been a long lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time

well...not really lonely, I just thought it worked well off Bryce's post. So how's it going? Got a lot of stuff to catch up on so I'll try to make it quick

1-getting from Pamplona to Barcelona was as bad as San Fermines was good. We grosly underestimated the train situation and ended up spending countless(well, 9) hours on the slowest ass regional train that even made stops at ghost towns. I kid you not, some of these places had no building with all 4 walls. Picture the tumbleweed.

2-Barcelona sucked then rocked. First of all we had to climb a mountain to get to our hostel. No Fun. Then we spent a day walking around trying to find museums that weren't there (thanks a lot Let's Go) and movies that weren't in english, or were sold out. We did see super cute penguins at the biggest aquarium in Europe. Extra credit; How do you tell the difference between male and female sharks? Answer for bonus points. Correct answer will be provided in the next post
The second full day in Barcelona was sweet because we split up and did what the other didn't really want to do. For me that ment hiking up Tibidabo..but that's a story for another time(right Big A and Jody?). I also went to a sweet Chocolate or Xocolate museum and had the best hot chocolate of my life. It was more like a melted chocolate bar than milk and powder. Really good!

3-We continued our journey via cramped and overpriced sleeper train to pretty but overpriced Geneva. Bryce loved it, so read his post. I loved this art and history museum where I got to see some of the 18th Century French artists that I missed in the Louvre. They also had an entire wing devoted to prehistory. Sigh.

4-The train ride from Geneva to Chamonix was amazing as the train took us right up and through the alps. Some great views. Chamonix was enjoyed via the awesome concrete luge and incredible gondola ride past Mont Blanc and into Italy.

5-We completed our 4 different countries in 4 days with our long trek down the foothills of the alps and to the bus station that would get us to the train station that would get us to Torino. Home of the coming winter olympics, we had just enough time to see the shroud of turin, or at least a picture of it, the "ultra modern" Olympic atrium (actually quite cool) and the nice balcony off our room in the hostel, which was again, up a freakin mountain. Gosh!

6-Nice was nice. HAHA bet I'm the first one ever to use that joke! It wasn't great, but it didn't suck either(the latter mostly resulting from magical reasons). We heard the beaches were rocky, but no one told us they were bouldery! What gives people? The water was delicious, apart from the random hot and cold spots that seemed to drift by and definitely DEFINITELY had no relation to urine. Most of the first evening I dedicated to finding a book shop where I could obtain The Half Blood Prince, and much to my delight I found one fairly quickly. I made my date with felix felicis for 9:30 the following morning at the resident Virgin Megastore. We literally acted out the plot of You've Got Mail, snubbing the quaint and Potter-banner adorned "shop around the corner"(seriously it was right around the block) for the big bad superstore. Don't hate, it was Bryce's money and it was 12 euros cheaper, which means what, 80 dollars now? So Potter was obtained and read for half the day at the beach, when I wasn't shifting my towel over the quarry. We spent the afternoon, and the evening, and the night in Monaco. Apparently there is no 12:20 train back to Nice. Charlie et la Choclaterie was pleasant enough, though I like the original version better. Pure Imagination ya know. Sleeping on a lounge chair with posh cars revving by and posh cops pretending not to see you wasn't as glamorous as it sounds. It was basically uncomfortable and cold.

7-5 Terre are pretty damn nice. Wish we had more time here about as much as I wish it hadn't been slightly rainy all day today. That didn't stop me from hiking to all five terres, spotting dozens of salamanders, getting great and cheap gelato, reading more Potter, sweating my ass off despite the absence of sun, and buying more peaches. Damn I love peaches! I think I've had more of them on this trip than in my whole life.

8-Off to Florence by way of Pisa tomorrow. We've crossed the halfway point which these girls who obviously wanted me for my Potter on the Nice beach said would mean that the trip starts flying by. It hasn't thus far, which is awesome. Time for another poll, and we'd better get better(that sounds dumb) results this time!

What do you want more of in the next blog?
1-Funny conversations we have with people
2-Detailed measurements of the leaning tower's angle to the ground
3-Detailed account of the hottest girl we see from now till blog
4-Most characteristic Italian curse word
5-Other

A quick thanks to everyone who has posted, especially to you mom. That poem was kick ass in every way. They're only possessions right? Love ya. Big A it's definitely "But the talent show is tomorrooooow!" Hope everything is well in Williamsburg.

For the record, I am taking my time with this Potter and am currently on page 443, so no posting spoliers! This is mostly for Bryce "I read slower than that train from Pamplona" Lyle's benefit, but still, let's have some courtesy for the weary travellers.

Ciao