November 11th, 2003: Rome

And now my world gets even bigger as we head to none other than ROME, ITALY. Still pinching myself! As before, original journal in text with comments italicized below:
(click photos to view)

Tues, 11/11/03

• Metro train to Verona
• Eurostar to Rome
  
  
  Ready to board Eurostar
  
  
• In Rome, took wrong turn getting off underground metro (like subway)
• Allen (Dad) called USO & we found our way after meandering thru city
  The USO was such an incredible resource for us during our visit. Those people are saints.
  
• Mom & I were annoyed and felt ridiculous but no one noticed (too many tourists)
  We were clueless but grateful not to be the only ones. You can't look "lost" in a sea of tourists.
  
• At hotel - unloaded (I grabbed swch & snacks)
  
  
  Standing on hotel steps - swanky!
  
  
• Walked back to main plaza, people watched & window shopped
• Bus to Piazza Venecia
• Next bus - Colosseum & Forum
• Dinner at "Al Gladiatore" in front of Colosseum (Rocco entertained us!)
  
  Italian wine at Al Gladiatore
  
  
  Rocco, my new Italian host friend
  
  
  Posing w/Italian waitress
  
  
• Walked around side of Colosseum & by Forum
  
  
  Colosseum in darkness
  
  
• Metro back to main plaza
• Returned to hotel & called hubs before crashing for the night

Coming up: Pope John Paul II and St. Peter's Basilica - a definite doozy.

First Trip to Europe 2003

First I'll start with the itinerary my folks and I agreed upon for the time in which I would be visiting Europe starting on Saturday, November 8th to Saturday November 15th, 2003. As before, journal text below is unaltered, my personal comments are italicized below.

• Sat - arrive, go to Germany
• Sun - Germany & Austria (castles)
• Monday - mng train to Venice 10 am
• Tues - Rome (Eurostar), Hotel (2 nights)
  (call hubs at @7 pm)
• Wednes - Rome, Vatican & Papal Visit
• Thur - Vatican & Rome Tour (Sistine Chapel)
  return from Rome (4 pm)
• Friday - Base/Lake Garda
  "The Last Supper" in Milan was crossed out for Friday.
  
• Saturday - Flight Home early

December 8th, 2004: Paris to London

Time to say goodbye to Paris and head back to London where an extremely welcome surprise awaited. (Original journal in regular text, comments italicized below.)

PARIS -> LONDON

Wednes - 12/8/04

• Woke @7:30 a.m.
• Bfst - (me & Allen) downstairs hotel, croissant/bread/coffee
• Left suitcases at hotel until metro to train
  No hauling luggage around Paris for us.
  
• WOW! Metro to Musee d'Orsay - Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Manet - Impressionists (favorite)
  I've always been a big fan of the Impressionist art movement, so this museum tour was a treat.
  
  
  Standing in front of Musee entry
  
  
  The central aisle
  
  
  Pierre August Renoir
  Portrait de femme, dit de
  Mme Georges Hartmann
  
  
• Viewed artwork & shopped (books, notepads)
  When I asked museum clerk if she spoke English, I'll never forget that arrogant reply, "A leetle beet." Note to self: when in France, be ready to speak French.
  
  
  In front of Thomas Couture,
  Romans of the Decadence
  
  
  School kids on field trip
  
  
  Artist duplicating Renoir's
  Dancing at the Moulin de la Galette
  
  
• Ate at bistro (ham/cheese/Coke Light), @1:45 - late
  "Avec fromage" - yes, I actually asked for cheese on my baguette in French! Go me.
  
• Briskly walked to Metro station & took metro to hotel where we picked up our bags.
  Read "speed walked to station".
  
• Walked thru Paris to Gare Du Nord to catch Eurostar
• With headache setting in (dehydration & lack of caffeine/food too late for lunch), bought an espresso at the coffee shoppe and drank it at shoppe while watching people catching trains
• Shopped at station -> water/newspaper & Godiva chocolates
  The box of chocolates was for hub's office - box lid had a nice picture of the Eiffel Tower.
  
• Hopped on Eurostar & read the "International Herald Tribune" newspaper while Mom & Allen slept.
• No dinner... went thru metro & took bus thru London after arriving
  Tried to dispose of my water bottle, but there were no garbage cans to be found due to security restrictions. Asked a station employee to throw it away for me.
  
• Took Victoria line to Stansted Express, then Express to Stansted Airport
• Bushel & Sack shuttle picked us up - Mom & Allen went back w/driver to main office/restaurant for dinner @8:45 (really 9:45 before resetting clocks at London station!)
• I stayed back at the room for a shower, light snack and IBUPROFEN for headache
  The late/missed meals and lack of H2O had finally taken toll on me.
  
• When we had arrived at hotel, I couldn't believe it - my own room!!!
  And the hotel people actually left packets of "digestives" (e.g. "graham crackers") that I scarfed down nicely. Alleluia to my own room w/crackers!
  
• Mom & Allen had a double bedroom, and a shared bathroom connected them w/my 2 twin bedroom. It was a good time to shower up and get ready for waking up early again to catch flight to Italy on Ryanair (4:00 am to be exact.) So, off to sleep at 9:30 pm, hoping M&A don't wake me up when they return from dinner.
• Heard them arrive @10:00+ pm, and my headache had not gone away... not as bad as I started falling asleep
  No period at the end of that sentence, almost as if I fell asleep while writing. So tired.
  

What a whirlwind. Next up: Italy awaits.

December 5th, 2004: From London to Paris

(info is unaltered from my long lost journal with italicized comments below original text)

LONDON --> PARIS
Sun - 12/5/04

• Internet from hotel (checked email)
  Computer room had only a couple desktop PC's, both completely spyware-ridden and with pop-ups galore, but they did the job for checking email. No complaints.
  
• Shopped for souvenirs at Victoria Station
  Bought miniature double-decker bus for son; turned down leather/fur jacket purchase for myself.
  
• bfst at Victoria's Station - Garfunkel's, same waitress, not happy w/us (seated ourselves, order wrong)
  Lordy.
  
• Waterloo Station - Ivana Trump sighting
  Talk about a luggage brigade. Never had I seen so many oversize designer suitcases roll behind a single passenger in my life.
  
  
  Sign above ticketing area
  
  
• Starbucks in Waterloo - we searched & finally found it! They had to have one - there are Starbucks everywhere - at least we saw them on every corner in London. Hazelnut Latte Grande.
  
  
  Perfect way to start the day!
  
  
• Bought hat in station
• Eurostar boarded at 1:30 - we had a carload of kids on a field trip. (they all spoke French, so we assumed they were returning home to France.)
  
  
  Wearing new black hat
  
  
• Lunch from food car - ham & cheese & "flapjack" bar w/pecans & raisins
  
• Kids got off after 1st stop - quieter :)
  Thank goodness for that.
  
• Set off alarm in bathroom accidentally
  Oops. User error.
  
• Fog in Paris on arrival
  
• Went through Paris to Hotel Altona
  I remember walking along the streets feeling very afraid for my life, complete darkness with vagrants sitting on sidewalks along street. At least we found our hotel so we could drop off our luggage. Lugging it all over Paris wasn't all that fun.
  
• Took metro to Eiffel Tower, photos
  
  
  Eiffel Tower
  
  
  'Paris 2012' Olympics
  (possible future location)
  
  
  Standing under tower
  
  
• Dinner at pub - Quiche Lorraine/Cabernet (wht) - Smokers!! :P
  We experienced the true dining experience with diners "lighting up" and smoking up the pub after their final meal course. Mom & I put on a good coughing production - hard to breathe!
  
• Took metro back to room
• Saw glittery Eiffel tower
  
  
  Eiffel tower lights
  
  
• tried to call home
• Called from hotel desk - clerk spoke little English - talked w/people around
  At this point, I actually tested my high school French on the hotel clerk but didn't get much further than 'Bon soir' and 'Merci beaucoup'. Finally connected back home but had to talk at front desk without much privacy.
  
• Bad time :( SNORING & loud neighbors
  Where were those earplugs when I needed them most?
• @3 a.m. finally slept
  ... even after so much excitement. Such an amazing night in Paris!

Tomorrow - even better.