Grasse is a beautiful place...

Southern France is Beautiful

It's true... far more so than I expected. We're staying with the fabulous Johnsons in a gorgeous home overlooking Cannes and the Mediterranean Sea. I didn't know the sun could be so beautiful.

R

Antwerp

I have felt like a tourist taking happy snaps for most of the trip. Yesterday I shot this in the Antwerp Central Station. I am happy.

R

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry in Europe.

It's a strange sort of feeling, sitting here with not a sibling in sight. I was left to study here in the hostel in Venice about an hour ago, and until now, that's what I've been doing. Idiotic, I know, studying. But there's just one more little bitty online credit to get while I'm here. Unfortunately, the pages of my textbook which I ripped out and carried across the Atlantic with me were misplaced in an internet cafe in Rome, and I'm doing all my studying the hard way--google searches.

Studying was halted a few minutes ago, with the presence of crazy next to me, who is currently staring at me, calling me names like "crack-pot," "paranoid," and "Americanos." Also, he is cackling, telling me "no more checking e-mails," and mumbling things in other languages which are probably ancient curses. It's not like any Italian I've ever heard. Frankly, I'm pretty creeped out.

Wow. Finally. He got the computer he was waiting for. Maybe he'll leave me alone now. I hope you weren't worried, Grandma. I've got some pretty mean self-defense moves and major adrenaline reserves.

We're heading to Holland tomorrow bright and early. We'll catch the ferry from the hostel here at 5:o5am, take a train or bus or something to the airport, and then fly to Amsterdam. We'll miss the gelato and pizza of Italy, but I for one am eager to see what other countries have to offer.

Better stop procrastinating... Later.

Venice:Photos

Kirsten Celestial Gillson?

Kennan Gabriel? Nope. Unfortunately not. But amongst the slight irritations--and humorous situations--that develop in a trip of this length, new names and identities emerge. I was recalling a few of them as we rode the shuttle boat from station to station through the grand canal of Venice this afternoon in the rain.

Rowan:
"A very slow ant"
The curious snail
The Master
Stinkbomb
The green monster

Kennan:
The cheetah
Speedy Gonzalez
Stinkbomb
Vermin
Conan (the Barbarian)

Kirsten:
The mother hen
Gelato monster
Kissten... Never mind. She wouldn't like it repeated.

Micale:
Crab
Crabby
Claw
Huff the magic dragon

As in all good reporting, I was impartial with the facts. Let me state however, that the name calling referring to moods wasn't necessarily fair or deserved.

Until next time...

Photos... finally!

Let me start by saying I currently hate blogger for it's inability to hold formatting from the "Compose" and "Edit Html" windows to the actual blog. I apologize that I simply don't have time right now to make this post actually look good... oh well! :-)

Kirsten, Kennan, and Micale at the lighthouse in Capri, Italy.

All the houses in Capri are white. This one just happened to have cool flowers in front!

Inside the Pantheon, the world's largest stone-domed structure, built in 126AD.

Every street corner in Rome seems to have a catholic image above it.

A woman begging on the streets of Rome.

A view of the Roman Forum with too many cool things to name...

A temple in the are of the Roman Forum.

Sunset over Saint Andrews, Scotland.

A Bible illuminated in John Knox's church in Saint Andrews, Scotland.

Riding the bus in Great Britain.