An excellent set of maps are provided by the CIA.
 http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
I used them in my planning stages before I departed.

Wed, July 19 - Everything is going quite well though. I cannot spend too much time on this update, but I'll send out some e-mail updates. Catch you later. This was a sneak peek for the e-mail. E-mail me if you did not get my original departing message. Be good while I am away.

Thu, July 20-22 - Arrived in London via Virgin Atlantic (excellent airline... each seat had their own TV screen with choice of movies and Nintendo games) and walked by Buckingham Palace (boring) and 10 Downing Street (boring), and visited the Imperial War Museum (recommend), Cabinet War Rooms (a must), National Gallery (free, but skip), National Portrait (free, recommend), Tower Bridge (recommend, saw it open and close, I originally though this was the London Bridge), Foreign Affairs Office (free, recommend) and saw a bomb scare evaluate 10 or so Tube (subway) Stations (free, forced upon you).

Off from London to Winchester to see King Arthur's Round Table (free, a must), Winchester Castle (skip, what remains is the sides in stone and nothing more), "The Cathedral" from 1079 (a must). I walked around the entire day with my full pack because I stopped off at this place in route to Portsmouth (a port town South of London) for about 4 or so hours.

Arrived in Portsmouth at 8pm and walked around the shoreline to see the various outdoor parks and forts about 1 kilometer (.62 of a mile) in the sea. I then started my march to find where I was staying. I finally found the place, a Vet's Hospital, I was staying with a couple (she is a vet) I had met in Bolivia on a Jungle Tour. I went down to Portsmouth to hand deliver some photos to them, they lost their's of Bolivia.

Up and off in the morning to Bath (recommend, North of London), another stop off in route to Oxford. I was in Bath for 4.5 hrs and saw the Roman Baths (recommend), Museum of Costume (skip), Royal Crescent Buildings (free, recommend), and the Botanical Gardens (free, recommend). I had lunch in Victoria Gardens, a beautiful park near the Botanical Gardens.

Off to Oxford and upon dropping my pack off I took a walk around Oxford (recommend). A beautiful city with cows grazing in pastures on the nearby outskirts of town. The buildings (universities, churches, & private houses) are extremely old, and it makes me realize how relatively new the United States are.

Sun, July 23 - Off to Witney to meet up with Ali, my girlfriend, she was in England for a wedding so we decided to travel for 3 weeks or so afterwards. The newly married couple lived in a house that you paid for the electricity with a pre-paid key (I think she meant card) from a store. The bride had forgotten to buy a new "key" so we had to use candles... makes you appreciate electricity. The next day we were planning on heading back to Oxford to get to Dublin.

Mon, July 24 Back to Oxford and at STA Travel, we figured out the most effective method (cost vs. time) was to fly into Dublin from London. So a bus to London and off to Dublin for an hour flight as opposed to a train and ferry. Stayed in Dublin at a hostel. We walked around and visited the James Joyce Center, National Museum, National Gallery Museum, Malahide Castle, and the Frye Model Railroad. One fully packed day. Dinner in a pub, drank water, still no beer has touched my lips in England or Ireland. The next day we saw the Christ Church (oldest building in Dublin, 1200?) and caught a bus to Cork. Off to Cork for the day arriving via bus since there was a train strike. We visited the Old Gaol (frustrating, horrible audio tour) and then back to the bus station to depart to Killarney. Arrived in Killarney at 9pm via an extremely bumpy bus ride. There is no such thing as a highway in Ireland, all roads are 2 lanes and equally bad. And off to our hostel.

Tue, July 25 Next morning we rented bikes and off to the national park. We also ended up riding through the Gap of Dunloe, a 15 mile (about 25 km) or so ride. Dinner was pasta, fish, garlic & olive oil, and a cucumber. Then in search of a Double Magnum, an ice cream bar that is surrounded with chocolate and a layer of caramel. Hmmm. Wandered about Killarney another day and made a mistake and hopped on the longer (7 hrs vs. 4.5 hrs) bus to Galway.

That turned out to be an excellent mistake, the bus went along the coast, took a ferry, and we saw various coastal towns and the Cliffs of Moher (which photos won't do justice to). We walked to our B&B which was about 2 miles from the bus station and ventured out for dinner. Dinner was at a fish and chips place called McDoughlys, pronounced McDonalds, pretty funny. Had our first healthy Irish breakfast, bacon, sausage, ham, and fried eggs. I ate half and thought I was going to die with clogged arteries. Switched B&Bs, forced to and then off to Salt Hills, a neighborhood of Galway. An Art Festival was on so Ali and I went to see Alice Underground, a silent gymnastics production of Alice in Wonderland. Another breakfast, this time of only fried eggs. A little healthier. And then we left Galway to Belfast.

Arriving in Belfast via a 6 hour bumpy bus ride, worse than Bolivia because the driver was speeding and flying over bumps, almost... We spent 2 days in Belfast (recommend) and took a Black Cab Tour which takes you to various murals that are painted on houses supporting the cause of the Protestants & the Catholics. Then we looked into the boat ride to Norway and later we walked around in the Botanical Gardens. A little vegetarian Indian for dinner and then some internet. Back to the hostel. Up at 6:40am and off to the boat.

Wed, July 26 - Tues, Aug 1 is currently being worked on. (April 10, 2001). -Ben

Wed, Aug. 2 Caught the boat from Belfast to Troon and then the train to Glasgow (Scotland). We walked around the city minus our packs for about 4 hours and then to Edinburgh. Edinburgh (a must) has a spectacular caste (a must) with walls on a hill in the center of town. Then off to Newcastle to catch the boat to Norway. We called ahead the same day and were lucky enough to get 2 of the last 3 seats available for the 22 hour trip. We received a 50% discount for same day student tickets. In Newcastle, we had a quick healthy lunch of 2 bags of potato chips. Then on to the boat, our seats were airline type reclining seats. I never sat in my seat the entire trip, we walked around the boat (7 decks) and I slept on the floor like everyone else in the area.

Arrived in Bergen and off to find a place to sleep. We visited the Botanical Gardens and Bryggens Museum (contained local culture). And after dinner of pasta and mas (Spanish for more), we went via a funicular (pulled rail-car) to a classical music (violin and piano) concert on top of a mountain overlooking Bergen. Afterwards we ate dessert and then headed back down to our pension. Up to 6:40am to catch an early train ride to Oslo via Flam (connecting from Myrdal to Flam). Flam was beautiful, with mountains on either side and a port, it was a little more than a tourist point for catching the boat onwards, but we walked into away from the "center" which made for a relaxing day. Along the ride to Flam, the train makes a stop at this Disney-fied area where there is a waterfall and a woman in a red cape appears with singing music in the background, loud to hear it over the crushing waterfalls. It was sad to see that, the ride is still worth it after seeing that. We finally arrived in Oslo at 10:20pm and even though we had a reservations, I wanted to check out another place and we were able to stay there, so I cancelled our original reservation. Since it is high time, Ali and I have been attempting to make reservations before arriving at a city. In Oslo we stayed at the Albertine Hostel, we had booked reservations else where, but we decided to stop by at around 10pm in case they had space and they did. Luck for us, it was closer than the other hostel we booked from Bergen.

Sun, Aug. 6 Our first day in Oslo we headed out to visit the Viking, Kon Tiki, and the Nazi Resistance Museums (all are musts). We caught a ferry back from the Viking and Kon Tiki Museums and then watched Powerboat Racing (a festival was on). Pretty cool to watch about 5 helicopters circling the race course in the harbor above the boats as they circled about. In route back to the hostel, we stopped off to pick up some painkillers, I am having some problems with my leg (feels like a muscle pain). We then hung out in the common room reading and off to sleep we went. Next day we are off to Goteborg (Sweden).

Caught the morning train to Goteborg and went searching for hostels. Finally offered a room that was part of a reservation, but the individuals did not show up in time. There was a festival going on in Goteborg as well. Music, food, and games. The high season has it's benefits. The following day we were forced to switch rooms into the "emergency room" at the hostel. We visited the Maritime Museum (ok) which was simply walking around the old ships that are docked at bay. We then wondered about the city more and had some ice cream in the park near the festival. We finally headed back (my leg was acting up) and bought shrimp for our pasta based dinner with some olive oil and garlic. A peaceful evening to a painful day for me. Off to Stockholm the next day.

Took the 9am train to Stockholm and had the InfoCenter book the hostel/hotel for us. All the hostels were booked the day before when I called, so we resorted to staying at a hotel on the outskirts of town. It was the patient hotel for a hospital where mothers are kept after giving birth, no sick people that we saw. And earlier in the day Ali was talking about how a couple with family did not want to stay at the patient hotel in Bergen. We survived the first night and breakfast was included, but I was unable to go because my leg was in such pain, Ali brought my some breakfast food back for me and then off we went to our next and finally night together, we stayed in the city at a hotel.

The last day before Ali's departure we split up because I had to relax the leg, so Ali went around seeing the sites (Royal Apartments and the various museums around). We then meet up around 5pm and hung out together the rest of the early evening before going off to dinner for tapas (Spanish food). At this Spanish restaurant, we meet a US citizen who had worked at the US Embassy and invited me to go along with her and her boyfriend and 6 other friends to a Crawfish Party. I happily accepted for Friday, the next evening.

Fri, Aug. 11 Room service for breakfast (I think the hotel did not have a dining room and to include breakfast they had to bring it to the room). We took the bus to the airport which was one of our quietest bus rides together before our tearful departure. Ali was flying back to London to catch her flight to NY. I returned to Stockholm to find a place to stay. Not much luck until 4pm. I stayed in a classroom in a bunk bed at a school. That evening, I went off to a crayfish party at the US Embassy. Well, I drank a little too much in too short a period of time and left at 10:30, we had arrived at 6:15. Taxi home. I knew I was getting evicted from the hostel I was staying at since it was closing down for the year the next day.

Sat, Aug. 12 I departed the hostel at 6:30am, no hangover or anything, and arrived at the extremely popular hostel called af Chapman, a.k.a. the boat hostel, at 7:15am. And there was already a waiting list. So, I added my name, number 13 and read a little and then walked a tad about the city, not too much since my leg still hurt. I returned in the early evening and found out I had a bed. The boat hostel, af Chapman, is a hostel consisting of 2 places of residence, one a boat converted into a living area and cafe and the other a building on the land that also has rooms. I chose the land building since the boat rocked and there was only one port hole per room (i.e. very little natural light). All I can say is, this boat seems to draw a lot more travelers than I would suspect. I think it's a novel idea, but I still stayed in the building on solid steady ground.

Sun, Aug. 13-17 I decided to stay in Stockholm until Thursday night. I was on a relaxed schedule to let my leg get a little better before jumping into hyperdrive. So, Sat. I did some internet and then relaxed and had dinner. Sunday's event was seeing the Royal Philharmonic play in the park over a picnic. Watched some people do para-gliding and then back for a dinner out at a restaurant that had a deal for 11 dollars, any entree. Monday was also laid back in the morning and then to visit the Royal Apartments and various other museums connecting to them. Talk about lavish, this was it. The Apartments are still actually used by the King when he is in town. Next day I took a ferry to a popular island (Vaxholm) and walking about it. Very quaint. Note about APS film, it rocks. I wanted to test the light exposure in night shooting, so I bought a 25 shot roll and APS allows you to automatically swap in and out different rolls, there is nothing to do. So, one shot of the test roll, and then one shot of my good roll, talk about a cool feature, drop and shot. Oh, thought I should mentioned, I had some lox (actually Nova) and cream cheese, it's fairly inexpensive in Stockholm. Well, Thursday was my last day in Stockholm so I paid a visit to the Museum of Architecture and then I checked out a rap/dj competition, pretty amusing watching these guys rap, same as in America, baggy jeans and clothes. I then had some time to kill until my 10pm bus up North to hike a bit, maybe in the town of Umea (arriving at 6:30am). I therefore hung out in the center and then headed to another restaurant that the Embassy individuals (people who invited me to the US Embassy party). Excellent good, I had pasta with vegetables and little shrimp and chicken. The portion was HUGE. And I ate it all. A sick feeling went through my stomach, which was bad since I was going to be on a bus for 8.5 hrs in two hours time. I thought, I'll be sick on a bus. Well, 10pm came and my stomach had settled down a little and then off I went.

Fri, Aug 18 Arrived in Umea at 6:30am and of course everything was closed. I therefore walked about until 8am and then headed to the tourist agency. I found out that the hiking was further up North, near a town called Kiruna (in the Artic Circle). So, I walked back to the bus station and arrived at 8:45am, and found out the only bus to Kiruna was at 9am, so I quickly bought breakfast and lunch and headed off. 12 hours later, I arrived in Kiruna. Everything was closed and I had no map, makes it more challenging I guess. Well, I finally found a place after the hostel in my book was booked, I wandered about looking for another place and found it by entering someone's house by accident and asking if she was the other hostel. Well, I eventually found it and started to prepare for the next few days.

Sat, Aug 19 I decided that my leg was not 100% so I would cut the hike from 7 to 2, walking "only" 26 km (16 miles). The region in Northern Sweden is called Lapland and is within the Artic Circle, a.k.a. it's cold even during the summer... 10-15C (or 50-60F). As for the forest in Lapland, it is about half birch and half pine. I have never seen so many birch trees before this. Also, the trail was in a valley most of the way with mountains surrounding it with snow capped peaks. Very pretty, and in a day, maybe 20 people would pass me, not too many, but enough to make you feel comfortable in case something would happened. Both days it rained on and off, making it a cool hike, but a little wetter than I would have liked. I finally caught a train out of the park to Kiruna (town I stayed in before entering the park), and decided to stay at a different hostel which was closer to the bus station.

Mon, Aug 21 Up at 6:30am and off to catch a 7am bus to Haparanda, about 7 hours away. I arrived and with nothing more than an address, I finally found the hostel. Note about the "World Speaks English." Very, very few people speak any English in Northern Sweden and Finland. Only if they are in a hotel or Tourist Agency, even then they have a limited vocabulary, unlike the large cities in Sweden where most people speak English well. So in other words, when I was looking for this hostel, I would point and grunt at the address and people point in the direction and off I go. I then went off to buy my next bus ticket to my next destination. So I walked across the bridge to the other town, Tornio and you are in Finland. The two towns are about 1km (.6 m) apart. They call themselves, the towns, sister towns. They share a golf course, tourist office, town map, and money (either currency can be used), but not something else which I found out the hard way the next day. So after buying my bus ticket I hurried back because I had an appointment at the library to use the internet in Haparanda (Sweden) at 3pm. I had no problems and the internet was extremely quick, and then I dinner and sleep.

Tue, Aug 22 The next morning I woke up at 6:45am and off to the bus station in Tornio for a 7:40am bus. I arrive at 7:30am and wait for the bus, but it still had not arrived by 7:50, so I ask (grunt) and point to the schedule and my watch, she shakes her head and points to the clock on the wall. It read 8:50am, The first thing after cursing to myself, I thought, what idiots, why is this not in the information booklet that the sister towns' share. So, I ask about the next bus to Vaasa, it's at 10, that's pm, so I leave even more pissed off and cursing. I had e-mailed the day before letting this family in Vaasa I would be there on Wed., and now I could not get there on time (Thurs at 3am). So I ended up taking the train half the way for double the price, boy was I pissed. I also realized once I was on the train I left my Leatherman [multi-purpose tool] at the hostel in Haparanda. Another thing to piss me off even more. That was a bad day for me, my first of the trip.

Wed-Mon, Aug 23-28 I arrived in Vaasa at about 6pm and again no map (my guidebook, Lonely Planet of Europe, does not even mention the town, only listed on the map of Finland) and I only have an address. The Information Center is closed of course, so no maps there so I grab a map from a hotel and off I go to this Finnish family's house. Well, I am writing this the final night (actually wee hours of the morning) of my stay and it's been a fabulous experience. We took a typical Finnish sauna (dry sauna with cold swims), went currant berry picking and made currant juice, and had a typical dinner of cold smoked whitefish. Another major highlight is I had my Finnish host call the hostel and they had found my Leatherman and are going to send it to Helsinki to the other hostel and I will pay for the shipping when it arrives. I am still happy when I think about this, boy so I love the honest of Scandinavian countries, what a pleasant surprise. As for the smoked whitefish, this has always been a highlight, even when I am home. In the US we eat it for breakfast, they have it for dinner. The family I am with also eats 5 meals a day, I can't eat that much, but I do tend to get hungry since we eat dinner at 4-5pm. They also are really into healthy foods, better than organic, something called bio...blah. They don't wash fruits, vegetables, nor heat them to above 100C (212F), that's boiling for those who have forgotten chemistry. Boiling reduces the vitamins, so without the boiling I sense that my bones are getting stronger and I am feeling healthier... :-) Actually, I agree with this logic somewhat. Another amusing thing, is that they, everyone in the house does this, leaves the doors of cabinets open for dishes, silverware, anything. I do not think they notice, but I constantly close them, it's kind of funny when I think of it. I also noticed that the father's mothers also leaves the kitchen cabinets' doors open, somebody is not that observant (note sarcasm). Well, I rode my bike around town and saw an extremely enlightening art exhibit about Jesus. I did not know the story of Jesus of how he died. The art exhibit was 12 photos and the reason why everyday for one month there was a lot of press coverage of the exhibit, was because it was about homosexuality and how Jesus embraced it. I also learned in the exhibit that men from Scandinavian to not get circumcised. You can say it was a little graphic. :-) I took photos as well. The Last Supper was a photo of Jesus (dressed as a transvestite) eating dinner with 12 other transvestites. It was extremely funny. They even quoted the bible, Mathew 26:26-28. I have photos that I'll be FedEx-ing home from Helsinki, I hope I don't lose these photos. They are quite "educational". Just for a preview, the three photos in the Jesus Exhibit are Marching to Jerusalem, the Baptism, and Jesus with the Commoners. The last night we made "American Pancakes" with Baking Powder that was bought in the US during the mother's last trip (my sister actually took her shopping for it). Not bad, not quite "American", but good with a strawberry topping. Well, I am catching a ride with the father to my next destination. Well, I doubt I will be able to write so many details again, so enjoy while you can... ;-)

Mon, Aug. 28 - Departed Vaasa (Finland) for Tampere, it's a little further (2.5 hrs) down south. I got a ride from the husband of my sister's friend. Well, I then went on a hunt for the hostel, with no map and no one knowing where the street of the hostel. I finally found the train station and made my way via a map in the station to the hostel. First hostel was closed and so I went to the next choice. I then headed out to the Lenin Museum which was established by the Friends of Lenin of Finland. Lenin spent some of his exiled years in Finland. If you are asking who Lenin was about now... he was the father of socialism of Russia during 1910s-20s (it was on and off due to getting exiled). Well, the museum was keep educational, talked about the October Revolution, Lenin was the leader in helping overthrow the government in Russia. I then hit the Spy Museum which also had a special exhibit on chains and handcuffs. The spy equipment was of course old, from the 50's and 60's. The two highlights were the profiles on recent spies that were arrested and the public stories around them and the a book I started to read that talked about the SAS (British Special Forces) who were working in Kuwait during the Gulf War. They worked in teams of about 4-5 on the ground with only guns and backpacks and main job was to follow and destroy the scud missile launchers. I had never read anything about the SAS role in the Gulf War. I have started to get on a military and WWII kick on this trip. After the Spy stuff... I headed back before dinner to see a movie, American Beauty. When I final returned home (hostel), I simply went to sleep.

Tues, Aug. 29 - Up at 6:30am and off to swim and some sauna. The sauna is extremely popular in Finland... almost every house and hostel has one. There are also public saunas and pools. This hostel did not have one, but there was a sauna and pool around the corner, only $1.50 to get in. Well, for the pool, you were suppose to have a bikini swimsuit, nope... I forgot to pack my leopard skin one. Well, after that... I returned to the hostel and had breakfast in the park... (food, that reminds me of the guy next to me changing at the pool... who smelled like pepperoni, something which I can not find in the supermarket). After breakfast, I did a little reading before catching the 11am bus to Helsinki. Upon arriving in Helsinki, I immediately went to a travel agent to get a visa. I ended up at STA Travel (American Student Travel Agency) and found out what was required and the time involved, so I decided to go via an agency and book the requirements for the visa. In the process, I had to run out and go to a little photo booth for photos of me and then back to the travel agent. I then head to the Post Office, supposedly you could make phone calls there... not anymore. I have decided pre-paid phone cards do not exist in Finland, only the street phone smart cards, which cost about $1.50 a minute to call the US. Enough of the phone card talk, I reached the hostel which is in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki from the 1952 games (built for the 1940 Olympics, but the war postponed it). On my way to the hostel, a little more reading in a flower garden... the hostel ain't exactly in the center of the city... I was tired. After the hostel, out for groceries and then back for dinner and a little prep reading preparing for tomorrow. Off to bed.

Wed, Aug. 30 - Off to Kiasma (Museum of Contemporary Art). This museum was designed by an architect who loved this project because a lot of consideration was made for each and every room. Each room in the museum is different and how the natural light from outside is displayed in the room is designed in a specific way. Also, the museum's main wall is at a 9 degree angle that bends in both directions, 81 degrees to 99 degrees. It curves... very cool. I saw a documentary in the museum about the architect and how it was designed, even more memorable than the exhibits. I don't know if that is good or bad. After the Kiasma, I went to the National Museum of Finland, which explained a lot about Finland and the wars it fought with Russia. One note about the war, I think Finland was spared a lot of damage during the WWII, because it for the majority of the war Germany was supporting Finland's fight against Russia, who were a common enemy. Germany did burn a significant portion of Northern Finland when retreating, when Finland "realized" it was time to remove the Germans from their country. So, after my history lesson, I headed over to the Museum of Architecture, it was closed, so I instead went to see if I could get tickets for a violin and piano concert. It was sold-out, but I was informed that I might be able to get tickets. I arrived at the start time, and was informed no tickets were left. I asked a few what-if questions, someone who had season tickets did not come, made a reservation but did not show, etc., each time, the answer was no. So, with my head down I retreated. A younger guy heard my dilemma and offered me unsold press-passes, hell yeah. So, $12 later I was in a sold-out concert at the National Opera House. Afterwards, I returned to the hostel for dinner and sleep.

Thu, Aug. 31 - Finally received the mail notice that my leatherman had arrived at the local post office and I was to go and get it. I arrived and $20 later, I had my loved leatherman back. I then spent about 2.5hrs in the park reading and relaxing. I try to slowdown every so often. I headed over to the Maritime Museum, overpriced and extremely short. I complained to the Ticket Office, and filled out a comment sheet. Probably will be used for heat in the winter. After that horrible museum, I needed to see another museum to lift my spirits, so off to the Museum of Art and Design. Excellent, I like it immensely when you can try out pieces in a museum, in this cases chairs that were exhibited in the museum. I then headed to the tourist office to find out about where FedEx is in Helsinki and then did some i-net at the library. After a busy day, I went to the movies and saw a cultural documentary called The Whole Nine Yards. Then back to the hostel.

Fri, Sept. 1 - I left a full grocery bag of my stuff (heaviest and not needed things) at the hostel in Helsinki for my four day trip to St. Petersburg. Before departing at 11pm for the overnight trip, I had a busy day in front of me. I visited the Telecommunication Museum, quite fascinating. All the telephone equipment worked, manual switchboards, everything. In Finland, the last manual switchboard was operational into 1980, 50 operators worked in the center. I also learned about transistors, and how the new ones are not immune to Electro-Magnetic Pulse (released during atomic reactions), but the old ones were. Guess which the military still uses. Also, pre-paid phone cards no longer exist in Finland, only payphone charge cards. I then was given a demo of all the phone based services, soda machine, shoe shiner, jukebox, and the cafeteria. The coolest thing was that by sending a message (an SMS-Short Message Service message), we received the lowest prices around Helsinki for gasoline and which gas stations. After this great museum, I headed over to the Military Museum. Another excellent which was laid out and had an excellent summary of what led up to the events of WWII. After the museum I headed over to the travel agent to pick up by Russian visa and my travel plans (bus and hotel). Travel Agent attempted to overcharge me by 1 night and a bus "tax", which amazingly disappeared when I started asking what it was specifically for. I then headed over to see the free Postal Museum, which talked about how Finland got into the mail business. Finland was also the first country to create a stamp with a hologram on it. Pretty cool, it was based on a cartoon character. A little i-net and then off on the 11pm bus to Russia.

Sat, Sept. 2 - Up at 2am for customs and border control and what does the border control ask me, "1st time in Russia", "Yes", And with a grin he said "Good Luck." What an inviting greeting. Well, back to sleep until 6am until the city is surrounding us as we drive in. We make a few stops, and we finally end up at a hotel at 7am. I hop out and grab a map from the hotel and ask which direction is the center of the city. I then spend 3 hours hiking my way into the city to see two friends that are in St. Petersburg (St. Pet.). I finally arrive and surprise them. We are off in 20 minutes for breakfast and then 2 hours later I finally arrive at my "next door" hotel. What a hike! I relax for an hour and then head out to see some of the city. A local in cowboy boots lead me to the center, first on a trolley and then on the metro, he paid for my metro fare, a whopping 20 cents. I still did not trust him, and he spoke no English besides hello. :-) Ahh, the pleasures of getting around in Russia. Well, I wander out of the metro and head along a canal that leads me to a huge church, Church of Alexander. The entire inside was covered in various Christian scenes, which were created using colored tiles, talk about time consuming. Locals price, 10 rubles, foreigners price 250, but students pay only 100. Note, about 25 rubles to the dollar. I then checked out the Hermitage, a Palace with a huge museum inside it, art, sculpture, and artifacts. Free for students, while locals paid 20 rubles. :-) I then walked about in an ice-cream and music festival and saw Peter the Great on Horseback in Bronze. Then dinner which was steak with onions and peppers, stewed cabbage, seltzer, baked apple with cranberries, and coffee with cognac. I took the metro and then the trolley back to the hotel.

Sun, Sept. 3 - Met my friends again in the morning for breakfast, and before that we (Deena) looked at a few jewelry stores, and then we had breakfast, Russian dumplings, banana split, and a slice of apple tart. We then wondered about and relaxed in a park before meeting up with Deena's friend, she had lived in St. Pet., so we met her friend and off we went to look at a park filled with statues. We all paid the Russian price since, the Americans did not speak during the transaction. Well, after that we separated and I went to a Russian Art Museum before catching a bite to eat for dinner at a pizza place. It seems that Russia spends a lot of money on the museums and the military. Well, I then bought a little cheap radio and wondered about in a mall near my friends hotel in the center of town. While I was wondering about, I bought a turnover like pastry which I was hoping to contain fruit, a little meat was the one thing I did not want, but it was edible, unlike some of the bread I had bought earlier in the day. Well, we all met up for dessert at 9pm and then I got a ride home to my hotel from Deena's friend.

Mon, Sept. 4 - Up and off on the trolley and metro to meet my friends at the 5 star Hotel they were staying at for the buffet breakfast. I decided to splurge and spend $26 for it. Then they left for Spain while I went to Peter and Paul's Fortress. I saw the prison, church that contains various tombs, and a museum showing Russia's space program. I understood little, but they had real satellites displayed which satisfied me. Afterwards I then went by the naval museum, but it was closed for some unknown reason. I then headed to take a peak at the marble palace. Impressive as is all of the Palaces and Museums in St. Petersburg. I then headed to a pizza place because I knew it would be easy to point out what I wanted. My feet were killing me so I headed back to the hotel for some needed peace. That's all for Monday.

Tues, Sept. 5 - Up and off to see Peterhof (the great Palace and gardens built for Peter the Great) via a hydrofoil. I originally was planning on taking the metro to the train and then a bus, I doubt I would have gotten there in one day. Yes, getting around when not knowing Cyrillic is extremely difficult. Well, upon arriving I walked through the gardens and saw the vast array of fountains in front of the Palace. I cannot explain in words how much gold paint was used for the fountains and the Palace. It's everywhere. Well, I finally headed in and I had to where covers for my shoes and then off I went exploring the Palace. One room worth mentioning, was the kids room. And I don't mean where they played, but where there was a portrait of at least 100 children, the paintings covered all the walls and the room had maybe 40 foot ceilings. I then returned to the gardens and had lunch in a cafe and then read my book by a fountain. Very peaceful listening to the sound of water. I finally looked up and realized at was almost 5pm, so off I went running to catch the hydrofoil back to the city. Well, I caught the boat and took the metro/trolley back to the hotel. Got my bag and off to the "bus station", but I bought some stamps for my postcards before hopping on the trolley/metro. I arrived at the stop where I thought the "bus station" was at, and did not know which direction once leaving the metro to walk. Asking anyone was out of the question, since very few people speak any English. Well, I started to walk one way a block or two and had a feeling I was going the wrong way, so I turned around and arrived at the "bus station." Why you wonder I keep using quotes for the bus station, because it is a hotel's parking lot that serves the station. I arrived an hour early just in case I spent more timing looking for it. So I wrote my postcards and tried to attach the stamps. It seems that I licked them too much, because they won't stick too well. I just hope they arrive in the US. Everything in St. Pet's is not designed for the consumer in mind, stamps included. Another difficulty I faced was the market to buy food and pastries. One must pay for the item first and then pick it up. How does one pay for something they don't know what it is let alone say it. Pointing was a way of life while I was there. Well, I finally got on the bus, that was parked in a dimly lit area of the parking lot, I had to ask where the bus was and I got on it. I was so happy when I boarded the bus. Russia was a little too difficult to get around for me. I think this place will be happening in 5-10 yrs. On the bus, I took the last row, 4 seats across. At least sleeping shall be easier.

Wed, Sept. 6 - My sleep was cut short by the border control, which we arrived at 2am and it took 2 hours to get across. Well, I finally arrived in Helsinki at 6am and went to the train station to buy my regional bus pass. I then went to the hostel to drop off my things and pick up the items I was planning on shipping to NY. Back to the train station to catch the regional bus and then off to find FedEx. Well, I arrived the address listed as FedEx, but FedEx was not there. Likely, a deliveryman was at the address and called his main office and found out where FedEx moved to, not too far, just 4 km (2.5 miles), the deliveryman said "short car ride", I replied, you mean short bus ride. Well, off I went and an hour later I arrived at FedEx. I sent off my items, I was lucky enough to have an account #, otherwise I would have had to go to a bank and get cash. And trust me, no bank was close to where I was. The FedEx office was a shipping warehouse, not a shipping office. I then caught a bus that luckily was heading back to Helsinki. I then returned to the hostel for a phone call and out again to buy the ferry ticket for tomorrow morning. It was closed so I went to see X-Men. The hunt for FedEx was draining, so I decided on a movie to re-charge. I then returned to the hostel at 10pm and a Spanish guy I met earlier in the week wanted to go out to listen to music at a bar. So, off we went to an Irish Bar with live music. So with no dinner and 4 beers and 3 hours later, a little drunk, we headed back to the hostel. We got a bite to eat at a kebab place and then a taxi back because it was 2:30am and there was a curfew of 3am at the hostel. Off to sleep I went at 3am.

Thu, Sept. 7 - Planned to get up at 6:40am for the 8am ferry to Estonia... I don't think so. I finally got up at 10am and out to the ferry around 11:30am. Arrived at 12:10 and missed the ferry by 10 minutes. So I waited and read my book until the next ferry, at 3pm. On the ferry ride to Estonia I tried to claim my tax refund, but since I opened the box when sending the items back via FedEx they won't allow it. So I had made a $20 contribution to Finland. Arrived in Tallin (Estonia) an hour and 40 minutes later and changed $30 into krones at the ferry terminal and then caught a bus into the center of the city. It took an hour to find the hostel, and the way I found it is by looking for the sign for an Erotic Bar. The Erotic Bar is on the 3rd floor, while the hostel is on the 2nd floor. And no, I don't hear anything from above. I then went wandering about and bought a InYourPocket guidebook for Tallin, cost $1. The guidebook is excellent, and is a requirement if you come to any Eastern European city that they write one for. It has all the various museums, restaurants, maps, and almost anything else you need. It's written in a joking manner. Very funny while being extremely informative. While walking about the Old Town which is made up of narrow streets with cobblestones, I saw this dome shaped building and decided to go inside. It turned out to be the Dominican Monastery (1246), a 1 room monastery with many gold framed paintings. I made a donation of .30 krones (about 1.5 cents). Aren't I nice, I wanted to get rid of the change. I then went to an excellent Indian restaurant, Elevant. I sat in a huge comfy chair and the food was excellent, I had a veggie dish and pear cider. Mellow background music as well. After dinner, I went walking about the city and found square dancing in a park by teenagers. Very funny to see them so into it. I then had ice-cream for a whopping 30 cents. Back to the hostel to sleep. So far, Tallin is a great place!

Fri, Sept. 8 - I read the Baltic News during breakfast and read a lot of fascinating things about the Baltic Countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). Did you know that 10% of the population (1.5 million) use the i-net for banking and 30% have cell phones. Also, only Estonia citizens may have a cell phone. The joke around here, is it is called E-stonia, since the government's work is all electronic now. Talk about going from Soviet occupied in 1991, to this in less than 10 years. What has happened in Estonia is unbelievable. As for Tallin, it goes without saying, this is a city I highly recommend visiting, and hopefully the rest of Estonia and the other Baltic Countries are just as good. Estonia is very similar to Finland plus a slew of other great things. Also, it turned out that there is FedEx, DHL, and UPS all in Tallin. There is even a helicopter, actually 12 a day, between Helsinki and Tallinn. It's an Estonian company if you are wondering. Well after all the highlights from reading off I went to check out the city. I visited the Maritime Museum (recommended), Health Museum, and the Cannon Tower (Kiek in de Kok) - recommended, the Dome Church, and the Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Both worth seeing from the outside. I'm getting a little tired of churches though, seen a few too many. I also walked by a market in the afternoon that was selling hand knit items. After this I returned to the Indian Restaurant for the buffet lunch and then headed over to another Palace that was created for Peter the Great. Very similar to the one in St. Petersburg and the garden was a toned down version. Still very nice, and recommended. Afterwards I did a little i-net and then off to see a movie, Me, Myself, and Irene. Extremely funny, I recommend it. I decided on the movie because there were no concerts on and decided that even though I am traveling, I should try to make it as much as a vacation as possible. After the movie I headed back to the hostel and picked up a yogurt and banana for dinner. The lunch buffet earlier in the day held me over.

Sat, Sept. 9 - Up at 8am and started to chat with a Californian paramedic. We chatted about Eastern Europe and the cultural differences and experiences amongst the various countries. He also suggested various exercises for my leg, he thinks its' the cy-attica nerve that is being pressured, that would explain the various pain locations throughout my leg. We chatted for about 2.5 hours. I finally departed and off to the Fire Museum. Very well preserved items, from the end of the 1800s up to current times. They even had a doll house and 27 ways that your house can burn down. I then headed over to the large market and saw mostly old women selling anything that you could possibly sell (household items, vegetables, meat, breads, pastries (yup, the pastries are better in Estonia then in any of the Nordic countries since the Estonia's use chocolate in their pastries), and clothes. Before doing a full search, I went to check on the bus to Tartu (south of Tallin), and decided for 60 cents to leave me bag and then continue walking around the rest of the day. So back to the market since I was on a mission to find hand knit mittens for my sister. The mittens were only being sold in the tourist area of town, and I thought they were overpriced, so no wool items yet. After the market and having bought 3 different chocolate related pastries (total about $1) for lunch and dinner I returned to the bus station to do a little i-net and then catch the 6pm bus to Tartu.

Sun, Sept. 10 - Up and off to check out this town, Tartu. Almost everything is closed, including Tourist Information, I guess us travelers don't go places on Sunday. Well, I wandered about. Many of the buildings are under serious construction, removing everything, but the outside frame of the building. The town has definitely a fair amount of capital set-aside for building and road improvements. Similar to Tallin, a portion of the town's streets are cobblestone, and more streets are being "cobble-stoned." One of the few places open, I had breakfast near the town hall. Two pastries and two bottles of seltzer. I then continued my walk of the town and headed into a park overlooking the town. I then spent an hour reading current and older, Wall Street Journals at the Tartu University Library. Then bought two 1960's copies of classic Bond novels. Some serious intellectual reading. More pastries for an early dinner and then off to see "The Patriot." What a movie to make you feel proud to be an American, especially when in a foreign country so close to Russia. I finally headed home to catch a little sleep, in my Soviet style hotel/hostel (Hotel Tartu). I have a TV in my room that gets blurring reception, but no sound. The bathrooms are about a minute walk down the hall, yes, it is extremely far away. As for the TV, I guess it is too heavy to remove...

Mon, Sept. 11 - Up and across the street to the bus station. I hopped on a 6:45am bus to Riga, Latvia. 4hrs later, I find the local copy of "This Week in..." and head towards the hostel in the old town. I am paying twice the price a night since it is in the old town. The other hostels are a tram or bus ride away. I would rather be close and walk everywhere, so I end up paying an extra $15 total for my 3 night stay in Riga. I wondered off to the out-air market for a little lunch and maybe some gifts. I made a phone to wish my mom a happy birthday and then into the market I go. The market has an indoor section, actually 5 of them. They are WWII airplane hangers that are used to house the meat and cheese vendors in the market. The outdoor portion contain everything else. Well, I decided to have lunch inside a hanger at one of the vendor's counter. So, I ordered a dish ($.50) that seemed popular, breaded meat(?) with potatoes and stewed cabbage. Well, after one bite of the meat(?) and further examination, this disguised meat was 50% solid white fat. I could feel my arteries clogging immediately. So after eating the cabbage and potatoes I headed out to find some pastries to "clean" out my body. I then walked about the Old Town and the New Town. The amount of restoration done in Riga is similar to Tallin. Everything seems to be restored, but the town has maintained there old feel. I then headed back to the hostel for a well balanced meal of pasta, garlic, olive oil, and carrots. Today was a slower day, the next 3 days I shall pick up the pace a notch to see all the museums on my list. A little sleep.

Tue, Sept. 12 - I had breakfast, yesterday I had bought a rye -type bread, carrots, and 6 or so small sour apples at the market. I then headed to the bus station to go to Sigulada, a town 50 km (35 miles) outside Riga, that is known for their castles and national park. Before buying my bus ticket, I decided to be adventurous and buy a "meat doughnut" from a lady on the street selling it from an igloo. Well, I survived, I won't buy another one, but at least I know what a doughnut taste like with patty meat inside. Well, while at the bus station I also bought my ticket to Vilnius, Lithuania ($8) which departs at 12:20am (yes, after midnight) on Thursday. It arrives in the morning at 6am, another bus ride of little sleep, if you factor in customs waking me at 2 or 3am. Oh, the joys of night bus rides. Well, on to my struggle to get to Sigulda. After trying to board three different buses that all said Sigulda and getting turned away for some unknown reason (at least to me), I finally hopped on the "right" one and mid-way on the trip, the bus had a surprise ticket inspection. That was uneventful, I was hoping someone had hopped on w/o paying, just so I could see and hear what happens, not like I would understand what they said. I finally arrived an hour and 15 minutes later and started my hike early, the bus let me off on the other-side of town, 1 1/4 miles (2 km) away from the main area of town. I finally arrived and bought my train ticket back to Riga before I started off. I then wandered off to the Sigulda national park. Finding the cable car was not so easy, which made for good sightseeing. I visited this castle which was completely restored to it's 19th century look. I climbed to the top and then out to resume my search for the cable car. I eventually found it and .50 santums ($.80) later, I was across the valley and started my trek to the castle with fort. After looking for some caves, I gave up and upon walking to the fort, I found them. The caves had the locals graffiti in them from many years ago. Not something I was too impressed with, my simply seeing caves in the side of a mountain is unique enough to warrant a photograph or so. The fort and tower on the top of the mountain was impressively re-constructed. All new bricks, only the original foundation was still there and being used. Well, after my climb to the top of the tower, I headed back to town and after 4.5 hrs of hiking I felt tired. So, before catching the train to Riga, I bought some food (sardines [I was craving them], and Latvia's Popular Black Bread). Which in my city guidebook, to last 2 weeks. I'll take their word for it. The bread is as heavy as a brick, thank g-d it is not sold by weight. Total for the bread, $1. I caught the train back to Riga, and upon arrival headed back to the hostel to drop my food off before heading out to eat. I then headed to a veggie restaurant, but could not find it, even with the address and a map of all the streets. The area it is suppose to in is a square (actually circle), with a church towards one side and 6 or 7 streets converging on it. So, I then headed to Alus Seta. Popular and recommended in my book as a local youth hangout. It is self serve, and self sit. So, I bought my dinner and headed to a table on the side near the bar. Dinner, a steak, potatoes, coca-cola (even in any language, it's still coca-cola), and a horseradish and garlic dressing. Total, a whopping $5. And if feeling me up. Back to the hostel to read and then off to sleep.

Wed, Sept. 13 - A little black bread and sardines. The black bread is only black on the outside, it looks and tastes like a darker rye bread with a fair amount of caraway seeds. Well, of to the Museum of War (recommended), large museum with five floors of exhibits and a 1hr documentary I watched about the concentration camps of Nazi times). Four hours later (total time at the Museum of War), I visited the Medicine Museum. It was a doctors private collection until he died and "gave it up." Some of the items worth noting: a machine used to keep the 2nd head for a 2 headed dog experiment, and yes I said head, and yes the dog lived for 29 days with 2 heads before dying, an iron lung which looks like a glass coffin (I took a photo), and our seltzer bottles (not on par with the other two, but cool anyway). After this sick and twisted museum, what else is one to do, but eat. The first place I knew about was closed, so instead of eating, I decided to visit the Jewish Museum since I was near it. The museum was in the Jewish Cultural Center on the second floor occupying two small rooms. At the end of the exhibit, I watched a 8 minute film taped by a German soldier documenting a few killings. I then spoke with a lady at the museum, it turned out that she and her husband created the museum and fled Riga as soon as the war started. Her daughter is now in Israel, it seems many of the Jews from the Baltic went to Israel when the Soviet's let them go in the 70's and 80's. I then headed out, having a good feeling that the Jewish Community is slowly rebuilding in Riga. I then went to eat my late "lunch", 4pm. I found the other pancake house I was looking for and again, self serve. I prefer this, since I can see what I am "getting" myself into before inflicting it upon myself. On my way back, I bought the guidebooks, "In Your Pocket" for Vilna (Vilnius) and Kaunas, Lithuania. I then found the concert hall I was looking for, Ave Sol. A classical concert by a string quintet playing only Mittel, a student of Bach. Back to the hostel for a my dinner of sardines and black bread. :-) And then sleep.

Thu, Sept. 14 - Had sardines for the fourth time in 2 days, so no more sardines for now. Then I went on a search, and I mean search, for the synagogue. After walking into a yard that showed no sign of anything Jewish, but I was planning on asking since I saw a man fixing the roof, I saw a Jewish star and knew I was in the right place. Now, I had to find someone... it's amazing how difficult it was to find this place and then find someone to show you around. No welcoming committee. I found someone who showed me inside and learned that the reason it survived the war, was because it was converted into a stable. They have services every day and the temple is run by Chabad, a group of Jews that are fairly religious. On that note, the lady from the Museum, A. Gherman, actually spelled German in English, she explained this to me, said that the Cultural Center runs the school and events for the community, but most members do not attend services. She explained that their is a clear separation from the temple. This was a sensitive issue, so I did not press further with questions. I asked all about her flight from Riga, her return, her daughter, and the current status of Judaism. As for the temple, there was a police car outside, that's how I found it, but still had trouble getting in since there was no visible entrance. The police car was stationed there permanently since two years ago the front door of the synagogue was bombed, and three years prior the basement was bombed as well. Once inside I saw the synagogue, still in need of repair, but happy that it survived. I then headed off to the Occupation Museum. I knew very little about the museum besides the title. The exhibit was from 1940 to 1991 and all the years of Soviet oppression. I learned things that I never knew or even heard about. The horrible Gulag, prison camps, and history surrounding the Soviet and German occupation. After this museum, the Soviets were only slightly better than the Germans terms of killing people. The Germans targeted "undesirables", mostly Jews, while the Soviets targeted anything that might, did, or could threaten the government. In just Latvia alone, one third of the county, 800,000 people were either killed, deported to the Gulag, or simply "disappeared." It shocked me and I found it upsetting that in my schooling I learned practical nothing about this or all the other WWII issues in Europe. My education was extremely North American-centric. Afterwards, I headed to the Mentzendorff House, a house across the street from the Occupation Museum that was fortunate enough to keep all its old furniture and wall to wall paintings. Similar to the Peterhof Palace, one had to wear slippers to walk around the building, the floors were bare wood, that's why. Then to Riga's History and Navigation Museum. A few models and ship objects later, I decided to take a peek at the Dome Cathedral. Moderately painted and constructed. It presents a more stunning picture on the outside. I finally found the veggie restaurant I was searching for, Kirbis. Again self-serve, and you pay by weight, not good for me when I am trying to get rid of all my money since I am leaving the country for Lithuania tonight at 12:20am. With 5 dollars, my lunch ran around 3 dollars. I took food twice because I was afraid I would go over. Well, Kirbis had a cool atmosphere, light background music with a yellow pepper next to me and other vegetables sticking out from the wall from pieces of glass, and raw stones were visible, it made for an interesting restaurant. I don't know if the pieces of glasses would pass inspection in the US. I then went walking and saw the Cat House. On top of the steeple was black cat that was facing an adjacent building. Why do I mention this, because the owner had to turn the cat around because his neighbor sued him. Thank g-d, the Cat owner one and it faces his neighbor now. I continued my walk and eventfully did a little i-net before returning at 7pm for a classical concert. I had bought the ticket earlier in the day, $2. It turned out to be an excellent concert (professional musicians as opposed to the night before which were music students and a teacher), held at Wagner Hall near the hostel. I then returned to the hostel and had dinner and red some of my Bond book. Off to the bus station at 11pm. Caught the bus to Vilnius and took the last row (4 seats across) of the bus, another ok night sleep.

Fri, Sept. 15 - Arrived at 5:30am and went off to the hostel. Sat outside and read until 7am when they opened up. I then went into the Old Town area and it seemed that something was going on because both churches I went into had organ music playing. Off to get money, since I had none. 5 ATMs later, and it turned out that the ATM network was down. So, off to a bank I went. I had two pastries for breakfast and continued onward to the Green House (Lithuanian State Jewish Museum). It explained the tragedy and the destruction of over a hundred synagogues and the end of 5 daily Yiddish papers. Only one synagogue survived, and when I asked how that survived, no one could give me answer. ?. I then headed over to part II of my Jewish search to the Jewish Museum. I met an older man who collected book stamps (instead of writing your name in a book, you had your own stamp) and fought in the Soviet Army during the German Occupation. I asked where he was, and that was his answer. He was extremely friendly, even tried to set me up with a girl. He gave me copies of stamps and so I made a $2 donation. Fairly large in Lithuanian terms. I mistakenly gave him a bill with writing on it, and he had me exchange it for a "clean" bill. He also asked for a bill after 1990, before that, the banks do not accept them. He then asked if I would trade two $1 bills for a $2 bill. Sure, it turned out to be a 1928 $2 bill. I gave him an extra dollar for the trade, 3 to 2, seems fair. :-) I then saw the only Frank Zappa monument in the world, and then went to services. A fairly large group of about 50 people, orthodox services. I was invited to dinner at the Chabad House, a whopping 47 people were there. And this was a normal meal turnout. One interesting thing, we rinsed our hands after the meal, as well as the usual before. Well, I departed and returned to the hostel. Goodnight.

Sat, Sept. 16 - Up late at 10am and visited a market down the street. I bought cookies for breakfast, I am trying to be eat a little bit more well balanced, pastries some and cookies some. I then went to the Museum of Genocide (a.k.a. KGB Museum). Only prison-museum in the Baltic States. I saw a water torture cell, I even have a photo of it, a stand in the middle of the cell (island) raised about a 8 inches off the ground and water (or in the winter, ice) surrounded it. This forced the prisoner to stay awake since they would fall in the water if they dozed off. Info about the KGB. Originally called NKVD -> NKGB -> MGB -> and finally KGB. Well, my little education compliments of an audio tour, I visited the Upper Castle (armor museum) which has a view of the city. Then off for lunch at a Hungarian restaurant and then to the Applied Art Museum to see the Jewels Exhibit. 100 million USD of jewels, gold, and silver were hidden in the walls of a church and only released to the public after the Soviet rule ended. The jewels and mas (Spanish for more) were found in the 1980's, but those who found them were afraid that the Soviet Union would take them, so it was kept secret until sometime 1998. Very ornate and so richly decorated, you think they are fake. 100 million USD in 270 items. I then wondered over to the other Youth Hostel to see about exchanging a book I had finished, no books that even remotely interested me. So, I headed back to town (it's about a mile [around 2 km] outside the Old Town) and went to another classical music concert. This one had a choir and was held in a church because of the excellent acoustics. The echo added to the concert tremendously. Another excellent concert. The church was across from the Town Hall. Cost of the concert, free. There was a festival in the town center selling... the most popular thing, amber. No dinner, hostel does not have a kitchen and I am not that hungry.

Sun, Sept. 17 - Up and off to photo the synagogue and then to the bus station to Kaunas (south of Vilnius). No seats on the bus so I sat on a collapse chair next to the driver. Not the safest, but an excellent view outside. I arrived and went to the cheapest place, a motel in town. Left my bag and walking around I found another hostel, they had advertised on a billboard, so I returned and got my pack and carried it with me until the evening. On the way to the Devil Museum, I mistaken entered and paid for a Military Museum. So I checked that out, they had, it seemed like every make and model of the guns and rifles during WW1 and WW2 used by the Soviet and/or Lithuanians. I then made my way to the Devil Museum, in which the funnier exhibits were cartoons mocking the Soviet and/or Lithuanian Army. One thing worth noting and quite special, there is a pedestrian avenue (outside of course) in which you are not allowed to smoke on it. This has been for 10 years now, and this is Lithuania when in '99, 53% of males smoke and 16% of females smoke. I finally I arrived at the hostel and dropped off my pack and went out to see a movie. It seems that no music is happening in Kaunas tonight, but in two nights it will be, I'll be long gone by then though. Not bad though, 4 days, 3 classical music concerts in 2 countries. Before the movie, I had to change money at around 7pm, because I only had about 50 cents on me, and if I wanted to eat or see that movie, money is required. Well, Momma's House or whatever it was called was amusing, I then headed back to the hostel to sleep. Nobody was there (other backpackers), I have the key, that's how I let myself in. Well, goodnight again.

Mon, Sept. 18 - Up and off, i-net is cheaper in the morning so after my healthy dose I departed to check out the town during a weekday. Start to the tourist office to see if there is any concerts. Nope, so I went to bus station and bought my overnight ticket to Warsaw, Poland. I then hopped on a mini-bus to the 9th Fort, a fort built by the Soviets, but used during WWII by the Nazis to imprison and kill people. I found the place and visited the museum first. Most of the exhibits were in Lithuanian, but there was English sprinkled through it. The museum is a concrete structure looking like 3 overlapping triangles. I then had a little lunch before entering the fort which is behind the museum. I had bought a yogurt and 3 bananas (ate only two of them in case you were wondering). I then entered the fort and proceeded into the damp and dark prison. It is not really a fort anymore, the Germans converted it to a prison and outside, shooting and burial pits. Forts do not have cells and isolation chambers. The fort's museum is currently undergoing enlargement. Fort ended the lives of 80,000 people, mostly Jews. One note worthy mention, is a cell entirely about Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat who issued transit visas (to 2 Dutch island near Japan) against the orders of Japan to give Jews a chance to escape the horrors in Lithuania. In the end before he was forced out of the country by the Germans, he saved 6000 people's lives. 6000, one man. It was really eerie when I arrived, because I saw no one around and all I heard was the roar of cars go by. The fort and concrete museum are next to a huge field with a pond and apple trees. I eventually wondered back to get the mini-bus that took me there, and went to the one Synagogue left in Kaunas. In the Guidebook of Kaunas, there is no name to it, it is simply referred to as the Synagogue, not much competition, yet. Well, I arrived and their daily service had begun, so I joined them. The synagogue is in excellent condition. I spoke with one of the congregants and the 400 or so Jews in Kaunas contributed to fix it up. When asked, how did it survive, it was used by the Germans to sort clothing and remove gold jewelry. They had photos of the synagogue, but had ran out. He said I could take some photos, so I did and made a contribution. I only had 5 dollars or change, they need the money more than I, so I gave the 5 dollars. I then headed out and had dinner, some local dishes, potato pancakes and vegetable blintzes. Then back to the hostel to get my stuff and off to the bus station with a pit stop to write in my journal. Off to the bus station to catch a bus to Warsaw, Poland. That did not go as smoothly as my previous overnight experiences, nothing bad, just not as comfortable as I would have liked.

Tue, Sept. 19 - My idea of laying across the back row of the bus for my overnight bus ride turned into a smelly, hot, and cramped ride. This was because the bus did not originate from Kaunas, but from some other city at least a few hours away. Every seat except for about 5 were available. And my other options were not better than sitting next to a slightly drunk, but regular build man who would stare at me and others on the bus every so often. I had other choices of fat ladies, and a seat with a sharp piece of metal sticking up. Who knows what the deal was with him... Well, I slept about 3-4 hours on and off. We finally arrived at 5:30am and within minutes I determined Warsaw is a very large (spread-out) city. It was gray out and misting when I arrived. I went off to the hostel and found it 30 minutes later. That was after the 4 stories I walked up, no elevator, I guess the hell with the disabled. A little tea and plain bread, and I was happy. A girl offered me an apple, and that started a conversation since she said that they came from her garden. As for the apple, I originally turned down the apple and eventually traded a carrot for one. I left for the Historical Warsaw Museum, and she asked to join me, I normally turn down other travelers because I dislike the slowness and the lack of flexibility I feel, but since she was Polish... I thought, it would be interesting and helpful. So she came along and on the way we stopped in every church. Talk about slowing me down... Well, we finally arrived and it was closed (opened in an hour). So, we walked around the Old Town area in search of lunch. We left the Old Town are and went to visit the active Nozk Synagogue and Cultural Center. The synagogue was in excellent condition, in addition to be standing, unlike so every other synagogue that was in Warsaw before 1945. So, I asked, actually the Polish girl (her name is Houstona - that's how it is pronounced) asked (quite helpful since most people don't speak English), how it survived? It was used as a horse stable by the Germans. And then in the late 70's and early 80's, the Polish Government gave money to have it restored. Houstona was not going to go inside, because it was too expensive, so I paid for her to enter the synagogue, $1 for me is not much, but for her that is a meal. We then went for lunch. She had brought her own, and I bought falafel and tea ($.80). We then went to the Tower of Cultural and Science, the tallest building in Poland, to see the city. Before entering, we had to see the Museum of Technology to get a discount to go to the top. Yes, a trip to the museum lowered the price to go to the top. Normally $2 to the top, but by visiting the museum, the top and the museum were only $1.75. We then walked around in search of dinner. There are these restaurants in Poland called Bar ... (in this case, Bar Krokiecik), these are extremely inexpensive methods to eat meals that are authentically Polish. Dinner was a plate of pierogis (ravioli-like dumplings) and a vegetable soup. This was a more expensive Bar ... since it was served, normally you pay at a cashier and then go to the counter to get your food. The food was excellent though. I was planning on going to a concert, but dinner took about 2.5 hours. Meals I noticed are extremely time-consuming. So, back to the hostel to plan out tomorrow. Note, this hostel has a curfew of 11pm, that is ridiculous! What if I want to see a movie or a concert that starts at 9pm...

Wed, Sept. 20 - Tea and bread with butter (butter provided by Houstona) and then we went off (10:30am) to visit a Palace on the Water. We found it, but it was closed so we continued to walked around the park. One exciting thing that we saw when crossing a bridge, rats swimming back and forth across about 6-8 feet (2-3 meters) of water. It seemed that there were two families, and each family guarded their side of the river. No photos, but pretty amazing to see rats not afraid of ducks or people close by. The rats would swim right by ducks, and even scare them away from there holes on the shore. Well, lunch was 2 pastries. It seems that the pastries are not on par with Estonia and Latvia. People always ask me about the food, I rarely remember food, but ask me the best pastry I have had, and I'll tell you Winchester, UK. I vividly remember the shop and me saying damn this is good. I wanted to go back and get another one, but I bought the last one. It was called a "double chocolate croissant". Two strips of chocolate inside... mmm. So, my new stat I will keep, is the Pastry Index of the world. Well we slowly made it back, and had dinner at another Bar ... and I bought a soap that was based in Kale. I wanted to choke, I hate kale. So, I decided after 3 spoons, I decided to junk it and try again. At a whopping $.20, I could afford to do this. Dinner was soap and a piece of chicken (flattened piece of bits of chicken held together by breading), potatoes, and stewed cabbage (I liked this the most). Everything tasted fine, just the chicken texture slightly different. Another 1.5 hour meal, so back to the hostel and sleep.

Thu, Sept. 21 - I had explained yesterday that I was going to do my own thing, I guess that was not clear enough because Houstona wanted to join me. So, I said we must leave at 9am, we left 9:30am. The lateness is starting to build-up in me. I went in search of a phone-card and MCI WorldCom was closed, so off to the Polish Army Museum. Outside of the museum, there were tanks, helicopters, guns, and armored vehicles. It satisfied by military urge enough, since the museum was opening at 11am, and I was on a tight schedule. So, off we left to the Historical Museum of Warsaw to see a documentary in English about the city before, during, and after the war. Pretty amazing that even though the city was given the order to be destroyed by Hitler and 85% of it was turned into ruble that it was so well recreated within a few years. Not a decade, but about 5 years a significant portion of the infrastructure was operational again. After the museum, we headed to a veggie Indian restaurant for lunch. An hour later, I took about 20 minutes to eat, we went off to see a National Geographic exhibit on some of their photos from around the world. And then to the Chopin Museum, which was closed for construction. We then finally split up and I went to do a little i-net. That's all for now.

Fri, Sept. 22 - Up at 5:45am for a phone call to Ali. And then out to get some breakfast bread and return to eat it with tea. I then went off to the train station and while at the train station I bought a see-through blue flame lighter. The train ride which lasted 5 hours was completely full upon boarding, so I was stuck standing. I arrived and off to the teacher's hostel (students are welcome too). This hostel had a 11pm curfew as well. What's with these Polish hostels? I then wandered about the city and took a look at the movies playing, nothing that is in English. So, I returned to the center square to have dinner (steak), and then a cake at a pastry place across the street. Decent mocha filling. Back to the hostel to sleep (four in a room, all single beds).

Sat, Sept. 23 - Off at 8:30am to see the Panorama Painting of the famous Polish Peasant Battle. I then visited the National Museum (ok, the only unique thing was that they had buckets of water in front of the paintings, I guess to keep them moist. With regard to unique things, in the National Gallery in Warsaw, I saw a Kelvin thermometer, first time in my life. That 273 is freezing and 373 is boiling. And little things in my life count. :-) I then walked around towards the Botanical garden and came across a two towered Gothic Cathedral. There was a processional going on, with banners and singing. I walked about and found a market place selling vegetables and meats. I bought a whole head of Broccoli and 2 poppy seed pastries. :-( (Thought it was chocolate.) Then back to the hostel to get my bag and hop on a train to Krakow. If there were any concerts, I would have stayed the night. Got the 50 percent discount, even though it is for students in Poland I learned, and a seat (4.5 hrs later I am in Krakow). I then spent about 1.5 hrs looking for a hostel. The 1st one no longer did dorm style beds, I ended up walking back through this one tunnel 6 times. I finally arrived at 9:45pm and ran to the kitchen to cook (boil water for my soap) dinner. I then headed to sleep.

Sun, Sept. 24 - Street vendors in Krakow sell these great sesame and poppy seed pretzel like bagels. I then went to the Historical Museum of Krakow, skipped it, it was only church related. I wanted city history. So, as I walked around I found a pastry place and found some excellent chocolate pastries (unfortunately, it was unique, my rules for getting on the index, I must find the same pastry at another place). I then read in the park for 45 minutes before continuing with my walk. I walked into a hotel to find out some city info, when I spotted "In Your Pocket Guide" book for Krakow. I then knew what was going on (it is published every 3 months, varies depending on city) and went to Wawel Castle (recommended) and saw the Armory and Royal Chambers. I had a kebab lunch and made my way to the Jewish Area. I found one of the more prominent Jewish sights, Iszak's Synagogue. Talks about the history (business and cultural) of Jews in Krakow. The whole synagogue is a museum, no services there. The Jewish Museum (and Old Synagogue) was closed, so I did a little i-net. Signed up for Ekno (online Phone service). And had soup for dinner again. I actually bought this soup in Sweden, in Kiruna at this little gas station that was the only store open at 9pm on Sunday. I little reading and then off to sleep.

Mon, Sept. 25 - I left early at 7:15am to visit a place everyone had heard of. You might not recognize the Polish name, Oswiecim, but the German one you will have, Auschwitz. I caught a train there and then a bus to the museum, which was only 1km away. Grrr, I could have walked. The name Auschwitz is actually a whole group of concentration camps (including Auschwitz II, or Birkenau) in the nearby region, setup for the explicit purpose for mass extermination. Auschwitz, the original camp, is a fortress, with 2 15 foot fences made of barbwire and electrified. From the entire group of camps, in which 1.5 million people died, only 150 successfully escaped. As for Birkenau, it is huge... buildings or remnants of buildings for a few miles. This is the largest concentration camp and the world's largest cemetery. For those who know about concentration camps, this is the one that has the train tracks built right into the camp. After the 3 hr tour, I walked back to the train station (2 km), Birkenau is 1km from Aushwitz). I bought my ticket and it turned out that the train I took was a intercity (special one) and I was charged a penalty of 3x the price of my ticket. Pissed I was. I ended up chatting with a Jewish couple from Rio in Brazil. Upon returning, I went to the Cultural Office to find out about concerts. I left for a little classical organ music, followed by dinner at a vegetarian restaurant. Good night.

Tue, Sept. 26 - Off to see the "Salt Mine" outside of Krakow. Took a van to this town outside of Krakow. What a disappointing experience. The mine was a total tourist gimmick. The guide was more into telling who visited the mine (the Pope - John Paul II, Polish President, and a few other individuals), like I could care less. I was more interested in hearing about how the salt was mined and seeing equipment. We got stories such as... a Guinness Book Record was set underground here for riding in a full size Hot Air Balloon (it lifted 2 meters, or 6 feet off the ground) or tallest bungee jump underground. Also, using your camera cost money, like so many other places I go in Eastern Europe. If they catch me, I say sorry, has yet to happen yet though. I then return to the hostel, I was told it was full and I would have to leave, turns out I get to stay. I therefore go to the Jewish Museum (a.k.a. Old Synagogue) and then read a little outside in another park before buying a smoke fish ($0.20), back to the veggie restaurant, and then to a movie (Hollow Man). Note, every movie theatre (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland) you are assigned a row and seat number upon buying your ticket. Back to the hostel... this one has a midnight curfew... a little better. I would not have been able to go to the movie if it had been a 11pm curfew. Only in Poland have I experienced curfews.

Wed, Sept. 27 - Caught a mini-bus to Zakopane (2 hrs - faster and cheaper than the train, in the South near the Carpathian Mountains, specifically the mountain range of the Tatras). I found the price to Slovakia and then had a little roasted chicken for lunch (it was visible that's how it was possible). I decided to catch the cable car to the top of the highest mountain, since it was 2pm and I was going to have to hike in dark, and would rather not do that. The cable car to the top took 20 minutes, it covered over 2300 meters (about 1.5 miles) in height, but 4km (2.5 miles) in cable length. The cable car wire was so long, they had to split it into 2 lifts, the wire physically cannot be stretched 4km (2.5 miles). Heading down to the first refuge was not as easy as I expected the path was made of large stones ( a little larger than a large foot). The problem was that constantly walking on stones is higher impact than on dirt (you need to watch each step and each step is harder than say dirt). Well, 3.5 hours later, with a hour break to read I finally reached the refuge. Note, everything in the park is in Polish. I guess not that many foreigners come, or they simply don't care. Most other hikers are Polish, but it is holiday time now in Poland. School starts in October. Also, the bed price did not include tax (everywhere else in Poland, tax is included), this is important to note since I had budgeted exactly what I would spent and could not spare the extra. I had exactly enough for 2 nights stay, with tax, it was cutting it even closer. Also, this refuge did not have a kitchen, and since I had no money to spare (only Polish money was accepted), I brought my pasta to the kitchen to see if I could use the commercial kitchen, they said no... but they would cook my pasta for me. How nice... and it was done "el dentee", Italian for the perfect hardness for pasta. They even washed all the dishes and pots for me. I could get use to this. I then chatted with a few Polish natives from my room, and then off to sleep. They were doing a day hike and leaving at 4am, they asked if I wanted to join... nah. Maybe another time. Goodnight.

Thu, Sept. 28 - Up at 7:30am and had tea and bread and then continued my hike to the next refuge. The entire way was stepping on stones, so you know my feet were starting to get sore. The entire hike from Refuge A to B, should have taken 3 hours. Well, I guess that was not timed carrying a 45lbs (20 kilo) pack, because it took about 5 hours. I still have yet to mention that the map I bought, it was in English and had all the trails listed with time estimates, failed to mention difficulty. Ahhh, difficulty... I am a 23 year old male, who can hike this short trail, I hiked over 100 km (62 miles) in 5 days in the Andes (in Chile). Well, on hour 2 I noticed that the trail was heading straight into a valley with mountain on all sides, hmm, wonder how I am going to get to the other side. Let me preface by saying that "I did shit, I never want to do again, and yes... I did question my safety more when once. Scared, you can say that." Slowly the trail started getting steeper and steeper, until finally I was pulling myself (and my pack) up for each step. Then a little ice appeared along the "trail", if you still want to call it that, to make it somewhat more challenging. And then the trail started to provide chains and bars for climbing. Yes, I was no longer hiking, I was climbing. Once I started climbing, I realized I should have probably turned back before this, but going up is easier than down. Upon going up, I passed two people wearing gloves coming down (note, they were not wearing packs), I asked if it was any more difficult, they said slightly, but then it gets a easier, another 30 minutes "only." I continued going, and I was now, stopping every 10 feet to rest and blow on my hands, I am in a mountain range that has multiple peaks over 2300 meters (about mile and a half), so snow and ice is found year round on those, so the chains and bars are cold. Probably about 5 people passed me, all wearing gloves and no packs... I stopped looking down about 30 minutes ago. I should have taken a photo of it, but along the "trail" there the Virgin Mary, I think, not the best method to cheer me up. The adrenaline is now kicked on, and I know I won't let go of the chains and bars, I just hope they stay. Well, I finally reached the top, and what a sigh of relief. No more hiking in places where the maps do not judge difficulty and where signs are not in English. Everything in the park is Polish. Once I got to the top, a guy started chatting with me, he sensed I was not the happiest camper, I asked if there were any more trails like the one I just completed. He said no, that was the hardest trail, but as if it was some consolation, he told me that it is harder going down. Well, I decided that I wanted out of the park, so instead of hiking to Refuge B (some long name), I decided to push the extra 3 hours and depart the park. That 3 hours was actually 5, so I ended up getting out of the park at 7pm, it was dark when I finally boarded the bus back to Zackopane. Upon arriving in the town, I went to the hostel and checked in. I did not have enough money to cover the hostel (since I spent more money in the park than I expected), and no currency exchange places were open (I could have ATMed it), but nah, so I used my passport as a collateral. Something about the Tatras, they are of Alpine type, meaning that they are extremely rugged (rocky), and areas where it simply drops a hundred or so feet (33 m). Also, the range is half in Poland and half in Slovakia. Well, after checking in, I asked where I could make some tea, and the receptionist made me some and I had some cookies for dinner. I am really trying to maintain a healthy eating habit.

Fri, Sept. 29 - Up at 7:30am and it was like an ice-box in the room. I finally got out of bed at 9am and went to get money. Today will be a relaxing day since yesterday I had hiked for about 10 hours, so my shoulders and hips were sore from carry and climbing with my pack. I exchanged some money and paid for last night and then inquired about where I could store my bag. They wanted to charge me for 2 hours of storage, so I just left it in the room. I then went to have some tea and write postcards while I wait for my 1pm bus to Slovakia. I then had lunch in which I was able to zero out all my money, not a single coin left. I then hopped on the bus to Poprad, Slovakia. I then withdrew some money from an ATM, 3000 krones, which gave me the largest note possible, 3 1000 bills. I then had to beg some lady to let me buy a water with it and watch her empty the register to get me change. I then waited online to buy a bus ticket to Levoca, I was told that I was on the wrong line and needed to go somewhere else. So, I wandered about asking various people, no one knew, and no bus went to Levoca. I finally gave up and went to the train station. There I chatted with 2 Americans and they told me the information desk lady was helpful, but she did not no English, not an issue... grunts and numbers are all I need. I found out that the train was leaving in 5 minutes and the line for the tickets was at least 20-30 minutes, (note there are only about 15 people on the line, but it seems that everyone [locals] need permission, photos, and then are interrogated on why. I cannot figure it out, but it seems like the old Soviet Union in all those movies I have seen. The people are mean and very demanding, and I get all this from the tone and body language.), so I ask if I the price on the train is the same, she says yes. Well, it turns out... no one "just gets on the train without a ticket", I was penalized and charged three times the prices, total for the fare and penalty, $2. The conductor than found someone else going to Levoca, and said "Amigo", so I would know one to get off. Well, we got off at the transfer point, and the next train was in an hour and the guy wanted to take a bus, so I said OK, even though I had paid my $2 for the entire trip. The bus ride to complete it was $0.20. I also had to listen as he pleaded with the bus Gestapo to get a ticket, 10 minutes later, I swear to you, you took out some exam he had to turn in and begged. Body language was head down and all. Well, I arrived, the guy got off before me, and upon getting out I asked a guy about a hostel. He told me there was a closer one and he would walk me. I am the non-trusting person, so in his limited English I questioned if he worked or had any relation, he was simply being friendly. So, I arrived and wished him well and I found out this was one of the more expensive hotels, not hostels in the area. So, I negotiated the price down 200 krones, total for my own room, $8. I then went off to see the town. Everything was closed, except for a few restaurants, but the town has kept its' old charm. As I wandered some of the streets, locals would ask me questions in the limited English they spoke. I guess, not too many people visit. Everyone seems to speak German, so it is a pity I do not know more German than, "No, I do not speak German, I speak English and Spanish." Well, I finally went for dinner, a shot of Absolut (vodka) and my meal and a dessert of pancakes. Total was $2.40. Back to hotel and to sleep after a little reading.

Sat, Sept. 30 - Had some trouble sleeping, up at 5:40am, so I read until 7am and then to breakfast in the hotel, higher than local places, but it was cheap enough. The breakfast special was a Spis Sausage (local), 3 pieces of bread, boxed OJ (I think), 30 grams of butter (on the menu), and tea. Total $1. Off to the bus and train station, no trains listed, so I waited an hour and a half for a bus to Spisska Nova Ves (20 min). I then had an hour until the train to Kosice, so I walked about the town. Train (2 hrs) to Kosice and then I bought a train ticket (over-nighter) to Bratislava. So, I left my luggage and went into the city. Off to the info center, found out what was happening in the town, nothing today, but tomorrow is the Peace Marathon. It's the 2nd oldest continuously running marathon in the World, after the Boston Marathon. I then headed to the Miklus Prison (medieval torture chambers), and the Ferenc Raboczi House Museum (a copy of the house in which Raboczi lived in, a famous Hungarian, Slovakia use to be part of Hungary. It also contained a collection of 18 and 19th century weapons). Both were closed for some unknown reason, so I visited the technical museum, found out where all the old equipment (telecom, typewriters, audio, video, and a model collection of aircrafts) from America is. Then lunch, salad only... not in the mood for any fried food. I then went back to the Miklus Prison and Raboczi Museum and they were open. I then headed to the center, and in front of the State Theatre is a musical fountain which "moves" to the music. Then a pastry (or two) and walked about a little more before a little i-net (had dinner while online, 4 cookies, see balanced... a pastry then a cookie :-) and then off to the train station. Boarded the train, this is my first ever overnighter on a train. I have done this countless times on a bus though. No one was in my room, so I had my own cabin (two empty beds above me). Locked the door and hung hangers on it... since I have heard and my guidebook warns about theft by gassing sleeping passengers. Good night.

Sun, Oct. 1 - Woken up by the attendant in our car at 4:50am, and received tea (included in the price of the ticket). Arrived at 5:25am and walked to two hostels, both closed during the non-summer months. So, I walked into the Old Town area to find a hotel. The Information Center was opening shortly, so I waited and they booked a place for me for $16. Overpriced since it turned out to be a room in an apt. that was in pretty bad condition. I then visited the Michael Tower Museum, Clock Museum, tried to visit the Jewish Museum (it seems that a requirement to be a Jewish Museum or place, it must be extremely difficult to find), a large church near the Clock Museum, and the Castle on the Hill. I did a little kite flying in the castle area, 1st time I have used it since buying it in Tampere, Finland. Afterwards, I was frustrated with my room (condition and the price), dangled string on the kite, and not finding the Jewish Museum. I decided I needed some food, so I went to a local place and had Hungarian goulash with knodel and 2 drinks for $2. I then headed to the train and then the bus station to find the times and price to Budapest. The train goes every few hrs while the bus goes once a week at 4pm. I then had a "large" dinner of 2 rolls and yogurt ($0.50), I was running low on money and needed to save $2 for the philharmonic I was planning on going to. Concert ($1.20) was excellent, one of the best I have been to. The highlight was the trombone player who was French. He was well received by the audience and after his encore he left the stage waving his white handkerchief. Everyone was in suits and dresses, and I was in my "tux" of my short sleeve button down shirt. Afterwards, I had 2 scoops of ice-cream ($0.20) and then returned to the apt. to inform the owner that I decided to stay only one night. Read and then sleep.

Mon, Oct. 2 - Gone on the 9:15am train to Budapest, exchanged $8 to get the lowest amount of excess money as possible. I arrived at noon and went off to find a bed. I found the Yellow Submarine (near the North train station) and then decided to have a peaceful afternoon and just walk about the city checking out various buildings (Budapest has merged the old style with the new modern style quite well, it is definitely worth visiting). Then back to see about a concert, sold out, so tomorrow night I shall go (bought a ticket) and then had an early dinner and back to the hostel to watch a little world news, in our room with get CNN. This is not as positive as I originally thought, makes our room too popular (i.e. noisy since lots of loud people drinking beer). Good night.

Tues, Oct. 3 - The hostel, Yellow Submarine, includes breakfast, so after my 2 slices of bread (and butter), a slice of cheese, and tea... I am off. The only real difference with my normal breakfast is the butter. Well... I then set out for Castle Hill. I started to walk across the wrong bridge, so I corrected the mistake and walked past the Parliament Bldg and then over the Chain Bridge. It looks like a bicycle chain, the Chain portion of the Bridge. Since it was humid and about 70F (20C)degrees and sunny, I opted for the ride up instead of the steps via the funicular. For a $1, it was a rip off, but my time was limited since many places will be closed tomorrow. And you know I need to be as efficient as possible. Castle Hill is a fortified area, so there are various museums in the fort. At the top there was a huge fountain and sculptures. I am impressed by them, but all this makes me more excited to see the Roman ruins in Greece. I then walked by and saw Matthias Church with its colorful tiled roof. Then to a "medieval synagogue," that is how it is labeled in my guidebook and In Your Pocket Budapest. It turns out to be one... room that has drawings of what the synagogue use to look like and one remaining stone pillar. :-( Then to the Museum of Military History. I wanted to buy a mace, medieval weapon used for hitting someone, from the gift shop, but it was part of a numbered collection and was a hundred dollars. Nope. I then caught the metro (very easy to use, one of the better underground train systems in the world) to the Pest side and visited the Jewish Museum and Great Synagogue. The synagogue is Moorish in design, so it has an 8 pointed Star of David and onion domes. The synagogue was recently restored, so it is in excellent condition. I then headed to the local Amex office re: a letter sent to me. I also made a phone call using the local telephone company using the internet as opposed to the traditional phone network (Voice Over IP). I then went to see the State Opera House, and all the marble inside it. I then bought 2 bananas as a snack and headed back to the hostel to change into my tux, button down shirt, for this evening's classical concert. Fabulous concert, one of the best I have been to. The conductor was extremely energetic, swinging his arms and body. Quite entertaining. I decided to spend an extra $2 for a balcony seat, total concert was 2.5 hours. I then opted for fast-food Chinese again, but did takeaway to the hostel. Hostel was empty so I was able to enjoy myself in a quiet environment. I then watched TV, actually a German channel, it seems to Nazi related material is illegal, but penises on TV are ok. Asleep at 1am.

Wed, Oct. 4 - Up at 7:15am, shit, I was suppose to get up at 6:30am for a train to Eger. I ran out of the hostel and hopped on the metro to the East Train Station. I ate the chocolate croissant I had bought yesterday. I made the train to Eger by 5 minutes. I met 5 kids on the train who were on an outing, and we talked the entire ride. I told of my trip, why I choose certain countries and places in a country, and about certain places. Upon arriving, I went off to the bus station to see about Szilvasvarad, the kids recommended it. I got the schedule and started my day off at a building called Lyceum, which had a lookout tower, 9 stories of walking. I then took a look at a church and the sculptures in front of it. I then went to the Eger Castle, and met the kids again. They were part of a class that was getting a tour, so I went around with them since nothing was in English and they translated for me. Everything was in Russian, German, and Hungarian, note... German would be very handy to know in Eastern Europe since most people speak it after their own language. Saw the dungeon, tombs, underground passages, archery range, Minaret (used for calling for prayer time). Wished the kids goodbye and good luck. Note about the kids, one of them was interested in Judaism since his mother use to be Jewish, so he loved asking me questions about it. I then visited an "orthodox synagogue", actually a furniture store now. There was a large stain glass Jewish star in this store. Weird feeling. I then headed to grab some lunch, pizza and then a bus to Szilvasvarad. I saw a horse track, a horse training, and not much else. Very peaceful. I caught a bus back to Budapest directly, and then grabbed the metro to the West End Mall to catch a movie. Made it by 45 minutes. Saw U-571 and then back to the hostel to sleep. Today was my most efficient day of my trip so far... it felt like a mission with so many bus and train times to stick to. Well, all went well. Op successful.

Thu, Oct. 5 - Up for breakfast and then to South Station via Metro, there are 3 main train station in the city... easy to make a mistake. I grabbed an Inter-City to Pecs, faster and more expensive, but was at the right time for me. I was assigned a seat next to a guy who started talking to me when he knew I spoke English. All I am going to say about him is that he was reading a book about "What is happiness?" and worked for a refuge organization, so he had a good heart (relates to his work). I arrived in Pecs and immediately asked at the train station about Croatia. A native, named Gerge, asked for me and then we ended up talking and went about looking for some inexpensive accommodation. Back and forth looking at various things for 3 hours. We finally found a room in an apt., and so I took that. It was more than I wanted to spend (overpriced at $10 a night, should have been $6), but I was tired of looking. We then went off to see the synagogue which is currently being restored. This was the first time that Gerge visited it. After this and the previous tour of the town, we went for lunch. The power died during lunch in the restaurant, but a couple of minutes it was operational again. After lunch the tour continued, and then we went to a local cafe where many of the unemployed guys, formerly miners, were drinking wine. I had "soda" also known as seltzer at home, while Gerge had coffee. We then sat in the town square and chatted about his travels to Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey, and the phone card and train ticket system in Hungary (phone cards cracked soon after being introduced by the French which thought it was unbreakable, similar story with train tickets). We then went to the Post Office and Exchange and said our goodbyes and I returned to "my room" and had 2 pastries for dinner and then a little sleep.

Fri, Oct. 6 - Up at 5:10am and off to the bus station to catch a 5:40am to Keszthely, which actually went directly to Hevitz. On route during a stop, I tried to buy a piece of bread, but the lady would only sell me a hamburger, not just the roll. Two hours later I finally had breakfast, 11am. I swam in the thermal lake in Hevitz for 2 hours. The temperature is a constant 25C or 80F while the it happened to be 60F or 15C outside. I am getting good at swapping between metric and imperial system. The thermal lake is the largest in Europe, even though it is in Hungary, by the number of Germans, I thought I was in Germany. I then caught a bus back to Keszthely. I visited a Farming Museum containing equipment from the 19th and early 20th century. I liked it. I then grabbed a sausage and piece of bread (and 2 bananas) for lunch. I then walked about in the Palace grounds of Festetics. I wrote a few postcards while listening a sad looking fountain in the center of the grounds. I decided not to enter the palace since I was not really in the mood to be indoors or see another Palace. I then went to the Post Office (Hungarian stamps are similar to Russian ones, not as bad though, the paste comes off easily), so I glued them on and then headed off to the train station. 4 hours later I was back in Pecs, and had 2 pastries and tea for dinner before sleeping.

Sat, Oct. 7 - Up at 8am and had a banana for breakfast, then packed up my stuff while watching the highlights of the Olympics. It was a peaceful morning since I was not in a rush. I finally arrived at the train station for my 11:05am trip to Osijek, Croatia. Right before arriving in Osijek (1pm), I met an Australian couple. We decided to grab a little lunch while they waited for their 3pm bus and I waited for my 4:30pm train to Zagreb. The train was cheaper then the bus, so I opted for it. After they left, I decided to walk about the town. I noticed that many buildings had bullet holes in them, I thought I was in a former war zone, but I doubted myself. That was until I read in my guidebook that this was one of the hotspots during the war with Yugoslavia in 1994-5 and had a conversation with someone who had lived in another town further East. Her family experienced months of living in a basement and fleeing when the Yugoslavian army approached and her father disappearing, presumed to be dead. We had a long discussion about what happened and the steps that the government is going through to get people re-established in these towns. Towards the end of the ride for her, we swapped key chains, a NYC one for a Vukovar one. I carry NYC key chains, about 20 of them, I bought them on Canal Street before leaving for my trip. Upon arriving at 8:30pm, I went to the only hostel in the city (there are hostels in the suburbs), and thank g-d it had vacancies. I made a mistake in planning the time to travel from Pecs to Zagreb. I thought it would take 4 hours total, it took 9.5 hours with the layover. I do not like arriving at night in places that only have 1 hostel, and in Hungary (except Budapest) and Croatia, hostels normally operate only in the summer. So, I was taking a chance. Upon arriving, I was met by the receptionist who asked me to wait. I was ready to pay, but I did not have the right change, I was over by 5 dollars or so, not much, but she told me to buy a juice so I could give her the right amount. Next, when she was planning on putting me in a room, she went down the list and gave racist reasons (this is outloud to me) why I was not going in each room. She finally decided to give me my own room, even though the other 5 rooms had space for one more. Well, with the money I spent to get exact change, I bought a roll, yogurt, and seltzer for dinner. I went to my room and ate and read. Off to sleep. Three Frenchmen arrived and we chatted a little and then they went out and I went to sleep.

Sun, Oct. 8 - Up and out by 8am. I went to the train station to see about Ljubljana, Slovenia. I bought the train ticket (5:55am on Monday) and then set off to wander about. I found the vegetable and meat market, where I had tea and 6 little rolls for breakfast. I then walked about some more, and saw the "Zagreb International Marathon". It was lightly raining out, but I was enjoying it since it had been over a month the last time it rained. It was finally 10am and the information center was open. So, I found out what was going on in October (no classical music, so I'll probably settle on a movie) and I immediately set out to the three museums I wanted to visit since they all closed in 4 hours. 1st was Croatian Historical Museum (military metals and hunting weapons from the 19th and early 20th century), 2nd was the Museum of the City of Zagreb (history of the city from prehistoric times to WWII), and finally the Mimara Museum (art museum containing paintings, and Asian and Christian sculptures). The museum marathon ended at 2pm, when all the museums closed. I then headed for a lunch of pizza, vegetarian and seltzer. I then went to do a little i-net before catching an early movie, Rules of Engagement. I had a snack for dinner, a piece of pastry similar to apple strudel. And then finish the night with a part two of i-net. That's it for tonight, tomorrow up and out by 5:30am to catch a 5:55am train to Ljubljana.

Mon, Oct. 9 - Up at 5:15am and caught an InterCity train to Ljubljana. I arrived at 8:30am and went off 2km (1.2 miles) to find the hostel. Closed... It was a school, so the hostel part was only open during the summer. Accommodation is a challenge in Eastern Europe, the exception of Poland and Budapest. You simply cannot arrive and expect to find a hostel bed, so I plan around this fact, attempting to arrive in the morning. That is why I was not so happy when I arrived at 8pm in Zagreb, Croatia, but luckily the hostel was open. Well, after the hostel was closed, I walked back to the center to the Tourist Information to see about a private room, they are the next cheapest option ($16 a night, hostels are normally around $10). And, luckily a place was available, and of course I had to walk, it was right next to the hostel. The accommodation issue took about 2.5hrs. On my way back to the center again, I went by the bus station to buy a ticket to go visit a town up north called Bled, and a town on the coast called Piran. I then walked about the Old Town area which has a little river running through it. It was raining, but I did not care since I have not walked about in rain in a long time. I then walked up a hill to visit the Caste overlooking the town. After the visiting the Tower, I headed back to the Old Town area and had lunch in a seafood place and had calamari (squid). :-) I then walked around the fruit/meat/vegetable market and bought around a pound (.5 kilo) of figs. Note, all measurements are metric, so I convert everything for my American readers. I then visited an art gallery I was walking by. It was still raining and there was no museums I had a strong interest in visiting so I decided to sit down for a cup of tea and the economist (bought at a English bookstore). 2 hours later, I made my way to the Cultural Center in Ljubljana for an organ concert ($4). There were two encores, I do not think I will be attending any more organ concerts unless it is church music, I do not like classical music played on organs. I caught the bus home since it was raining really hard, a native gave me a bus token for free since the place to buy them was closed, but I paid her, and then home to sleep.

Tues, Oct. 10 - Up at 7:30am, and off to the bus station to go to Bled. Breakfast was a mini-pizza and seltzer. I arrived (2 hrs later) and it was cloudy, but slowly improved. So, I started walking around the lake and in order to reach this church on an island on Lake Bled. Two options exist to reach it, take a boat or rent a row boat, so I opted for renting a row boat, cheaper option. I reached the island and rang the church bell, then rowed toward the middle and had lunch in peace and quiet. The lake is stocked with carp, so I was dying to do a little fishing, but no one was renting any fishing rods, so I will have to return someday to do that. I arrived back and continued my walk around the lake. I walked up to a castle overlooking the lake and had tea in the cafe and wrote a few postcards. Then back to the town to catch a 6pm bus to Ljubljana. I arrived and bought my dinner, chocolate wafers and a large bottle of seltzer at a supermarket. Did a little i-net and then walked back to the private home I had a room in. Goodnight, tomorrow I need to wake up early.

Wed, Oct. 11 - Up at 5:30am and grabbed the bus to Piran. Piran is a costal town about 20km (about 12.5 miles) from Trieste, Italy. It is right on the water... the waves crash down on the road along the outside of the town which is on a peninsula. I arrived in the morning again (unsure of the accommodation issue), likely the hostel that was a summer only place was open... it seems year round now. Place is called Val Hostel. If this place was not open, my other options were a hotel ($30) or a private room (but there is a 50% surcharge for less than 3 night stays). Upon getting the bed, actually my own room, I headed to the bus station to see about getting to Trieste, Italy for the day. The bus was an hour later, so I visited the Maritime Museum (highlight, salt exhibit about how farmers remove salt from the sea) in the meantime. The bus to Italy took an hour, but that would have been longer if the border and customs were checking at the border between Slovenia and Italy. Pretty much a wave through border area, glance at passport and that is it. Upon arriving, I went to the information office and to find out the address of a CTS, student travel agency of Italy. Arrived at CTS and was closed for siesta (most places closes between 1pm and 3:30pm, and stay open until 7pm). Went for lunch and find this local restaurant, no English so, I opted for a lunch special. Everyone was eating the same thing in the restaurant. The lunch turned out to be spaghetti with seafood and then second course of little fish and calamari. Italian meals involve two dishes, usually pasta and then meat or fish. It was plenty of food for me and excellent. This is why I love Italy. I returned to CTS and bought (only MasterCard or cash accepted, thank g-d my ATM let me take out that much) a ticket to NYC from Venice connecting in Zurich, must return tomorrow in the afternoon to pick it up since it is arriving from Milan via overnight mail. I went to the bus and train station to check the schedule to Venice for tomorrow. Headed back to Piran. I arrived back in Piran, and relaxed in the hostel and then headed out in my flip-flops and went to buy dinner of mushroom pizza. Met an overly friendly man from Long Beach, LA. Made a pass at me, and asked to talk to me later in the evening, I fell asleep early, so I missed him.

Thu, Oct. 12 - Up at 7:30am (if I do not have to be up earlier, I always wake up at this time). I had breakfast downstairs, it was included in the price ($13). I then walked around the town and walked up to the church overlooking the town. It was fairly windy, so I decided to do a little kite flying. Back to the hostel and got my stuff, and then went to catch the bus back to Trieste, Italy so I can get my ticket to NYC and then head to Venice and find a place to sleep. I picked up my ticket and grabbed lunch at Brek, an Italian self-service restaurant, and then raced off to catch a 2pm train to Venice. I finally arrived in Venice at 4pm and after I walked out of the train station, my jaw dropped. What a wild thing to see, no vehicles except boats. There are no streets, only canals. UPS, ambulances, everything is a boat. Wow! Well, I bought my bus ticket, they call them buses (public transportation), we call them boats. Well, I headed to check the schedule for the airport, and then grabbed a "bus" to the youth hostel. I arrived at 6pm, and was told it was full. I was in disbelief. This is low season. They gave me a list of places (4 places, 1 women only), but would not call to verify if they had space. So I headed out and grabbed a "bus" and finally arrived at the place at 7:30pm, full. Next place... full. The last place was far away and decided that I would sleep at the airport, my flight was at 10am, and did not want to spend $50 to sleep at a hotel. So, before leaving, I asked if I could sleep on a chair at the hostel and pretty much begged, and supposedly she found an open space. So, I put my stuff down and went off to walk about the city. There are little bridges everywhere, and small streets connect the blocks. I had dinner at Brek in Venice, self-service restaurant and then headed back to the hostel. When I arrived at the block, the walkway was submerged two inches. Luckily, I always wear my waterproof hiking boots, but what about everyone else. After walking about 75 feet (35 meters), I finally reached dry area. The water is oily feeling, due to all the boats. Recently, the water has been getting higher in Venice and now certain seasons when the tides change, certain parts of the city are submerged. The major walkways have raised ramps, not in on the hostel street though. I asked other people what they do, they take off their shoes and socks and walk through it. :-( No wonder, according to my guidebook many locals are leaving the city, and moving to an industrial city Mestre just 4km (2.5 miles) away. Well, upon checking in, I made a reservation for Monday when I return from my little weekend getaway. Night, night.

Fri, Oct. 13 - Up at 7am and off to grab the bus near the train station, this time a real bus to the airport. I arrived and grabbed my Swiss Air flight (10:30am) to NYC via Zurich, Switzerland. The connecting time was only 1hr, but due to lateness and then delays, we finally landed with only 10 minutes to get to the other part of the terminal and hop on the plane. You should have seen me sprinting to catch that plane. I arrived at the gate, to find that the gate information had changed :-( , but the gate door had not closed yet, so I made it. My backpack and leatherman (removed at Venice, security risk) were not as fortunate. I arrived in JFK at 4pm with no bag, but it was dropped off on Saturday morning at my house. On route to the subway from JFK, I bumped into Rob, my sister's husband on the bus. We took the train back to 96th Street and I waited with roses to surprise Ali. She was!

Sat - Sun, Oct. 14 - 15 In NYC still.

Mon, Oct. 16 In NYC and then off to grab a flight back to Venice at 6:20pm via Swiss Air.

Tues, Oct. 17 Arrived in Venice Tuesday at 11am via a connecting flight in Zurich. Grabbed my bag and took the bus to the city and headed for the hostel that I had made a reservation for. I had mistakenly thought I would be in Venice for Monday night, but since I told them Tuesday was a maybe, they still had my bed waiting. Dropped my stuff off and then went for a quick bite to eat at Brek (inexpensive self service restaurant). Then off to the famous Piazza (Plaza of) San Marco. Lots of pigeons and this is where the duomo of Venice is (1st church built in a city\town) and various museums, so it is understandably that people are attracted to this area. I then went on a search mission to find the Cultural Ministry to buy this discount card called Rolling Venice since I would get a discount that equaled the amount I would spend on my hostel. (Days later... turned out, I broke even, but was able to help others in the hostel how to save money by telling him about it.) I returned to the Piazza San Marco and went to the Duomo, Museo Correr (various art objects), Museo Archeological, Monument Library (frescoes on the ceiling), and the Palazzo Ducale (Palace and Senate Bldg). I then walked back to the hostel and on the way back had a quick dinner of a mushroom calzone ($2.50, ok, would try something else) and then headed to sleep. The jet lag was hitting me, so I went to sleep at 10pm. Not bad after going back to NYC for the weekend.

Wed, Oct. 18 Woken up by a wake-up "hello and get out of the hostel" (they kick everyone out for 5 hrs to clean it, like it is cleaned for that long). The Netherlands guy (Kees) and I go to the corner cafe for cappuccino and a mortadella and mozzarella sandwich for me. We chatted about the locals who seem to come in the same time each morning, we spent 1.5 hrs kicking back and relaxing. I then went to a church Kees recommended, San Geremia, that contains a women in a tomb with a mask and from her ankles down, it is exposed, 1700 years of exposure. Yes, that is from year 300. I then headed over to the central train station to buy a 1 day "bus" pass, that is for the boats, and then caught a boat to Murano (an island known for glass furnace makers). I watched one place make souvenir rabbits. Pretty cool, even though it was fairly repetitive, that was until some of the other guys started "playing around" with the hot pokers and being artistic... it looked like leaves they were making. The glass museum was closed... so I headed off to the other island Burano. This island is know for their colorful houses and lace making industry. Each island has a souvenir specialty, how convenient. I actually bumped into Kees on a bench and we chatted for 30 minutes and then we went our separate ways. I walked around the island and then sat along the shore on a bench and read for an hour or so. Hopped on a boat that visited a few other islands (the largest was Lido) and then went to look for a bookstore. I had decided that I wanted a more detailed guidebook for Italy, so I went and bought Lonely Planet's Italy. $24 later, I was off and got confused wandering about the curving streets of Venice. I eventually found a restaurant, and sat a table with a younger couple (28 or so) and their travels on a bike through Asia (ask me about this if you want to know more details... one story involves a dog and another his stolen bicycle.) Finally returned to the hostel at 10pm and Kees and a few other guys were going out to chill out, so I went. Turned into a drinking night... something which I have successful avoided, but I went along and had the opportunity to hear a good story from an Australian involving an Italian girl (ask if you want to know, involves a phone call, life dedication, and passion). Back by 1am and off to sleep.

Thu, Oct. 19 Up at 9am and off to the corner cafe with Kees, this time I did not need to tell the owner and operator what I wanted... he remembered and told me. Same as yesterday and same people on time. I caught the 10:52am train to Milano and 3 hours later I was there. On the ride in I met an Italian ice-skaters, actually number 1 in his division and 10th in the world. He hopes to be in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake. That was cool talking with him. He also called the hostel from his mobile (in USA, we call it cell) phone. And then we had lunch together at Ciao (an inexpensive self service restaurant). Then off to the hostel and there were at least 50 people waiting outside (the place opened at 3:30pm, it was 3pm). I was concerned I would not get a place, but we were reassured that they had over 300 beds, no worries. Then grabbed the subway back to the center of the city to see the Duomo area. I have been to Milan before, and remember this area. I then went to the information center to ask about classical music. There was 1 in the evening, but the place to buy tickets was closed, only open 10am-2pm. So, I decided to walk by and check it out and then return before it starts to buy a ticket. I was unable to find it, an hour later, so I decided since I was close to the train station. I had to check the schedule for Torino and then Savigliano. I then grabbed the subway, I had an all day ticket to the info center, it was closed so I went off to find the music place again. I found it, but it was only the place to buy tickets, and not where the concert was. Ridiculous! I was pissed, no concert hall was listed. So, back to the hostel and started to continue planning my trip. I went to my room before the 12am curfew and while in the bathroom, at 12am the lights dimmed and "lockdown" began.

Fri, Oct. 20 I had planned to wake up at 7:30am, but our "lockdown" ended at 7am with a bell ringing to wake everyone up. How thoughtful, they want to make sure everyone gets an early start. I took my coupon I was given the day before to get "breakfast", it was actually a piece of bread and butter, and a bowl of tea. Nada mas! (Nothing more!) Like the coupon was necessary, to prevent us from taking a second piece. Off at 7:45am and since my train was 9:16am, I stopped off and walked about a fortress (moat and draw bridge around included) and park I wanted to see. Quite impressive... four blocks from the Duomo area. I then hopped on the subway to the train station and hopped on the train to Torino. Turned out that I did not get a seat... 1.5 hrs I was in Torino. I then began my walk to the center and on my way stopped for a piece of sicilian pizza (not as thick as NYC sicilian and sold by weight, not hot either). I then continued and walked into a supermarket to restock up on chocolate. Upon buying Italian made chocolate, mineral water (frizzante), and cookies, I received for buying something, a ceramic dish. I decided to keep it and give it to my mom's friend in Savigliano. I then took a trip to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (vast differences amongst there exhibits). I like the policy in which you can photo any work and copy by drawing any work as long as it is a different scale. I wish all museums were like this. I then bought my ticket for Savigliano (south of Torino, 2006 host city for the Winter Olympics). Then I grabbed a bus to the Auto Museum, I actually visited the museum previously with my mom, so I took the bus back to the center and had a snack (brie and prosciutto sandwich and fruit shake at a cafe) while I wrote in my journal. I then headed to the Mole Antonioellia, which is a tall building housing the cinema museum and looking like an extended steeple on a church. I did not have time to visit the top, since I had no money and needed to find an ATM and then return, and I needed to catch a train, and no ATMs were near. So, I started my trek back to the train station and walked along the river before heading across to the station. I walked by a synagogue I thought I had seen in Zurich, but remembered visiting it with my mom previously, like the Auto Museum. Train to Savigliano took 40 minutes and phoned Carlo (friend) upon arriving. He picked me up and off for dinner (constantly refilled wine glass and grandpa [hard alcohol] for dessert) in the hotel where I stayed. Night, night.

Sat, Oct. 21 The grandpa had the effect of making me sleep a while longer that I wanted... 10:16am I finally woke up. I had gone to sleep at 12am. I then went off to walk around the small town of Savigliano and returned at 12pm to go off with Carlo (friend) for lunch. We ended up in a small village overlooking vineyards for a 5 course 3 hour lunch involving 1 bottle of wine and grandpa again for dessert. I guess his plan was to get me drunk each time we ate. It is working. Then he dropped me off in Alba and I went walking about and visited the 6th Annual Truffle Fair and Market. It is unbelievable that people actually do all this work to find truffles and dogs are trained to find it. I guess I do not appreciate food as much as Carlo. Bought a gift(?). Ran around to various places to see if I could get back the tax I paid on it, but since it was not an authorized Tax-Free place, I think the answer is yes, but no one I have found (tourist agencies and other Tax-Free stores know any of the rules relating to Tax-Free status for tourists outside the EU. Well, I then walked about the town and say a fair in which people were playing fish (to raise money) for wine bottles, only in Italy. Grabbed the train back to Savigliano and Carlo picked me up for a "smaller" 3 course meal with wine and grandpa at the hotel. Back to the room by 10:30pm, tired and sleepy. Goodnight.

Sun, Oct. 22 Up at 6am, no reason, laid in bed and finally went to breakfast at 8:15am. Grabbed a train to Torino for the day to see the Egyptian Museum (founded in 1860), world class after Cairo and London, impressive... but many exhibits were closed due to renovation. Then to a catch a glimpse of the Shroud (cloth that "shows" image of man buried after cruxification, scientists dated the cloth from the 13th century, major debate). I saw it on the last day, last viewing was in 1978. I guess I was really lucky. Fascinating experience... an hour in line with thousands of others weaving through other exhibits before finally seeing the Shroud for 20 seconds, and the security. I then headed to the Mole Antonelliana, took the gla