have the room to take it back, so I will continue to suck it up.

Arrivederci

E Nomini Patri, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti

Let me assure you that no matter what your preconceptions or the images you have seen on television, movies or the internet the Pope mobile is 10x funnier in real life. Through the throngs of people me and some friends managed to catch a glimpse of the Pope as he pulled up to the Spanish Steps to give his speech. We were pretty close and it was cool to see him drive by and wave, but to our surprise as we were heading out for dinner we saw him again and this time I was like 5 feet away, it was pretty legit. That is my last Rome experience and it was a pretty cool thing to cap off 6 of the craziest most tiring and exciting days of my life. Let me tell you I am completely and utterly exhausted, I woke up at 830 to catch the train after getting very little sleep the last 6 nights and was litterally shaking from exaustion before I had some food for breakfast. Rome definately is now ranked as the number one city in Europe and a very close second for favourite city in the world, very close second. It was very sad to leave but the show must go on, not much time left now.

Pisa is beautiful, granted there is not much to do other than the infamous tower but that alone is definitely worth the trip. I am kind o glad there is only the tower to do here because both Casey and I are exhausted and are gonna take it easy tonight before he and I continue on to Florence tomorrow afternoon. The tower was so cool to see in real life, much more fascinating in person than in the pictures. It was a pretty penny to get to the top but it was so worth it. We then had Mcdonalds for dinner.

Theme Song for the Day. It was the bus drivers ring tone and that brought a smile to my face.

"Clocks" By Coldplay

Florence then Venice then Amsterdam then Home

Its only a matter of time.

The Glory Of Rome

Well wouldn't you know it, life got too busy and exciting to blog. I am in Rome you know, these things can happen. For most of the trip I have been by myself so night time is usually the worst part, not having much to do which gives me more time for pics and blogging. Currently in Rome however I have made lots of friends and its been a blast. I booked one more night in Rome because I didn't wanna leave today. I am utterly exhausted from going hard from 9 am to 3 am the last couple of days, That and the Pope is giving a speech at the Spanish Steps later today and I think it would be super cool to be there. So today is a relax day and tomorrow I will train to Pisa.

The Glory of Rome.

The last two days have been filled with seeing the two major sights in Rome. allow me to try and recall for you. Two days ago was the Vatican and St. Peters Basilica. It has been said that if you took one minute to look at everything inside the Vatican it would take you 12 years to tour. Most people suggest to get a guide to walk you through the important stuff but me and a bunch of people didn't really care. it was more fun to wander around all day and gaze and take picture. The Sistine Chapel was different than i had expected, but then again i think everyone says that. It was nothing short of spectacular with all the different Frescos covering the ceiling. It really so much to take in, all the tapestries and Frescos and Paintings all over the place it was crazy.

Next came St. Peters Basilica, supposedly one of the most extravagant churches in the world. It is rumoured that there is enough gold in the treasury of St. Peters to cure world hunger. The Basilica really is a thing of wonder. It is one of the largest religious sanctuaries i have been on this trip and it certainly one of the most impressive. We got to see the whole of the Basilica and the Catacombs underneath. it was really cool to see where all the Popes were buried. We then made the trek to the top of the Basilica, i have paid money to go to the top of many things on this trip but this one was slightly different. Near the top of the staircase it started to wind around the dome of the Basilica and it felt like you were walking up on an angle, pretty weird feeling. As usual the view was nothing short of spectacular, being able to see the city of Rome and get a view of the Popes Gardens. The vatican was really awesome and I think one day it is one of those places i will return to.

Yesterday me and my newfound travel buddy Casey took to the Colosseum and the Forum, and random wanderings in Rome. We decided to do the tour because it was pretty reasonable and we wanted to hear some of the history in the Forum and Palentine hill. It was worth it, the guides we had were pretty informative and we got a bunch of free time as well. Its hard to describe the feelings you have when inside the colosseum. Even now reflecting on yesterdays experience i still cant believe I made it in there. It was really cook just to sit and reflect on not only the enormity of the building itself and what an accomplished thing it was to have built so long ago but also to sit and think about the games that used to be held and what life might have been like for some people. (I for sure am going home and watching Gladiator). I actually went to the Colosseum a second time at night to take in the view during the sunset, it was amazing. The forum and Palentine hill were really cool because I learned a few things I didn't know including the legend of how Rome was conceived.

After the Colosseum and Forum Casey and I just walked to the Pantheon which was a little less spectacular than expected and took in a visit to Piazza Navono which was cool. It had carnies with games and street performers, something that was really unexpected.

I really don't want to leave Rome, not only is the atmosphere in the city something that is infectious and addicting but the hostel environment and the friends I have made have made this my favourite city to be in. It will be a sad day tomorrow.

Like I said before I apologize for the lack of Photos but the connection here is awful, I will try to catch up in Pisa or Florence.

Theme Song for the Day(s).

Having a couple of days of songs it is really hard to narrow it down to one, or even a couple, but I will leave you with some of the ones that have provided me with some good moments over the last two days.

"Rockstar" By N.E.R.D.

"Sweet Caroline" By Neil Diamond

"Dont Stop Believing" Journey

I dont Think there will be another 2 day blog hiatus again so you can return tomorrow night if you like.

See You Soon.

Rome-ing Around

Today was another good day, but in Rome how can there be a bad one? It was actually totally mistake that todays events took place. I was originally going out to be part of a tour of the Colosseum and other such Roman city highlights. However I ended up being the only one on the tour and they had to cancel. I was pretty bummed at first but then took to walking the streets of Rome seeing what i could discover. I first headed over towards the Colosseum area to just to get a glimpse of it for now. I wanted to then do something that wasn't on the tour because I will probably do the tour on tuesday. I came upon Romes largest building, a marble monument to King Vittorio Emanuele II. I decided that this would be an interesting discovering and that most likely the panoramic view they offered from the top (at a price of course) would be pretty spectacular. I was correct in my assumptions, not only was it a pretty cool building but it was a great view of all of Ancient Rome.

I then decided since I was very close to the Via del Corso (one of the biggest shopping streets in the city) I would attempt to maybe get some Christmas shopping done. While it was a lot of fun walking the streets and going into some cool shops the part about completing some Christmas shopping did not really happen. For one thing its crazy expensive, and also I really don't know what to do this year for gifts. I did happen upon a sweet pair of jeans for me I think I will go back to get later.

In my wanderings i really didn't know where i was for a while and then happened upon the Trevi Fountain. one of the things that was actually on my list to see but i was saving for a different day. I really didn't know what to expect, I had never seen pictures before so I though it was just a pretty cool round fountain maybe in a roundabout or piazza somewhere. What I didn't expect was what the Trevi Fountain turned out to be, one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Things made of marble always impress me with the beauty i gives to the statues and such but the fountain was absolutely breathtaking. I took some pictures and had my first Gelato sitting and watching the throngs of people take pictures and toss coins into the fountain.

One thing I really enjoy that most people don't is crowds. Shoulder to shoulder, people everywhere, talking, shouting, selling trinkets, taking pictures, shopping, its one of my favourite parts about visiting large cities is the crowds. let me tell you I was in the zone tonight. at the fountain and on the streets the roads and walkways were lined with people. It was the atmosphere that I was looking for in Rome and even though I was tired and hungry i continued to shop and venture through the streets.

Next I decided since I was in a good mood and out on the streets I would visit something else on my list. I made my way towards the Spanish Steps. after getting distracted by some of my favourite stores I finally made it to the base of the steps. To tell you the truth there was not much to do here. I climbed them and took in the view of the streets. I considered getting my portrait drawn because I have always wanted to do it but then I didn't want to cough out any more money plus I don't think it would travel well.

Theme Song of the Day. You know your in a hostel with lots of North Americans when the restaurant starts playing "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey and half the place is singing along with it. Thats not the theme song I just wanted to mentioning it because it was a cool/funny moment.

"Uprising" By Muse.

Tomorrow I am planning on going on a tour of the Vatican, something i have been looking forward to for pretty much my entire life. This one wont get cancelled I was assured. I apologize for the lack of pics in the blog, the internet here is garbage.

Peace

Ashes, Ashes, We all Fall Down.

While the children's song i am referring to in my title in fact is talking about the bubonic plague that is not my intended allegory. Today I had to opportunity to tour Pompeii with a short jaunt into Naples. Today really was full of good things...

1. Had the best cappuccino I have ever had.
2. Toured the ruins of Pompeii
3. Saw Naples and touched the Mediterranean Sea
4. Met the most beautiful girl I have ever met

While I'm sure your more likely to let your mind run wild imagining number four I assure you that it was a brief encounter in a store in Naples. Nothing more, nothing less. The store was actually really cool, it was a Classical Cameo store in which they imported conch shells from exotic places and then carved them with stunningly intricate details and made them into jewelry. I really wanted to buy some stuff from there but it was crazy expensive so i got myself outta there before i got suckered into anything.

Im not the biggest coffee drinker. Yes I Loooooooove my starbucks, buts its mostly chai's, white mochas, and Eggnog lattes when in season. Considering i had been awaked since 4:30 in the morning I decided a good stern Italian coffee would do me some good. It was amazing and delicious, its a good thing coffee is not always that good back home otherwise I might become like my mother, slightly addicted. (Love You).

I Touched the Mediterranean Sea! And it splashed me in the leg. I am gloating a tiny bit considering some people I know have been dying to get there for a while. I wish I could have taken a swim, but it is technically winter and I didn't have the time or the clothing. The view was spectacular, The sky was blue the ocean was calm and not only was the outlook to the sea amazing but the city of Napoli (Naples), is so full of rich architecture its amazing. We were driving through and i was amused to see that on one side of the road they were digging a tunnel for the new Metro line and on the other side of the road they were digging to excavate some ruins at the foot of a castle.

Pompeii was very different than i imagined. for some reason I, and many other people were misinformed when it came to the exact details regarding the demise of this Greco-Roman city. For some reason it is widely though that the city was covered in magma from the eruption of nearby mount vesuvius. This is not true, a town nearby whose name i forget was covered in Magma. Pompeii however was covered in ash from the volcano. 25 feet of it to be exact. Most of the inhabitants did not make it out due to the poisonous nature of the ash. So the ash is why Pompeii was able to be excavated, i learned that the other city is still buried because it would be near impossible to recover it in any sort of preserved manor. It was really interesting to see just how much archaeologist could uncover and some of the details that were left over within the city walls. Some of the things i did see that i remember reading about was bodies preserved in the shaped they died in (i.e. grabbing their chest because of the suffocation and crawing on the ground for help). It was crazy to see. There was also things like they the remains of bread in the oven and a preserved dog tied up because of the peoples hurry to evacuate the city.

All in all it was a good day even though I was up bloody early. Tomorrow I am not sure what is in store, but no doubt it will include seeing something spectacular, so don't change that dial!

Song of the Day. No reason other than that it came on right now in the hostel lounge as I am writing this blog and I really like it.

"Song 2" By Blur

Remember to Keep Fit and Have Fun!

The Final Count Down

The longest train ride i have ever taken lasted 30 hours. It was Crazy. Last nights train ride length paled in comparison but was an adventure all in itself. The ride was just over 15 hours including a one hour delay, not a big deal when a good chunk of it is spent sleeping. However the I happened to get stuck on the worst bunk ever. There are six bunks to a cabin, three on each side. The tops and the middles are fine but in the bottom you get about half the mount of room because the seats don't fold down all the way. Worst Sleep Ever. Not to mention I'm uber sore. Oh well, Im In Rome and so begins the final leg of my journey.

The more I think about it the more i realize that i will not be venturing into Germany. this really sucks but I think its more valuable to me to do Italy as much as possible. even if I did go to Germany it would only be for like one night or something dumb like that. Not nearly enough time to get to Berlin and do some of the things I wanted.

Rome Day 1

Looking at the map of the city it was quite overwhelming. I had come into Rome knowing what i was gonna do and then looked at the tourist map and got a little nervous. There is so much to do it would be impossible to do it all in the time i have. I will do the major things for sure and then see whats best to do after that.

Today i really didn't know what to do because i was too sore and tired to do anything significant. I pick something out on the map and went to see it. It was the Castel Sant'Angelo. It was pretty cool, it it one of Romes oldest fortresses. Inside is the national museum which was currently displaying an exhibition on Giuseppe Garibaldi. It was really interesting to walk through and learn some things about the unification of Italy and his part in it. When people come to Rome the focus is almost always on the older history surrounding the Colosseum and that period of time. It was cool to take in some of Romes "more recent" history and learn a bit about that.

I have to say in the final days of the trip it is really hard to stay motivated. Im tired, sore and broke. I know I will really have to push myself to see Rome and the rest of Italy. Tomorrow will be a huge test I think, I booked a tour of Pompeii and Naples and it starts at 7 am. I am super excited though because Pompeii is something i have read about since i was a kid and it will be interesting to finally see it in person.

Theme Song of the Day. I know I have been a hater in the past, but its on my list of things to stop hating. Christmas music is starting to be played here, has been for a while. I kinda like it because it reminds me of home. So heres to getting in the Christmas spirit, Its actually a really good song.

"Boots" By The Killers.

Ab Urbe Condita

Nathan

And Away We Go!

1 Blizzard
2 Scarves
4 Countries
5 Goals scored by FC Barcelona
10 Things Crossed off My Life Goal list

14 Days

15 Cities

65+ Driving Hours
6000+ Kms on the Rental Car

= 1 Unreal European road trip.

After leaving Barcelona on such a high the next day was nothing short of ridiculous. If there ever was a day which would want to make me return home it probably would be this one. Although it didn't get under my skin as much as you would think.

The day started off with my GPS dying in the middle of Barcelona. Having no way of understanding how to get out of the city i proceeded to drive around for an hour before locating a suitable store where i could buy a replacement. The good news is that it was only the chord that was broken and so I didn't have to buy a whole new unit.

I then continued on to what should have been a 7 hour drive, but more on that in a minute. i was driving down the highway minding my own business when all of a sudden i see a flashing pair of lights behind me. Now i have never fully understood what exactly the rules are for driving. no one drives the speed limit so im not really sure whats allowed and whats not. I assure you i was not testing the boundaries of this when being pulled over, I was doing 5 above the limit. After being pulled over four cops got out of the car and began to ask me questions. I then realized what was going on, i think they were some form of border patrol since there is no official border between countries. They began to question me while i was standing in the rain and looking through all of my stuff for drugs. When they had determined that i was not a threat to French National Security they let me go about my way.

My drive actually took me back over the Millau Viaduct which was a nice surprise. On the other side of it was a tunnel about 2km long. I was currently driving up the mountain in a rain storm, and all of sudden as i exited through the other side of the tunnel BAM! Snow! I though i might see some snow on this drive but what then took place was not cool, not cool at all. It continued to snow, and snow, and snow. It was like i was back home. Except instead of being on the road with experienced winter drivers i was stuck on the road with the French. These people drove like it was the end of the world, stopping on all points of the road so that those still driving had to maneuver around them. They even close one lane of the high way during the snow which made matters even more slow. So what was supposed to be a 7 hour drive ended up taking 13, with close to 5 of it being stuck on a mountain. I had to pee in a bottle, for the first time. let me tell you that took some coordination.

I am less excited with the actual snow than i was with the though of it, but thats usually how it works out. Tomorrow i return the car to Paris and take the night train to Rome to begin my final leg of the journey.

Song of the Day. Had my Ipod on shuffle which is somewhat rare. Oldie but a goodie.

"Live The Life" By Michael W. Smith

Good Day.