Glad it is not this summer

Gas prices would leave us in Ireland....
But boy i want to go back

The End of the Begining

SO we are in roma airport about to leave. here is the last of the Pictures. Hope you enjoyed the blog.

Next Summer- Start in the Netherlands and end in Greece- Are you IN????

Update from Florence

Sorry there havent been any pictures. Our computer hasnt had internet for a bit now. The lasty pictures are from pamplona. Then we went to Cadaques and did some Dali Museums

Then on to Cannes France where the big movie festival is Then to Ryan's favorite spot in the world, Nice France. He is currently living there on the streets looking for a sugar-mama. j/k We went to the Nice Jazz Festival while we were there. Pone! Then we went to Monaco -Monte Carlo- Jake was so pumped that Casino Royale (James Bond Movie) was supposed to filmed there at the casino. Ends up Jake was wrong and there is no Casino Royale but there is a casino in Monte Carlo After Princess Grace's Tomb we headed to Milano. It was your typical Italy city. Lots of Museums and Churches.From Milano we did three countries. We drove north into Switzerland, through Switzerland after lunch to Lictenstien. We stopped for postcards and then into Austria. We had a nice Meeting with the Austrian Police for 145 euro. Ouch. Stayed in Innsbruck ('64 and 76 Olympics) We hiked in the Alps and then headed to Venice.


Venice was no cars, lots of canals and tourists. Everything you thought it would be

That was yesterday. Tomorrow Piza and the tower, winery and end in ROMA!! Ciao

Police and more police

So this trip we have had more interacting with the police than we did with Vorhees all season. Here is the recap
London- We end up in the back of the car for a ride- Good Experience
Paris- There was a left baggage and the airport was closed. Bowerman was seperated from us.
Spain/Frence Border- Jake takes a picture of them and they get pissed. Pull us over and ask to see the pictures
Into Pamplona- We get searched to make sure we are sober
Leaving Pamplona- I actually get beathalized. I saved the piece
Italy- They didnt like us visiting the Albanian Consulate
Switzerland- Border check for not having a visa- 30 euros
Austria- Permit check we didnt have one. 120 euros. Also for speeding 25 euros.
Plus Jake talks to every officer we see and takes their picture, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing St., Elife Tower, Monacco Palace, the Bask Police

Milan

Yesterday we left Nice, France, stopped in Monaco for a few hours and then made our way to Milan. In Nice we spent most of our time just relaxing on the beach. So far it still tops my list of my favorite places in the world. Beautiful city, beautiful beaches, and great weather. I miss it already and can't wait to make it back there some day to stay a little longer. Monaco was great too...a little out of our price range to do much other than walk around and see the city though. We saw some impressive cars and yachts though that made for some good pictures. Well, we're in Milan now and I think Jake pretty much told all there was to tell about it. We spent the day sightseeing in the hot weather (around 40 Celcius which is over 100 F)!! We leave tomorrow to drive through the Alps and we're planning on stopping in Austria tomorrow night. Hopefully the weather will be a little cooler there.

Milan/ Cops part 2

Ok well Milan is a huge city and we set out to see all of its sights. We had just seen the Castle Sforzesco which guarded Milan for over 500 years, so we were headed down the street to go see the Church of Maria Delle Grazie when we spot the Ethiopian Consulate. Sweet! Well we keep walking and we spot another foreign consulate but we don't know which one it is. So I go inside to ask where the US consulate is. Turns out it is the Albanian Consulate. They help us out so we continue on our way to the church. We figured we would go see the US Consulate later. We get to the church and we go inside. Isacc goes outside after a while for some air. Two men in suits approach him. They are Internal Italian Police Detectives and they want to question him about our presents in and around the Albanian Consulate. Whoops! They question him for a little bit and then Bow and I go show up outside and they leave. Apparently they I.I.P. (Internal Italian Police) where watching their embassy and wondered what we were doing. They followed us in an unmarked sadan from the Albanian Consulate to the Church of Santa Maria Delle... a little over a mile! We saw them get into thier car radio and then make a u-turn and drive away. After they left my spy sense kicked in and I was looking over my shoulder the rest of the day. We then went to a museum to see Madonna and child and La Pieta. After that we went to the US Consulate to see it and take pictures. It was closed but the pictures were cool anyway. Tomorrow we leave for Switerland, then Liechtenstien and Austria. I hope the Alps are cooler than Milan! The Traveler

Beaches and Sunburns

So it is 8am on the 20th of july. We are in Nice France getting ready to head to Italy. The past few days have been lots of sun, sand and rocks. Not all the beaches here are sandy. They have pristine blue water but gravel like beaches. Still ok to lay on. We have been to Cadaques, Cannes, and yesterday nice for some laying around. Not a bad way to spend a week. I am not sure if we shall see a beach agian but maybe we can bring home a tan from the duty-free shop ;)
Adios from France for the last time.

Life on the Road

So the last time I wrote we left off heading to the bullfight. Waiting in line to get in the Arena, we noticed we were the only ones without gallons of booze. I am talking trashcans and mop buckets full of wine, beer, sangria and whatever you could dream of. Jake's bottle of water wasnt enough but that is all we had. So besides all the drinking going on, the fans spit, squirt, pour, splash and drench eachother with the booze. So we came out smelling like a spoiled batch of wine. I think JAke and Ryan were offended by this. Luckily i had bought an outfit for 20 euros and wasnt too worried.

They expressed interest in not stay in Pamplona for the night due to being dirty (there was a shower in the park) so which meant I couldnt drink and join the crazies. :( OH well the price of travelling with youngin's. We left there and headed back up the road to france to find a hotel. Found a hostel with a triple room about 10 minutes outside the city. Perfect since we had tickets for the morning running.

Then we headed north to San Sebsatian (they wrote from there) for a day in the sun. After a night in the parking garage we headed to Barcelona.

It is definately a big city. We had some idea of where we wanted to stay. Couldnt find it but we did find information. They booked us a hotel away from the center of the city (my style) but on the Metro Line. Two days in BCN, lots of sangria (for me, youngin's remember), piccaso museum, Gaudi Park, church and houses, la Ramba, the fountian, and to top it off a Flamanco Opera. It was PONE!

The next day we had a short drive to Cadaques Espana. It is a small town on the Med. Sea coast. We had some ideas for places to stay and actually found them. They are 100 yrds from the beach and cheap. Perfect. We also got to drop off our laundry for this amazing woman who runs the hostel. Then we back tracked to a dali museum and spent the afternoon there. Back late in the day for laying on th beach (jake and ryan) and sitting in a beach bar writing postcards for me. Dinner at a restraunte (first time in a long time we had dinner, let alone three meals in the same day.) Today is a casa de dali and beach. Then to Cannes Fr tomorrow. Cheers!!

Viva Espana!

So luckily this wasnt Jake

San Sebastian

Right now I´m sitting in an internet cafe in San Sebastian, Spain. We spent all day today at the beach after a couple of days in Pamplona during the San Fermin festival and the running of the bulls. Tomorrow we´re moving on to Barcelona for a few days. Tomorrow will probably not be a beach day in Barcelona seeing as all 3 of us got sufficiently sunburned today. My time is running out on the computer that I payed for so I will update again later!!

WOW....Spain!!!

After crossing the boarder fromFrance, I wanted a picture of the boarder. Now it was 1:00 or so but I took a picture of the boarder and on the second picture I took one of the gaurd post. Two policemen come running out with guns drawn and stop our car. They make me show them the picture and they tell me about the terrorist they have in that region. So then we go to Pamplona, Spain. It is the place for the running of the bulls! We saw the bulls run and hopped on in! In Pamplona, EVERYONE wears red and white so I did too. (the sweet white pants!!)The festival lasts for nine days and there is no party like it on earth. People of all ages and not a drop of vino left! We watched the bull fight that night and the running in the morning. It was an experience I will never forget. We then decided to take a day and chill on the beach so we drove west to the world famous beaches of San Sebastian. Simply perfect. The water was refreshing after a nice jog around town. The waves really picked up once the tide rolled in. After that we grabbed some lunch and relaxed. Tomorrow we head for Barcelona. Our trip has possibly added the countries of Switzerland, Austria, and Lichtenstien. We shall see. On a closing two notes: 1) the beach here at San Sebatian was beautiful but there were some......most topless women. I thought ¨Sweet!¨ not so sweet as I thought. Believe me the hott ones leave your mind to imagine. It is just part of the culture here so I just laid out and rode the waves. 2) Sorry I haven´t been writing a lot. Captain has a laptop and it has been a cummlitive blog most of the time. It has been so sweet and we still have over two weeks left. It was a huge honor to recieve the Journal and Courier athlete of the year. Be safe and live life!!! The Traveler

Bulls

So we left the hotel and made it to the airport ok. We go to get off the train at our terminal and it is closed so we have to go to the other terminals. Problem is there is no way to get to the other there. no taxis nada. So like dumb americans we end up in the back of a police car!!! First Time for the trip!!! Luckily no hamdcuffs just two nice gentlemen who gave us a ride over there! PONE! Jakes eyes lit up when he realized there guns rattling around behind him. Like a kid in a candy store. Any way it was easy after that. Some flight got cancelled and jake talked to a nun from Malta all night. On the plane after a brief stop with some very frighten english girl (jake scared her) we were off to paris and bowerman.
Arriving in paris we went through the wrong customs but found the rental car. No Ryan. Quick phone call reveals that he is on his way but is being stopped by the army. Someone had left a bag unattended so they shut down the airport for an hour or so. But then we three were joined. Off to pick up the car. It is a ford focus c-max. Almost as big as our car in scotland but the steering wheel is on the correct side. Yes finally normal driving. Arrive at the hotel to early to check in we find food. Not knowing any french, we guess and ordered. it was awesome. Napoleons tomb, the lourve, the arc de truimph, and some church. Then to the hotel for a nap. ended up being for bed. lazy americans. in the country for 26 hours and sleep for 16 of them. what a waste. Up at 11 to head to the tower. the line to ride the elevator up is huge so we choose the steps. Talk about quad burners. Make it to the top. way worth it. We meet some "POSH" english girls who were obsessed with the OC. Then to versilles. it was huge. after that we left for buerduex france but ended up in pomplona spain. The Running of the Bulls is happening. WE had to come. After two more run ins with the law (jakes dumb ass) we arrive at 2am and the city is happening. looks like Bourbon Street except everyone wears white and red (as am i now). we find a semi quite place to sleep or at least try to . Up at 630 and heading to the center for the running. Bands are playing, people are still up partying and we are looking for trouble. we found it in the "calle de toros"- they ran right by. Up the arena to get tickets for the bullfight tonight. Jake found out that he won J&C athlete of the year so he is writing an essay for it as i write this blog. We dont have a place to stay tonight but are looking. (not really- we know where the car is) The fight is 2 hours and then the festival begins. Spain rules!

Women and Such important things

Ok. Confession time.
The women in Europe are hot!!! They are everywhere! All of our hotels prior to london had smoking hot women from the Eastern Block. Then the girls in london are hot. They just have something about them. Jake says it is because they arent like American chics who are self-centered.
Todays events
Tower of London
Pub for lunch
Park to sleep
Globe Theater
World War II Museum
Big Ben and the Parliment
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
10 Downing St.
And the best food yet in India Town
Now we are using the internet in the hotel till it is time to catch the train to the airport and then sleep there
Pictures tomorrow
Cheers!!!!

Proof

SO here is the proof that we are over the pond and not making this up :)

First is Huntley Castle. We caught this on the way to Inverness. It is ruins but able to be explored ruins. might be our favorite castle out of the half dozen we saw.

Then is was on to the Highland Games of Forres!

That was yesterday before we flew to london. We rode the train out to Salisbury to see the Cathedral and Stonehenge. We were lucky to catch this train. It was first run in 1927 and then retired in 1967. Today was the 40th anniversity of that so it was making a special run

That is all for tonight. CG and Diane leave tomorrow so watch out world!!!!

Home for a day

We got home from nationals about 1:00 this morning. Our team lost in the first round of the gold bracket placing us 5th in the nation. Sounds like you guys are having a great time! I'm trying to get everything packed and ready to go for tomorrow. My flight leaves Indy at 2:35 PM and I should be arriving in Paris at about 8:30 AM on the 10th. See you there!

Update

Today is Friday the 6th at about 5am local time. Currently we are in Aberdeen, Scotland. Here is a brief update on what we have done now that our Internet is working at out hotel


Sunday July 1st- Dublin Ireland


We landed in the morning after our overnight flight. Got breakfast at a local joint and had our first pudding experience. Not pudding like we but something that looks like sausage paddies but isn't. Then on the information booth. They recommended a castle in Malahide north of the city but ended up in Howth. Our first time being lost. Oh well. We were pretty fried from the flight (everyone but Hook fell asleep on the ride home from Howth) so it was nap time. Four hours later we had to find Jake some food. Our hotel was in the Temple Bar District which is a artsy district as well as a party hood. Being Sunday night we figured to have some quite but not so. The street kinda smells like Bourbon street (stale beer). Anyway dinner at a pub and walking around to finish off the evening.


Monday July 2nd- Dublin Ireland


Up early so Jake could run. This is when a very wise man yelled at him in a thick Irish accent "Drink, don't run!" We planned a walking route to hit some major points. First was the box office for RiverDance. Then to St. Patricks Cathedral, which was quite impressive from the outside. Then to another church, Christ Church Cathedral which was bigger and older than St. Patricks. Then on the Guinness Brewery, which was cool. You could smell the roasted barley from blocks away. Roasted barley is what gives it its color and flavor. Then to the Jameson Distillery. This is where they make Irish Whiskey. This tour was very insightful on the history and reasons. As we were walking back to the hotel a monsoon cut loose so we dove into a pub with the locals for lunch/dinner. Back to the hotel for a nap and shower before on the Theater for Riverdance. Now they called it their home theater. Diane favorite part of the trip so far was this. Way cool. That went to about 11pm then back to the hotel. Tonight the club underneath our hotel was open so we got the distinct rumbling of music through our rooms.


Tuesday July 3rd, Traveling Day from Dublin to Glasgow Scotland


Since the airport is on the north side of the city, we thought we would give Malahide Castle a try again. So packed bags and all and we were off. This castle was living for the family till 1975 so it was not ruins but a museum. Very nice. I cant think of anything else till we traveled. Not knowing the airport and how long it would take, we arrived too early and sat in the airport forever. Then our plane was delayed 30 mins so we didn't land in Glasgow till 10 or 11pm. Another rental car. Lets talk about driving. So here in the Isles, they drive on the left side of the rode and the driver's seat is on the right hand side. We have manuals which means the shifter is still in the center of the car but on the drivers left hand side. Lots of roundabouts to get through intersections. But I finally figured it out and have done all the driving. Our rental was not in due the bombing of the airport a few days before. It was because everyone rented a one car rental to get out of town, leaving their fleet depleted. So we get a Fiat (i think). Real nice four door car but not a lot or enough room in the boot. So luggage in zee Germans lap we were off. Like i said it was late so the streets were clear of traffic but dark. However we found what we were looking for. Our hotel here was complete opposite of our Dublin hotel. It was in a residential area, looking on to a park (Queens Park). Very nice people (they all have been) with great rooms (at least Jake and I's). Jake and I head to the bar in the hotel to chat with whoever is there. We get a great group of characters. The bartender who is Scottish, a Frenchman who was wasted, and two gents traveling together on business, one being from Wales and the other from England proper. For those of you that don't know Scotland is part of the United Kingdom or Great Britain. We didn't know how that worked. According to this group of gents, there are four countries that make up the UK or GB. England, which contains London, Wales on the west coast, Scotland to the north and Northern Ireland which is on the island with the Irish Republic. So these four countries makeup the UK. They compared it to Texas and the USA. Lots of pride for only Texas but are part of the USA. It ends up that the two gents on business are in the army and are in the Military Intelligence branch, so they have lots of insights to government and politics. So a few hours later bedtime


Wednesday July 4th Glasgow Scotland


Under the advice of the locals from the bar we head downtown to do a bus tour of Glasgow. It is one of those tourist double decker open top buses. But we got a good history of the city. We stopped a couple stops to check out the museums (which are free in Scotland). Then is was on the reason Charlie was here, GOLF. Head to the course to play find it and also find out that they don't rent clubs. So we spend over an hour going to a variety of courses to find the one. Some rent clubs but cant get us on, one was too late of tee time, another the pro was just filling in. So no golf on the 4th of July. Home for dinner and a visit to the pub.


Thursday July 5th Travel day from Glasgow to Aberdeen


Aberdeen is northeast of Glasgow along the coast. We planned to drive there, 100 miles, and see some sites along the way. Well first we got a late start because we had to wait for the new car to brought to us. It is a new car. They bought one and brought it to our hotel with 18miles on it. It is small SUV type. At the advice of the Scots, we head to Edinburgh to hit the castle. It houses the crown jewels of Scotland including the stone that the UK crowns their kings on. So when the Queen dies and Prince Charles becomes King Charles this stone will be used. Very, very impressive castle. Bow-Jake bought you a present. Leaving here heading up the coast to St. Andrews but we pass some small townee with a golf course. So we stop to have a look and it is beautiful. On the coast 6000yrds par 67. So lets play. CG and Jake played while Di and I walked. We played 11 holes with Jake winning by one shot due to CG have to take a drop on the last hole because his ball found a hedgerow. oh well. On to St Andrews. We get into St. Andrews at about 8 pm. Which stinks cause all the shops are closed. So a walk along 18 to find some dinner. There were still a ton of people on the course so we didn't head to the bridge on the way to dinner but we sure did on the way home. There we are walking the 18th hole at St. Andrews. I am not much of a golfer but that was way cool. It is now close to 10pm and we still have an hour to drive. Since the Internet was out at our last place we couldn't get a map of our hotel. Zee Germans are quite worried that we wont find it. With Jake and I's great skill of BS, we find the hotel. We were within a few hundred yrds before we stop for directions. Not bad for BS.





Pictures. We dont have many to post because zee Germans forgot their cord for their camera in IND (bowerman has it for next week) and i haven't felt the need to carry a camera since they are taking a bunch of pictures. I will today so check back later tonight. Here is one of dear Jacob. This guy.......

Dublin International

We are sitting in Dublin waiting to fly to Glasgow. The Flight is delayed and we have found a pub. I have taken 4 pictures this trip but luckily my photographer Jake is here who has his gear carrier (Diane) so together they are going to win the Pulitzer prize with them. Here are my two photos

First is for Holly and her family

The next picture is of jake but my camera is out of batteries. so the next blog.

Mission Accomplished

Traveler - I got your USB connector cable for your digital camera.

I also made it back alive from a weekend in Quincy, Illinois with the girls volleyball team. It was not a very relaxing weekend and we now know that we have a lot to work on with them. It almost makes me feel guilty about leaving the entire month. Anyway, I hope all is going well for you two. I leave tomorrow morning for nationals. I will see you in 8 days!

From Ireland

Greetings from this side of the pond. Boy it has been a long day. We want to give love to those that need it. so far we have flown and drove around. we have found the city of dublin to be lots of fun.very friendly, good food and drinks. Still in the same clothes as saturday morning in LA so it will be nice to crash. the internet is down at our hotel so the updates will be limited. we should get to scotland on tuesday but with what happened in glasgow who knows. tomorrow is the big day. Jake is so Jake.

Things of Importance

Guardian- good luck
Gentlemen lets try to avoid situations like the bomb in London.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/06/29/london.alert/index.html
that would be bad news

See you in Paris!!

I leave tomorrow for Quincy, Illinois and then Atlanta next week. The next time that I see you guys will be July 10 in Paris, France! I can't wait! Have a safe flight and have a great time the first week without me. See you later.

Vatican City tour Reservations

I did it!!! I booked the tour for ur on Saturday July 28, 2007 at 11:00 am. They sent me a confirmation receipt; also a map to get to the location of the meeting place and pictures of the place. I am posting the info I got; it cost each of us 43 euros that includes entry to Vatican City. I put it on my mom's credit card so I hope everything is kosher. Here is what they sent me....Well I can't figure out how to post the picture on my e-mail but they are cool. The Traveler

Dear Diane Hoffman German,Thank you for choosing Presto Reservations! Your Vatican City Group Tour reservation for Sat, Jul 28 2007 at 11:00 AM is now confirmed.
Presto Reservations is proud to offer small groups and passionate guides. Please remember to ask lots of questions during your tour! Curious minds are always our guides’ favorites! Please find your tour details below and be sure to print this out for reference.
Name: Diane Hoffman German & 2 Guests (0 Adults, 3 Students, 0 Children)
Itinerary: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica
Tour Length: 3:0
Tour Meeting Time: Sat, Jul 28 2007 at 11:00 AM
Tour Meeting Point: We will meet in a small piazza located just outside of St. Peter's Square. The name of the piazza is Piazza della Città Leonina. Your guide will meet you at the clock. The red arrow in both photos below point to this location. Please arrive at least 5 minutes before tour meeting time.
Directions by the Underground Metro/Subway: By metro. Take the Metro Line A (red) to the 'Ottaviano' stop. After exiting the train, go upstairs, exit through the turnstiles, and walk straight. Take the first exit to the left and go up the stairway to the right following the sign that reads: ‘Via Ottaviano.’ At the top of the stairs turn left and walk down Via Ottaviano towards St. Peter's Square. Walk straight through Piazza del Risorgimento and continue straight down Via di Porta Angelica. Piazza della Città Leonina will be the very last left before the large archway, Porta Angelica. Your guide will be eagerly awaiting you at the clock in the piazza.
Dress Code: The Dress Code is very strict at St. Peter's Basilica. Please take note that men must wear long pants (shorts/capris are not allowed). Women's pants or skirts must cover their knees. In addition, shoulders must be covered either with a shawl or short sleeves.
Entrance Fees: As a reminder, although the tour itself has been prepaid by credit card, entrance tickets can be purchased at the Vatican Museums for 13 Euros per person on the day of your visit. There are discounted tickets for children 14 and younger and students ages 26 and younger with valid student IDs. This process is very quick and your guide will escort you to the ticket window so there is no need to purchase tickets prior to meeting your guide. Please note that tickets are payable in Euros cash only. Credit cards are not accepted.
Special Note on Queues/Lines at the Vatican City: Your patience is kindly requested during high season when there are large crowds at the Vatican. Unfortunately we cannot advise you in advance how long the wait will be because we do not know how many people will visit the Vatican on the day of your visit. Please be assured that any time spent in line is precious time with your guide - an expert on Vatican art, culture, and practices. This is an opportune moment for your guide to prepare you for the excursion. Bring your questions! Wait time in line is not considered part of the 3 hours of touring inside the Vatican City.
Cancellation Policy: Reservations cancelled at least 7 days in advance will incur a 15 Euro cancellation fee. No refunds can be made for reservations cancelled less than 7 days in advance, late arrivals, or no-shows. If a tour is missed please contact us immediately. Please arrive at least 5 minutes before tour meeting time. We do not want to leave anyone behind but out of respect for your fellow travelers we must leave the meeting point promptly and we are unable to wait for latecomers. No refunds can be made to those arriving late to the meeting point however we encourage you to call us immediately so we can do our best to get you to your guide or to schedule a make-up tour. Please Note that unforeseen events can and do occur on occasion, (i.e. labor strikes, protests, train strikes, and unforeseen construction, or museum closing, St. Peter’s Basilica closing, Sistine Chapel closing). These events can change itinerary meeting times and places. Please note that Presto Reservations cannot be held responsible for such events that cause changes in the abovementioned circumstances and that refunds cannot be made. In such an event, your Presto guide will design a special back up tour itinerary for your group and deliver a 3 hour tour as promised. Refunds will be made only in the unusual event that a tour is cancelled when a back up itinerary is not available.
Contact Number: We kindly request that you provide your phone number in Rome in the event that we will need to contact you with any changes to the tour meeting time or any other special updates.
Tour Feedback: We would love to hear from you after your tour. Please tell us about your tour experience! We are always looking to improve our services.
Vatican City Area

Piazza della Città Leonina

The Vatican City- Part 3

Ok com-patriots, this is the answer to the question. It will cost 105 euros plus 8 euros entry fee. Captain- find or fake a Purdue ID. It will save you a ton of money in the long run. The Guardian- bring your student ID. In today paper the value of the dollar to the euro went up so it is close to a 130 dollars split three ways. The site is-
http://www.vatican-tours.com/vaticantoursgroup.htm
Click "Book now" then set up the date for that Saturday, July 28. Now I put us as 3 students which saves us about thirty dollars total.
There is a Group tour that starts at 11:00 am. Hook do you think that this site is real and a solid site? The Traveler

Practice

Practicing for Europe. Bring it ON!!!

I am not up for that price on the Vatican. I will go and do the public tour but am not in need of a private tour unless I get to meet the Guy in the Hat.

The Answer to the Vatican Question Part 2

The site is-
http://www.vatican-tours.com/index.htm
then click "Vatican City Private Tour"
thats it!!! I want to book this soon so let me know. The Traveler

The Answer to the Vatican Question

Hey I have found the answer to the Vatican Question. It is a private tour, so we will be with eachother and a tour guide. We can book it in advance and it is set so we pock the time and date. It covers everything...I mean EVERYTHING. I will show you guys the link so you can look for yourselves. We need to book this soon!!! The price is 255 euros plus the entry fee. I know that is a lot but it is the best way for us to see it and for the time we have.
I just looked into booking the tour. 255 euros for the group and we can pick any time we want from July 26-July 29. PONE!!! The Traveler

255 Euros (from 1-6 guests) + Entrance Fee
Touring privately provides the flexibility of customizing your tour to your group's interests. In this way you are able to make special requests to visit galleries, statues, tombs, or other areas of special interest which are not included in the standard itinerary. With a private tour, we are also able to schedule your tour to meet your needs.
A private tour gives you the full attention of your guide allowing for you to get all of your questions answered and to customize the itinerary. The standard itinerary lasts 3 hours and includes the Vatican Museums (Renaissance Rooms, the Octagonal Courtyard, the Gallery of the Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries, the Gallery of the Maps), the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. If there are specific galleries or sites that you are interested in visiting by all means let us know and we will design a special itinerary for your group.

The Vatican

We need to make reservations for the Vatican. Whether it be the museum and the Basilica. I will look into it over the next couple of days and let everyone know. I think it would save us a lot of time. It is highly recommended that we do this IF WE CAN.? Also The Gaurdian- it is great to have you aboard!!! The Traveler

The Vatican

We need to make reservations for the Vatican. Whether it be the museum and the Basilica. I will look into it over the next couple of days and let everyone know. I think it would be advantageous and time saving if we do. Also The Gaurdian- it is great to have you aboard!!!

Italy

Depending on how much time we have when we get there I thought we could make stops in Milan, Venice, Florence, and Rome. Driving time between each city is only a couple of hours. It would also be possible to drive to Switzerland from Milan (about an hour) and Pisa from Florence (also about an hour). Lots to do in Milan and Rome. Other cities could be one day stops. Let me know what you think...

The Guardian

I thought this name seemed appropriate. I hope you two are okay without me for a week. I can't wait to see you in Paris!

The Police-La Policía-La Police-La Polizia

I don't plan on having to run from the police or INTERPOL; however, that said, I have been running for many weeks now. So for the first two miles or so I am ok. The Traveler

The Ducks are on the Pond!!!

We can stay anywhere from Versialles to Poitiers in one day, I think. Lindsay Sutherline will not be joining us. Her trip to Tunisia fell through. The weather for northern Europe looks fantastic, I can't wait to run in the cool air!!! I am e-mailing Bow the blog stuff tonight so, with some luck he will start blogging. Don't crash on your plane ride and make me wheel your butt around Europe in a wheel chair. :) The Traveler

Ms. Sutherlin

viaggiatore intorno al mondo-
You had talked earlier about her being over there. What is the current status of that? Do we need to plan to be somewhere to catch up with her?

Weather in Dublin

Rainy and low 60s
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/tenday/EIXX0014?from=search_10day
Perfect weather for the Great Indoorsman
Traveler- INfo for charlamegne
Dublin's latitude is 53 degrees north...which is about Edmonton, Canada
Glasgow is a little higher (55 N)and abeerdeen is a little higher 57 degrees north....about Juneau Alaska
London is about 51 degree, similiar to calgary canada.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001769.html
I am going flying today...Straight PONE!!

When is the 3rd Ship of the Armada going to WRITE?

We need to get Bow on the blog....I'll take care of it! The Traveler

RE: Viva la France

EL traveler-
make sure you are checking the comments on your postings. i will comment on your ideas there (besides this post).
France- we have all day after we land to knock out paris. What in the city did you want to do? i am for getting out of paris ASAP and into the country side....but w/e
Armada is gaining steam.....

I think that our first stop in spain.....

Should be San Sebestian. It is on the coast and a major hot spot. Then i think a short trip to Pamplona for a day and possibly a bull fight. The Festival starts on the 6th and goes for 7 days so we should catch the end of it. I know Moms that we arent running in it but we can catch the bull fight.

Oh yeah. Holly says that the blog after ours is a naked chic.....

A Few Extra Days....Maybe!!!

If we take three days in France, that will give us an extra two days in Spain. :-) The Traveler

Viva la France!!!

After leaving Paris we will head to Versailles Palace which is 11.0 miles from Paris. After leaving Louis XIV's palace at Versailles, we will head to Orleans which is 63.0 miles. There are some Cathedrals and museums, but we'll just have to see. From Orleans to Tours is another 67.0 miles and it looks like it is about the same sights. After Tours, we enter the Loire Valley. This is one of the most fascinating places in all of France. It encompasses Orleans and Tours and Poitirers. I want to see a couple of castles/Châteaus in this region. I suggest we stay in Tours for a night; this will be the same day that we see Versailles. So then we see a castle and push on through Poitiers. Which is 58.0 miles from Tours. Then we will visit the old town of Bordeaux. It is a little of a drive from Tours, 128.0 miles to be exact. In Bordueax, there are churches and museums; but they are known for their theatres. From Bordueax to Zaragoza, Spain is 222.0 miles; so it's a little drive. But I think other than the casles/chateaus and maybe a vineyard, this part of our trip could be handled in two-three days. Captain- you can call or text or blog if you have any questions. The Traveler

Too Pumped

I am so pumped that i cant read anymore about Espana. I can wait to get to a bull fight and relax. I think we are going to run out of time though.

Party in Spain

So I found out that there is a little town in Spain where times are good. Garth Brooks said it best "aint going down till the sun comes up" Viva Espana!!!!
Also there is a big jazz festival in San Sebestian, Spain and surfin week during july. if we can only be so lucky

T-MINUS 9 DAYS!!!

My teeth are still bothering me after the surgery. I know they will heal before I get on a plane but now they are a really big pain. Captain- I hope Arizona is Pone!!! I can't wait!!!

The Beginning of the END!!!

So we shall begin in 8 days.....