Oh boy, it has been awhile, eh?  Well we are staying with our first host since Nice and internet cafes are very expensive, so here I am.  Be aware, what you are about to read may be very long...

So, our first host in Nice was a real sweetheart, Margeaux's a theatre major and lives in a cozy one bedroom apartment.  Our second day there we went out to the beach and ate breakfast on the rocky shore.  We did a lot of talking about the future, plans and dreams.  We slowly made our way, as the conversation continued, around the cliffs of Nice.  The wind was rioting and pushing people, especially those on roller blades, back down the street where they came from.  We visited a war monument that held names from several different wars.  We found a nice bench on the side of a road and watched people and their dogs go by.  We made pasta that night and watched the movie “Arizona Dream” with Johnny Depp, and like my mom2, Carolyn, would say, I wouldn’t throw him out of bed for eating crackers, or something like that.  The next morning we went to stay with a new host, Diane.  She was really friendly and ran an art gallery in town and her crazy fat cat fell in love with Brian.  We met her at a café and had hot chocolate.  We picked up fresh fruits and vegetables at the market and then went back to her apartment where she prepared us a scrumptious lunch with a raspberry and white chocolate muffin finale.  Then B and I went out to the sea and walked along the shore.  It was carnivale so there was confetti everywhere.  We went back home and made dinner and relaxed, I read “Anne of Green” and Brian did Brian things.  That night the cat decided the most best place for him to sleep was on my chest and I tried to accommodate him for a while until I turned over and he decided his new favourite spot was Brians chest and then my back.  The next day we walked to the castle on the hill.  Its less of a castle and more of a park on the top of a really high hill.  There was a giant cemetery with graves that must have held entire families because the marker would have 2 to 6 names on it.  There was a lovely waterfall and a lot of stairs.  At the top lookout point we stood in each others arms facing down the wind and watched the city lights come on.  Then we found a bench under some trees and talked about the past.  We made our way back down the hill as the sun was setting.  Then, inevitably, we walked to the beach to listen to the sea waves push and pull at the rocks lining its long shore.  The next morning we walked along the water and up a mountain to the city nearby called VilleFranche.  On the way we found a clemintine tree and had a snack.  We ate lunch of cheese bread, cheese, lettuce, apples and oranges.  We took a bus most of the way back, it was getting cold as the sun went behind he mountain.  We walked back up the hill to the castle park in the twilight of the evening and made it just in time to see the sunset.  We were alone.  Then as we started to make our way down a couple of jolly night guards found us, we jumped in their car and they drove us down to the exit.  Apparently, the park was closed but they were so friendly.  Then once again we walked to the beach to be zen.  I called my parents and it was really nice to hear their voices.  Then at home we made a tri-color pasta with cheese sauce and salad.  When Diane came home she made strawberry tarts.  That night the cat fiasco replayed itself.  Hes a fat orange cat with a little pink nose and big blue eyes that say but how can you resist?  The next day we walked north out of the old town and saw some big fountains and dirty streets that dead ended so we walked back to the water and sat on a dock.  We went to a confisserie, a candy maker and had a tour and, of coarse, bought some candy.  At the beach again we watched the seagulls calmly sitting out on the waves having friendly conversations while bobbing up and down.  Then we stopped by and watched the carnivale parade.  People dressed as giant flowers and birds, all smiling brilliantly while trying not to be blown away.  We picked up some food for dinner at the market and then went home to read and talk and, finally, to sleep.  The next morning we packed our things and did some online taxes and talked to Brians mom and Josie on the phone.  Then we went to Dianes art gallery and said goodbye where she gave me directions to an English bookstore where I bought two second hand books.

We took a short train ride to Ventimille, Italy where we found a little hotel and walked out to the beach.  The water was not so calm as in Nice so we walked around the city out of the wind.  We watched the sun set in lovely airbrushed pinks and purples.  We found a pizzeria and had our first glorious taste of Italian pizza.  They are personal pizzas about the size of a medium pizza, thin and made right in front of us.  Then back to the hotel to catch some sleep.  In the morning we had a large breakfast of croissants with jelly and nutella, hot chocolate, cereal on top of yoghurt, and orange juice.  Then we got on the train, where I curled up on the floor, for an 8 hour ride to Florence, Italy.  I started reading “Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Siterhood,” which I feel every woman ought to read, its truly a beautiful story.  On the next train we faced a lovely, thin old woman.  Her face was so full of expression I could only sit and wonder where she was coming from or where she was going to.  Was she caught up on some movie reel of memory?  She had a slight smile on her lips but the spot of skin between her eyes was creased in something like disbelief, confusion or sorrow.  I could not tell which.  I watched her as her eyes blindly scanned the here and now, her mind obviously somewhere else.  Soon she was gone and in her seat a dark hulking man now sat.  He looked dishevelled and nervous.  He kept wringing his hands as he slumped in his sear and continuously checked his phone.  I decided he was in the mob and on his first big hit job and he was wondering if he could go through with it.  

Finally, we were in Florence where several men working for several hotels greeted us and vied for our attention and our money.  We chose the cheapest and followed him to the hotel.  I read and B took a nap.  Then we went to the grocery and got dinner, ate and went to bed.  In the morning we walked to the giant church in the middle of town colored in greens and pinks.  The last time I came I only saw the outside, but the inside is amazing and by far the most beautiful I have seen.  Marble of all colors, in fantastic designs all over the walls and floors.  The sun poured in the windows and everything glowed.  I bought my first gelato and we walked over the river and wandered into a park.  We walked up to the top of a large hill in Tuscany and listened to the birds trilling in the trees.  We walked up about a million stairs to another church and sat on the rails dreaming together out loud.  Inside the church was dark and quiet.  We walked through another park and stumbled on a giant replica of David overlooking Florence.  We zigzagged down the hill and at the river we sat and watched some kids goofing off in a row boat.  We went back to the hotel and took naps and then went next door to eat dinner.  I wore my pretty white twirly skirt with the little flowers.  It turned out that we were their first real customers, they had their grand opening party just before we got there.  We had pizza, grilled veggies, wine and beer and a table, too (in Italy they charge you a service fee just to sit down and include the tip).  So we were merry and content.  Everyone was lively and smiling and the atmosphere was really lovely.  The next morning we ate a breakfast of crummy stale bread with jelly and tea.  We walked up through the city and sat in the very same park I sat in three years ago and then started up the mountain toward Fiesole.  At the top of the mountain, hot and sweaty, we found a quiet spot in the shade, on a road where the only villa in sight was blaring Frank Sinatra from their garage.  So, at a distance from the house and the music, Franky floated over the olive trees to serenade us.  We walked around the other side of the mountain by barking dogs and honking cars into the city center.  We sat down on the curb, exhausted and then wandered through the antique market.  After making a purchase we walked further up the mountain.  We found a park with a spectacular view  and took off our shoes and socks.  We let our toes play a luxurious game of hide and seek in the tall, luminous green grass.  Italian words mingled with the songs of the birds making a beautiful soundtrack for the Tuscan hills.  We watched as families sat, talked, and played together, laughter was alive and frequent.  B and I finally pulled ourselves up off the grass and walked back to Fiesole center and got some gelato.  We rode the bus back down as the sun set behind the hills.  We had dinner again after napping at the pizzeria next door.  We walked a bit through town and saw some of the nightlife.  Sleep was a given after that.  In the morning we lay in bed a bit and talked about our dreams then got up and packed.  We walked around the city, for we had several hours before the train would leave.  We saw another church and tried to visit a castle but the people were rude and unhelpful.  So, we walked to a park and sat by the river.  We walked along it and we came upon a small square and in the center was a large statue of a short, fat man on a horse.  Like a newspaper headline the words POOR HORSE MUST CARRY FAT MAN FOR ETERNITY flashed through my mind.  Then back at the river we watched the geese and swimming ducks.  They watched us out of one eye at the side of their head.  We saw turtles sunning on the rocks.  Then we saw something like a beaver, same size and shape but with a long tail swimming in the water and preening on shore.  They were adorable and I named them waterpuppies.  A man was walking his two dogs and we continually passed and were passed by him as each of us stopped several times by the river.  He would stop, turn toward the river, plant his hands on the top of the brick wall, lift his smiling face, eyes closed, to the sun and just stand there in perfect bliss.  His dogs seemed to wait patiently for their person, their sun worshipper.  We finally got back into the city, out of the hot sun and got some fruit to munch on.  On the way to get our bags from the hotel I saw several older men and wondered why men of my generation did not have the same charm and grace.  These older men carried themselves with a certain air and dressed to the nines in hats, suit jackets and ties.  I guess the whole baggy pants down around the butt thing just does not appeal to me.  We bought some pizza and chocolate and went to the train.  We sat next to an older Catholic couple (they crossed themselves when the train started moving).  Before the man sat down after struggling for 10 minutes with his luggage, he tucked his big tummy into his pants as best he could and slid into the seat.  The woman kept nervously hitting things.  Not tapping, hitting.  Her purse, the tray, the seat and I think if I had gotten too close, I would have been down for the count.  

As soon as we got to Bologna we took a bus out to the hostel in the country, where we got our own room.  We went for a short walk down the dark road, where we laughed and played, ran and sang.  Then we got pizza delivered and I started a new book, “A Walk to Remember.”  There was a mark on the ceiling that looked to me like a smashed faery.  That night I laughed a grandpa Les laugh, the one that sometimes escapes my fathers lips.  I never thought I would ever be so lucky to laugh that gentle, joyful sound.  We had another stale roll breakfast and by 9:30 started walking to a green area.  The grass was still wet with dew and the mud was curdles up into the shape of brains.  We saw what must have been a Jackalope.  He was dern fast.  Brian played Sudoku and I read.  We saw a giant rabbit hopping and eating, I think he was the Jackalope in disguise.  We heard really weird echoey bird sounds and decided that was our cue. Almost to the road again, we saw two birds in separate cages and realized they were live bait.  They were going absolutely nuts inside, so, we opened the little cage doors and they flew away and then so did we as quickly as possible.  We continued our walk and after a long time came upon a giant strip mall and headed over to the grocery.  I am sure you have heard of the famous Arc de Triumph in Paris.  There are a lot of arches of triumph throughout Europe built by kings and emperors.  But the newest conquering hero, who by far has built the most arches of triumph around Europe is old McDonalds.  The grand golden arches of triumph are everywhere.  We went back to the hostel, read, ate, wrote and napped.  We watched Oceans11 in the common room and then went to bed.  We packed the next day and took the bus to town.  We walked through the many old archways and into the center to do email.  We got on the next train to Venice and on a stop over had lunch.  Back on the train my head continually falling forward and jerking me awake, I tried to sleep.  Finally, we saw water.  We found as cheap a hotel as you can find in Venice.  Had not been able to find a host since Nice.  Venice is so beautiful.  It is everything they say it is.  Shops with handmade glass, old masquerade costumes and hand painted masks, handmade paper, pizzerias, gelaterias and people, people, people.  Mom, you would love it there.  The streets are all crooked and tiny, many ending into the water.  No cars, nothing on wheels.  We found a nice restaurant and I had wine, grilled veggies and tortellini, Brian had soup, gnochii, and fries.  The next day we just walked all over the city without the help of a map (they are useless anyway, we were always lost).  Brian would call a direction and then I would.  We mostly found ourselves in areas that tourists were not, they tended to stay on the main drag of shops and restaurants.  We found a fast food pasta place and then went home to bed.  In the morning we slept in and when we woke up someone was playing Besame Mucho on their accordion in the alley below our window.  Then we had gelato for breakfast and sat by the water.  We thought about taking a gondola ride but after much research, aka: haggling with the gondoliers we realized they wanted 60 to 100 Euros per person not for both of us.  So, we didn’t do that.  We found a little bar and had pizza and wine.  We walked and walked and walked, got lost and bought our tickets for the train.  We went to the market and got food for the ride the next day.  Another 8 hours to Zurich.  In the AM we got another gelato breakfast, our last, and boarded the train.  There was much seat switching drama and finally all was settled.  Most of the time we kept to ourselves, eating, reading, writing, playing games, but in the last hour we got good conversation with our seat mates.  We fooled around with internet, the tourist office and the phone trying to find somewhere to stay, finally settling on the youth hostel.  When we got there we had separate rooms.  We ate dinner and went to bed…almost.  I had taken the only unoccupied bed in the room and when I got back a young woman and her son were walking into the room and asking which be they could sleep in.  Well I told them that I thought all the beds were taken.  She looked upset and went downstairs.  When she came back up she told me they had told her there were only two people in the room.  It was obviously not true, clothes were strewn on each of the beds, especially the one below mine.  I said she should tell them they were wrong and that if they don’t believe her to come and look for themselves.  Well she gave a little cry and put her head in her hands, she was so confused, she was acting like a child.  Instead of figuring things out she put her son in the top bunk across from mine and made herself comfortable in the bed below me, even though like I said the one was obviously taken, clothes were hung all over it and baggage underneath it.  So, she turned out the lights.  I was feeling uncomfortable, she sort of creeped me out the way she acted.  I couldn’t fall asleep, I knew something was going to happen.  Well an hour or so later after her son had fallen into a loud snoring fit someone came in.  They looked at the woman sleeping in the bed below me and gave an exasperated sigh.  She was an older lady, you could tell from all the slips and panty hose hung up on her bed.  She left and ten minutes later came back, alone.  She started to whisper yell at the woman in her bed.  The young woman refused to get up and the older woman got angrier and angrier and she got a little violent trying to pull the other woman out of the bed and there was a bang as if she had hit something.  I lay with my head under my covers, my heart pounding.  The old lady left and several minutes later came back with the man from the front desk, he tried to get the young woman to move, he whisper yelled into the darkness at her.  Everything being said was in German, so it was even harder for me to understand what was ultimately happening.  Finally after a long time the young woman moved to the other bunk under her still snoring son.  When the older woman came back in to remake her bed she apologized, but I think I was a bit terrified.  I went to the bathroom and then down to ask for an explanation.  The desk man sighed and said the old woman was crazy, and I thought it was the young one.  He said the old woman had been there for three months and her husband had left her and she had nothing.  he said the young woman had just been confused and gotten in the wrong bed, but I think she was a bit off herself.  And he said he had asked the older woman to just let the other woman sleep there tonight and she sleep in the other bed, but she refused so he had to go in there.  I felt that if she had been there for three months and her husband left her with nothing, she had every right to that bed.  I went back upstairs and tried to sleep, it was 2 am.  But I just laid there, wide awake.  So I went down to the common room and stood by the door.  The old woman was there and she came over to talk to me.  She just kept talking and talking.  All of a sudden, I felt light headed and started to see black stars sparkling in my eyes.  My head felt stuffed with cotton and I could feel myself overheating.  Her voice came to me from far away.  I stumbled against the door, slamming it open, feeling almost like I was drunk.  Then stumbled over to a table and sat down, laying my head on the cold table top.  I was sweating profusely, dripping through my shirt and down my face.  And all the time she keeps talking and talking.  She followed me to the table, still talking about anything under the sun except that I had almost fainted at her feet.  I just sat there for a very long time and eventually I started to feel better and told her I was going to bed.  I got maybe a couple hours of sleep and in the morning I wondered if she had put a curse on me.  I told Brian my woes at breakfast, because he had been in the male dorms I had not been able to get a hold of him last night.  He got so angry he went and talked to the people at the front desk and after a valliant fight for my honor he got my money back.  We left immediately and went down to the river where we calmed down and watched the swans dance and the dogs play and the flowers bloom under the weeping willows.  Then we walked all the old town and the university where we found the coolest outside potty ever.  in a small 3 by 4 room was a toilet combined with a sink, soap dispenser and hand dryer.  We took a picture.  Then we jumped on the train for Luzerne.  A short ride south.

We walked around the pretty city in the darkness looking for a cheap hotel, cheap is not in the Swiss vocabulary (Even though they have four official languages).   We finally settled on the cheapest, but it was a big beautiful room with a sink (no toilet or shower, those are usually down the hall) and a balcony overlooking the river.  We sat on the balcony, drank tea, listened to the water and watched the stars.  I started reading "The Great Gatsby."  The next day we took a long walk through the old city and down by the river.  The swans were everywhere along with every other duck and bird.  We got on the next train to Bern.  It had a train switch in Olten and then we were in Bern…

Except, I forgot my coat on the train from Luzerne to Olten.  It had my wallet (not my money belt, that was on me) with all my money and my gloves.  I am in the mountains of Switzerland with no coat and no gloves.  Well by the time I realized it and we got to the lost and found, I was so upset.  The lady seemed helpful and yet she wasn’t.  They were closing soon and so she tried, truly tried to give us the brush off several times over.  We knew what the train number was and what station it would be in next but they wouldn’t go look for it.  I was stunned and feeling totally at a loss.  We finally filled out some paper work and she said if it shows up we will send you an email.  All lost things come to Bern, luckily I guess.  So we got lost and got lost and then found the youth hostel.  They gave us a mixed dorm room that we had to ourselves and we ate and went to bed.  Then the next morning we went to the internet and checked.  Nothing about the coat, but dozens of replies for hospitality in Bern.  So we emailed people and then walked around the city.  I was happy to be there, but feeling drained.  We saw the bears in the pit of despair and Brian had a beer at their only brewery.  We then walked to the river and did a lot of talking.  Then at the hostel we made some phone calls and found out our host couldn’t have us over till the next night so we got a room again and went to bed.  Today we got up and walked along the river, my favourite walk in the world and sat on my tree and read in the sun.  Then we had lunch in the green field and read more.  Then we walked to our hosts apartment, getting food along the way.  We had a wonderful talk with our host, Alessandro’s roommate.  All about the politics of Switzerland, which are really pretty cool.  They don’t have a president, they have a council.  Anyway, we made dinner, pasta and backed potatoes.  We are hoping to stay in Bern through my birthday next week, cause this is my favourite city.  So, then I got online and guess what?  I got an email and I am going to pick up my coat tomorrow.

Well, that’s it, that’s all there is…for now.  Like I said, it’s been awhile.  Good night then and tomorrow is another day, another day in the most wonderful city in all the world.  Calm, quiet and the home of E=MC2.

Guten Nacht.