Ciao Milano!

Hello everyone! Great news: I made it out of Spain! Although, it was nothing short of a miracle. Yesterday I went to the train station, first thing, to change my ticket from Interlaken, Switzerland to Milan, Italy. I did some emailing/internet, got my 3rd bocadillo (the baguette sandwich with an egg omelet on it)...mmm!! And got ready to go to the beach.

What a cultural experience, to say the least. It's not that I was surprised...I wasn't. But, these women have NO qualms about taking that top off and walking around bare-breasted! And we're talking women of ALL ages...from the smallest 2 year old to the oldest 75+ woman...in all her glory! I didn't feel gutsy enough to bare it all...and I was probably the MOST covered girl on the beach with my tankini on. String bikinis are THE swimsuit on the beach in Barcelona.

I'm not much of a beach type...and going by myself was not the greatest. I was paranoid about leaving my things on my blanket and going into the water. I didn't want to get anything stolen. So, I would run into the water, keeping a sharp eye on my blanket, get out and read a book, run into the water, get out and read...it was getting old. After 2 hours, the sky got overcast and I decided that was a perfect time to head back to the Nield's apartment, gather up my things and go!

The Nields were just getting ready to leave when I came to their place. We talked for a little bit and then they headed out. I got a shower, packed up my things, double-checked to make sure I had everything, and went out. I stopped by the Instititute building, where they were teaching English lessons, so I could say goodbye. After a picture and a hug, I was on my way to the metro station.

I was definitely cutting it close, but I was sure I could make it. I got on the metro at 8:05 and my train left at 8:40. I had intended to already be at the station at 8 p.m., but those didn't happen. So, I willed the Metro to go faster. And it did...or at least it seemed to.

I got to the metro station for the train station around 8:30. I didn't see any signs, so I walked across the street and asked a guy. My first hint should have been the open container of wine...but, he was the only person around. I asked where the train station was and he said, "The other side of the street," as he pointed down the road. I asked, "Down the road?" He confirmed it.

I was getting stressed...less than 10 minutes to catch my train. I started to run, with the backpack. I was running along the walls of the train yard...so I knew I was NEAR the train station. I kept running and running...reminding myself that I had run a marathon without stopping, so there was no way I was going to stop running just because I had a backpack on my back. After a few minutes of all out running (and sweating), I STILL hadn't come to the entrance and I was freaking out. I asked a couple on the sidewalk where the entrance was and they pointed BACK the way I had come saying it was WAY down that way!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

I turned-tail and sprinted, as best I could with the stupid 30 pound backpack on my back, and ran and ran. I wouldn't stop. I ran around the corner and still didn't see an entrance. I asked someone really quickly and they told me to keep going around the NEXT corner. GOODNESS! I ran and ran, ran into the empty station and threw my bag down on the conveyor belt for security check. The guy asked me "Milano?" I said yes (it was 8:39 at this point) and he told me to pick up my bag and get to the platform. I sprinted over to the platform and was the last person on. Whew!!!!!!

I sat in the first car I came to, soaked in sweat, my face redder than a sun-ripened tomato...and just fanned myself with my fan while I thanked the Lord that I had made it. What was I going to say if I missed my train a THIRD time?!? I tried not to curse the drunk man for giving me bad directions. I'm sure he didn't mean to...but I've learned to ask and ask again. Especially if it is important.

I walked down the small hallways...quite a sight! My shirt was soaked through and I was glowing a lobster-red (unfortunately, I caught a view of myself...scary stuff, folks!). I finally found my compartment and collapsed onto my seat. There were two women in there already (it was a female sleeper car). The first one, young like me, says, "Do you speak English?" When I said yes, she breathed a sigh of relief thinking that she would be stuck with foreign speakers for the whole trip.

Her name is Gina and she's doing a 31 day European tour with her husband. They're from Seattle. She's a teacher and her husband is a mechanical engineer (he was in an all-male dorm). She was really cool. We talked for the better part of 2 hours. The other woman, Claudia, is from Columbia but lives in Switzerland now. She was really sweet, too. I talked to both of them...serving as translator when they spoke to/about the other. It was fun.

This scary guy that was WAY too interested in getting to know me and Gina stopped by our cabin and starts speaking in Italian. I answered back with my limited Italian. He's from Morocco and asked if Gina and I had boyfriends. I told him that Gina was married (he automatically looked at my hand and didn't see a ring...ummm...by the way, Mom, I lost the ring you lent me on the beach when I was putting sunscreen on. I'm sorry!!) and I quickly assured him that I had a boyfriend...a big one! With lots of muscles! All right, so I didn't add the big and muscle-y part, but I didn't feel bad telling him I had a boyfriend. He told me he was looking for a girlfriend...and she could be from anywhere, he didn't mind: American, German, English....

At that point I just wanted him to leave. I wished him luck and turned back to Gina. He stood at the door and listened to us jabber in English for another 2 minutes, completely ignoring him, and then he left. We promptly shut the door.

Creep.

I slept SO soundly on the train. Before I knew it, the night was over and we were flying through the Italian country-side. Gina had gotten off the train in Torino, so just me and Claudia were left in the cabin. She was very nice. She even treated me to breakfast in the dining car. I had hot chocolate with a croissant.

Again, the creepy guy came by and tried to talk to me and Claudia...but Claudia was very good at being short and formal with him. He left us alone after that.

We pulled into the station, I showed my passport to the customs people. They don't stamp it, though :( Bummer! I guess that whole EU thing means you don't get a stamp unless you come in from a non-EU country. At least, that's my guess.

I wandered around the station, looking for a place to stow my bag. I found the luggage-keep and started talking to the girl in line in front of me. She was by herself, so why not? Her name is Abi and she's from Scotland. She's 18 and doing her first solo European trip. So, we got to talking and I asked her what she was going to do in Milan. She wanted to see the Duomo and that was about it. So, I suggested we go together.

We went to the Duomo and were approached by this guy from Senegal. He had these "friendship bracelets" that he was trying to put on our wrists. I told him I wasn't going to buy anything. He said they were for luck and that they didn't cost anything. As soon as they were on our wrists, he asked for money. I told him he could take mine off if he wanted it because I wasn't paying. He just left. I've gotta be better at saying no and walking away.

The Duomo, like every other amazing building in Europe, is covered in scaffolding! We walked around it once and it's incredible!! The inside was beautiful with the stained glass...so pretty! It was good to have a friend with me to take pictures, too :) I'll post them when I get a chance. I left my cable in my backpack.

Afterwards, we wandered around the city a bit, saw the Gallaria V. Emanuele II, and headed to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. My book claimed that it housed the School of Athens by Raphael. I guess I should've known better, but it doesn't have the actual fresco. It's got Raphael's preliminary drawings. Not the same thing. But it was a neat museum.

I went to see Da Vinci's Last Supper and knew that you had to get reservations. I thought, maybe I'll get them for Sunday after I get back from the sailing trip. Their sold out through July!!! :( Shoot!! So, I don't know when I'll see the Last Supper. Dang!

I walked back towards the city center. There's not a ton to do in Milan. I bought my first gelato (Nutella!!) and ate it happily. That will due for lunch and dinner, I guess. I'm such a cheapskate and I definitely skimp by not eating.

I'm going to meet up with this kid to go sailing at 6:30. Should be a fun experience. We'll see.

Sorry there are no photos. They'll be coming.

Milan is not as "chic" as I thought it would be. But, whatever. I'm ready to leave this city and I've been here less than 12 hours.

Still in Bar-thel-ona!!!

Well, I was planning on leaving on the 11th from Barcelona. It´s now the 13th. Yes, I seem to be stuck in the vortex known as Barcelona. I had seen all my "must sees" by the 11th. Still in Barcelona, I saw all my "would like to sees" on the 12th. It is now the 13th and, since there´s not much else I really have a desire to do, I´m going to the beach! Now, I´m not a beach bum by any means...and don´t know how well I´ll survive it. I´ve heard it´s crowded and since I´m on my own, there´s no one to watch my things as I go play in the ocean. But, I´ll try to make friends and be careful with my things. What other options do I have??

So, why didn´t Amy leave Barcelona? As you all know, I missed my train to Paris by 5 minutes or so. That was when I decided that Paris would have to be on another trip and that Southern Spain was sounding spectacular! However, due to Barcelona´s location (Northeastern coast of Spain), there´s no transportation that runs down the East coast to the South. You have to go through Madrid. That would take 12-14 hours. I couldn´t find a hostel for 2 nights and I hear it´s been 48 degrees Celsius...which is about 118 degrees Farenheit. No thanks. I´ll have to save Morocco and Granada for my Mediteranean cruise in a couple years.

I thought, instead, I´d take a change of pace and go to Interlaken, Switzerland. It´s all beautiful Alps and outdoor activities, no big city noise, less heat, and no museums. So, that was in the works.

Now, everyone has said, "Oh, Amy. You´ll learn a lot about yourself on this trip." Well...all I´ve learned so far is that I´m somewhat of a ditz when left on my own. Why? Well, yesterday night I was supposed to leave at 20.40 hours. For those of you who are comfortable with military time, you´d know that was 8:40 p.m. For ME (the airhead that I´m proving to be), I thought to myself, "Great! My train leaves at 10:40 p.m." I was packing up my bags at 9 when I double-checked my ticket and realized, to my frustrated amusement, that I had completely missed my train. GOOD GRIEF!

Elder and Hna. Nield, the nice CES couple who let me stay with them the other night, were kind enough to let me stay again. I´ve promised myself that I will definitely be leaving this country TONIGHT! Whether it is on the train I have a ticket for or not.

Hna. Nield let me wash clothes yesterday...so I´ve got clean clothes all ready for the next week or so. That´s so nice!

After checking my email and working on my blog yesterday morning, I went to Montjuic. It´s a area of Barcelona that is up a hill. Supposedly, whoever had control of the fortress at the top of Montjuic, which overlooks the city and the coast, had control of the city. It´s called Montjuic (Mountain of the Jews) because the fortress was built over a Jewish cemetary. I went up there and walked around, wrote some postcards, saw the gardens of the Fundacio Miro...where some of the sculpture works of the Miro, the artist, are displayed. The cable-car that goes from the main road up to the fortress is not running and there was no way I would walk up that hill in the heat. So, I went to the bus stop and started talking to a kid from Brazil. It was fun...he doesn´t speak Spanish or English...and I didn´t speak Portuguese, but Port and Spanish are so similar that we were able to converse and talked for the better part of 30 minutes. He was really nice and showed me pictures from his camera of the Fortress...and the views of the city. He said I really should go. All riiiiiiighht.

Thankfully, there´s a bus that goes up there, too! So, I caught the bus and walked around the fortress! It was really impressive! The views are amazing! There´s a fantastic view of the city and the Mediterreanean. It was gorgeous! I talked to a couple of women that were traveling together. One was from Greece and the other from London. They were very nice. I´m having a blast just talking with people!

I rode the bus down and saw the Plaza Espanya. Wow! It´s incredible! Barcelona is a beautifully layed out city. I did some shopping and went back to the Nield´s apartment (they´d given me a key) to pack up my things. I got to talking with them and, being under the impression that my train left after 10 pm, I didn´t feel too stressed. I took a shower, had dinner...and then realized my mistake! I ran to the station, got a 50% refund for my unused ticket and rescheduled for today to Interlaken.

WELL...after that, I went and did some emailing. My first Sunday in London, I met a couple at church. They told me their nephew is traveling by himself as well and that we should meet up somewhere...it´s just nice to meet people who are doing the same thing as you. So, I gave Cindy, this kid´s aunt, my email address and Landon (their nephew) and I have emailed about our travels. We figured out that our itineraries would coincide in Italy. He said he´d be going sailing with a friend in Milan and invited me along. Sailing on the Mediterranean!! Sounds fabulous! So, I changed my ticket this morning and will be taking a night train (at 20.40...which, for those of you that aren´t very savvy with the military clock, is 8:40 p.m.) to Milan. I WILL be leaving Spain tonight. Guaranteed.

So, that´s the plan. I don´t know when I´ll be able to post next. But, I´ll do my best!

Cultural note: there´s tons of goosing going on. Not to me, personally, but these people can´t seem to keep their hands off each other´s hinies!

Vive España!

Beautiful Barcelona!

FYI: I just posted photos to the last blog entry...including the "haircut" picture!

The time is FLYING!!! I don´t remember what I´ve written...and there´s so much to write and catch up on...but I like this internet cafe, so I may be back tomorrow morning!
I´m still in Barcelona. I should have been on a train to Paris right now, but I missed the train and have decided that Paris will have to wait. I´ll admit, I was a little apprehensive about not speaking the language...and the cost of everything (SOOOO expensive)...and the fact that there´s a major holiday this weekend. I don´t know if I´d make it out! So, when I missed the train, I thought, "Well, Paris will still be there...maybe I can honeymoon there!" Of course, to all you future potential spouses that are reading my blog, I think I'd rather to to Easter Island. So, instead of Paris, I´m going to try Southern Spain!

The ABBA Hostel is on a major roadway. It´s noisy ALL day...and ALL night. There´s no air conditioning. It´s awful! No wonder they force you to book two nights there! The first night, I didn´t sleep very well. People came in at all hours and I don´t sleep well in new surroundings the first night. And it was hot and sticky.

I woke up, without my alarm, to the sirens of cop cars around 7:30 a.m. I got ready to go find church and was in good spirits. I talked to the management and found an electrical outlet by the front desk that worked...and plugged in my batteries so they could charge all day (and not be stolen) while I was out. I was all prepared to get to church early and enjoy the morning when I realized I had lost my locker key. This is a huge deal because my locker had my passport, credit cards, money, anything of value that I could possibly want to keep safe...in it! I was freaking out! I retraced my steps back to the hostel (and I´d gone quite far by then) and walked in...only to see my key on the reception counter. I´d left it there! Crisis averted! Whew! But, I think it was a lesson to me. I´ve been much more careful now.

Due to that little heart-attack-inducing incident, I was late to church. But, it was all right. I met some great people there, including Leticia, a girl from Chile! We became fast friends and spent the day together. She introduced me to a nice missionary couple, Elder and Hermana Nield. They´re from Arizona and are heading up the CES program in Barcelona. Elder Nield invited us to dinner. It was great to be with them.

After dinner, Leticia and I went to see the the Temple of the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family). It´s INCREDIBLE! Pictures of it kinda look like an immense mess of stone, but it´s absolutely incredible and breath-taking! I wish my pictures did it justice! I also got to see the Plaza de Torros...and considered going to a bullfight, but opted out. I just didn´t feel good about watching a bull get tormented and killed for sport. But, I´d love to shout "Ole!" with a huge crowd!
Leticia had to meet a friend, so I walked around Barcelona and saw La Pedrera, a building designed by Gaudi. It´s awesome! It was really nice to just walk around. I wen to the Cathedral of Barcelona which, unfortunately, is covered in scaffolding.

That night, I got back to the hostel and talked to some of the girls in my room. They´re nice! Mandy is from Minnesota, Mariana is from Los Angeles, and Mariana´s cousin, Camila, is from Brazil. Mariana and I were commenting on how awful the hostel was, so we decided to try and find a better one for the three of us the next day.

We woke and headed out, barely got the last beds in this REALLY nice hostel...with AIR CONDITIONING!!! It´s clean and beautiful and not noisy!! Ahhhh! Then we decided to go to Parc Guell which has buildings and sculptures designed by Gaudi. We hopped on Bus No. 24 and headed up the hills. It was a REALLY hot day...like you feel like you´re swimming in your sweat kind of hot day. Ew. We walked around the park and got some great pictures.
The girls were really sweet. I´m glad I met up with them. It´s awesome to meet new people...and then strange to say "goodbye" instead of "see you later."

After the park, I decided to go to some museums and they were going to see La Sagrada Familia. So, we split. However, the museums are closed on Mondays (note to all you future Barcelona visitors). So, I ended up wandering around Las Ramblas...the downtown/shopping district. It´s really fun. I did some shopping and just enjoyed myself. I went to La Boqueria which is a big vegetable/fruit/meat/fish market. It was pretty neat.

That night I went to Family Home Evening at the institute building. A bunch of missionaries, a few people that are getting to know the church, and some less-active members. It was fun and nice to be around people. I had to say goodbye to Leticia. She´s such a sweetheart!
Afterwards, I went with the Nields to their apartment where I wrestled with my camera for an hour to get it to upload the photos onto a disc. We talked until midnight (senior missionaries, apparently, don´t have the same rules as the younger ones) and they´re convinced that I´m just the girl for their single son. There are more moms, dads, grandparents, and aunts and uncles that think I would be perfect for their son/grandson/nephew out there than I know what to do with! Too bad their sons/grandsons/nephews don´t realize what a catch I am!! ;)

Hna. Nield told me the metro stopped running at 1 a.m. When we got to the station, though, we found it stopped at midnight! I´d just missed it. Shoot! So, they walked around with me (for the better part of 45 minutes...and it´s after midnight, mind you) helping me find a bus. There aren´t many buses after midnight, either. There was a couple looking for the bus to the same area as I was...so we ended up splitting a taxi. And dear Elder Nield gave me 5 euros to pay for it. He´s so nice!

I arrived and walked into my 4-bed room...to find the 4th bed empty and two men in the other. Yikes! I was a little nervous. I saw Mariana in the bathroom and told her if she hears me scream, to come running.

There was no problem, though, sleeping. They woke up around the same time I did. We all apologized for being noisy...either the night before (me) or that morning (them). They were in their late 30´s...from Boston. Nice enough...we only talked for 2 minutes though.

I got ready, checked out and started into my day. I had an agenda to keep! I bought my ticket to Paris and then went to see the Picasso Museum. It was pretty cool. He did this study on Las Meninas that I just LOVE! It´s awesome. Can´t wait to show the postcards (sorry...no cameras in the museum). Then I bought a bocadillo de tortilla espanola...it´s a sandwich they make on a baguette that has an egg omelet with potatoes and onions...it´s SO good!!

I went to the Museum of the History of Barcelona. It´s been built, city upon city, over the past 2000 years. It´s interesting...they have done some excavations that are pretty cool to walk through! That one was a recommendation from Hna. Nield.
I did a little grocery shopping, some internet searching for a hostel...and talked to my Mom. I was late getting to the station...and, well...here I am. Going to Southern Spain instead! I´ve spent a lot of time on the internet today...talked to my family (gotta love Skype...and the video option, too!!).

I´ll try and get this posted tomorrow morning with photos!!
Sorry to play catch up like this! There´s just no time for anything!!

Cuidense, todos! Les quiero harto!

Cutting the apron strings...and other things!

New place, new foreign language keyboard to get used to!

Wow! One week gone. Just yesterday, I was sitting in the hotel, enjoying the last of the luxury that is the Marriott...dreading future lodgings of dorm-style rooms without A/C in sweltering Southern Europe. Mmmmm...I loved nearly freezing to death at night because the air was on full-blast and enjoyed having a wonderful down duvet to cuddle up under!! But times, they are a changin´!

I am in Barcelona...beautiful Barcelona! And I have very little time to recap what I´ve done...so I´ll do my best in the short time I have.

I guess I didn´t do Thursday yet. Thursday we saw the highly overrated Changing of the Guard at Buckinham Palace. Then I went to the Cortauld Institute, like the art history nerd that I am, by myself. It was all right. Nothing to get too excited about. We were to meet up at the British Museum...but Erin was late. I was not a happy camper. I tried, my best(!) to get over it and we ended up going shopping and doing laundry that night. Ahh...the joys of travel!

Yesterday we went to see Westminster Abbey. Afterwards, we split up...I went to the Cabinet War Rooms and they went back to Portabello Road to buy some things. The Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum were fascinating. I am really glad that I went!

We met up at the hotel an went to a show that night, ¨Sunday in the Park with George.¨ Strange...good, but strange. It´s about George Seurot, the French 19th century artist. I liked some aspects of it...but others were just odd.

Sorry, sorry, sorry...this isn´t nearly as interesting as it should be. I have 23 minutes left to get this silly thing posted...this guy closes his Internet cafe at 11. After packing up last night, we woke up early this morning and started getting everything put together. It was so fast...and before I knew it, Erin was crying and hugging me goodbye and telling me to be careful! She made me cry too...

And as I watched them drive away, I felt a little lost. I mean, I´d had them with me almost everywhere the past week...and now I was on my own. So, I went to Portabello Road and just enjoyed the atmosphere...and then I did something that we´d been talking about all week...that Erin and Kayla didn´t really think I would do. I didn´t really think I would do it, either.

Just take a look.

Yep, I cut my hair!! And short. Long hair seems to be the summer fashion and i was feeling pretty insecure about my boy cut. Then I saw two girls at the train station with the same haircut as me...and I felt a little better. Until they kissed each other. Yes, folks...I have a lesbian haircut!! Not kidding. Butch is one way to describe my hair =) I went into a salon where they spoke arabic to each other and very little to me and I told them to chop it off. The lady told me I had nice hair and kept asking if I were sure. I said, ¨Just do it.¨ I wasn´t sure myself. I told her I would cry, too...and I did. I think it was a combination of many things...my sister leaving, me being on my own, and then making the crazy decision to cut my hair!!! So, if I don´t show up in many photos on my blog, now...it´s because I don´t want you all to know how much I look like a boy!!

The flight was uneventful. I arrived in Reus, about 1.5 hours outside of Barcelona. I took a bus into town, found my hostel...OH BOY! A hostel life is DEFINITELY not for me =O The management is nice...it´s easier to speak Spanish with them than English...but the place is pretty ghetto. Thanks to good ol´Campus Plaza...it got me ready for living in less than spectacular conditions.

I´m sorry this is so ridiculously uninformative. I´ve got to find a church tomorrow, too!!

Love you all and I´ll try and post photos tomorrow!

36 hours and counting

29 June 2006:

Hard to believe! I'm gearing up for one of the biggest adventures of my life thus far! For those of you who haven't heard, I am going to Europe. Yes, Europe. Not only am I going to Europe, but I am going for 6 1/2 weeks! Yes, 6 1/2 weeks. Not ONLY am I going to Europe for 6 1/2 weeks, but 5 1/2 of those weeks I will be on my own! YES, on my own! Let me sum up here: I will be in EUROPE for 5 1/2 (+1) WEEKS on my OWN!!!!

It all started when I had a bit of an awakening in the fall of 1999. I was a student at BYU, enjoying my new job as a secretary in the Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA). As is my nature, I was working feverishly to stay on top of my work (all right...I was probably checking my email and planning my schedule for the next 4 years), when my fabulous older brother, Brian, called me and said:

"Hey Amy...I found a $400 round-trip ticket to Madrid. Wanna go?"

WOW! Of course I wanted to go! My incredible older sister, Erin, my awesome younger brother, Eric, and my great roommate, Alicia, came along and we had a blast. There was only one problem....

I got bit. BAD! By the travel bug.

It was amazing to me how a little blue book with your picture and name on the inside could open up worlds to you! I could go ANYWHERE! (Well...almost. I hear those Cubans don't let you in even with a little blue book.) The entire world was at my disposal!

So, the wheels started turning. Classes in art history, humanities, and Spanish didn't help. I wanted to go...and BAD!

The summer of 2002, I did a Study Abroad program in England for 7 weeks which was WONDERFUL, but it wasn't enough. I wanted to be a backpacker. I wanted to be a vagabond. I wanted to cart all my possessions on my back, smell like I'd been in a cramped train car for 8 hours, deliriously stumble onto an obscure train platform, avoid professional pick-pockets that posed as small children, and not know where in the world I was going to sleep that night! I wanted to participate in the coming-of-age experience of a lifetime as a crazy, young, careless (as in, without a care) European backpacker.

Well, years passed. Time flew by. And before I realized it, I was staring my last summer under the age of 26 in the face! Under 26 is considered a "youth" in Europe...which makes train tickets, hostels, and all sorts of other things considerably cheaper. My dream to do Europe on the cheap was quickly fading away as the hands of time ticked onward!

Erin and her husband, Trevor, were planning a trip to England...and I jumped on the bandwagon. And, as long as I'd already spent a small fortune to get across the ocean, I thought: why not stick around and see all those things I've been dying to see? Why not backpack like I've been dying to backpack? I had to make it happen! It hadn't fallen into my lap in the last 7 years. Obviously I was going to have to do it myself!

So I did. I am. I will.

Europe, here I come!

I leave July 1 and will return August 17. The planned itinerary goes a little something like this:

July 1: fly out of Kansas City International Airport, through Cleveland and then arrive at London Gatwick on the morning of July 2 (with my body, due to the 6 hour time difference, feeling as though it were 2 a.m.)
July 2-8: London, England
July 8-11: Barcelona, Spain
July 11-15: Paris, France
July 15-16: Milan, Italy
July 16-18: Cinque Terre, Italy
July 18: Pisa, Italy
July 19-24: Rome, Italy
July 24-29: Stockholm, Sweden (including the fabulous Fest I Nord!)
July 29-August 1: Florence, Italy
August 1-3: Venice, Italy
August 3-5: Interlaken, Switzerland
August 5-7: Vienna, Austria
August 7-9: Prague, Czech Republic
August 9-12: Romantic Road, Germany
August 12-14: Cologne, Germany
August 14-16: Brussels, Belgium
August 16-17: London, England
August 17: Fly out of London Gatwick, through Newark, New Jersey and arrive in Kansas City International Airport the afternoon of August 17 (with my body, due to the 6 hour time difference, feeling as though it were 2 a.m.)

That was probably WAY more than you wanted to know, but there it is! Welcome to my European Adventure!