Hello one and all that still check this! This shall be my last official European Blog. It has been grand, I loved absolutely every minute of it, yes, even the ones that I've had this stupid cold! I think I will still have many stories to tell that weren't on the blog, but I admit I'll probably repeat some of them. Plenty of great memories to bring back with me. Still, this trip did do one interesting thing, it confirmed just how much I love living in Canada!! Europe is old and beautiful and and everything I could have hoped it to be, and I'll defnitely be travelling more in the future. Good to know that home is good old BC though. Can't wait to be back!!
Thanks so much to everyone who read this and posted some comments, it made it so much easier for me not to get homesick having never been so far away, or away for so long before. See you all very soon I hope, tomorrow I fly home!
Love and miss you all!!!
Hugs, Melissa
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Interesting Info
Well, I thought I'd write out some of the quirky things I've learned on my travels before I forget them. The amount of Aussie slang is in itself formiddable.
Aussie = Canadian
a singlet = a tank top
Howya gawin'? = How ya doin'?
Do ya reckon? = Ya think?
a beanie = a toque
thongs = sandals
I'm over it = whatever
sunnies = sunglasses
muffin tops = beer bellies
mate = friend/pal
skull it!!! = chug it!!!
winger (prounounced like "ginger") = bitcher/complainer
and the list goes on...more than I can remember
A phrase that I will never be able to forget because I've heard it hundreds of times on the tube (underground train): "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform."
Different ways of saying "cheers" like "Salut" in Italian, "Prost!!" in German (which the boys on the bus would call out endlessly when they were out drinking, and would usually follow the "cheers" with a hearty gulp of something)
Did I ever mention that our tour manager, Jenni, named our bus? Apparently she names all the coaches she gives tours on, and this one she christened Charlotte. We all got pretty defensive of our Charlotte.
Top 10 list of some of the most crazy things that happened on tour:
1) Geoff partying in tights and a tutu (later streaking, which most people missed)
2) Tom stripping down to his undies on the top of Jungfrau Mountain (Switzerland) and rolling around in the snow, he even made a snow angel.
3) First night out in Amsterdam one of the Aussie girls got arressted for wandering around the streets drunk and stoned at like 3:30 in the morning.
4) Some of our group getting into jealous "lovers spats" (almost everyone on tour "hooked up" with someone at some point) and causing some damage to the cabins we were staying in (over 500 Euros charged to them for repairs)
5) Several incidents of peeing on mattresses, once due to the pure drunkenness of someone who had passed out on their own bed, and at least twice the guys got drunk enough to think it'd be funny to pee on their mates that were already asleep. All incidents costing upwards of 100 Euros to replace the mattresses.
6) Several incidents of members of our group getting up on tables and dancing.
7) One guy threw up on the bus, he had tried to make it to the bathroom on the bus, but didn't quite make it. He ended up making a mess of one of the stairwells on the bus (bottom of which was the bathroom), walls, steps, etc.
8) Everyone cheering when our two South African guys made it through the first boarder check and almost getting them arressted for it.
9) The self-cleaning gas station toilette somewhere in Germany. It was the most sanitary bathroom anyone had been in. All motion sensored so you wouldn't have to touch anything, and when you were done the toilette flushed itself and then the seat rotated of its own accord underneath a sanitary spray and wipe. Insanity I tell you!!
10) The Aussies themselves...what an insane lot of people.
Okay, I think that's enough for now. I don't really have a lot going on now, so that's the best I can do. Hope you all found it entertaining!!
Love and hugs, Mel
PS-anyone want to share what they've been up to? what's going on at home? I'd love to not be completely in the dark when I get back, be a little more up with the current affairs ya know!
Aussie = Canadian
a singlet = a tank top
Howya gawin'? = How ya doin'?
Do ya reckon? = Ya think?
a beanie = a toque
thongs = sandals
I'm over it = whatever
sunnies = sunglasses
muffin tops = beer bellies
mate = friend/pal
skull it!!! = chug it!!!
winger (prounounced like "ginger") = bitcher/complainer
and the list goes on...more than I can remember
A phrase that I will never be able to forget because I've heard it hundreds of times on the tube (underground train): "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform."
Different ways of saying "cheers" like "Salut" in Italian, "Prost!!" in German (which the boys on the bus would call out endlessly when they were out drinking, and would usually follow the "cheers" with a hearty gulp of something)
Did I ever mention that our tour manager, Jenni, named our bus? Apparently she names all the coaches she gives tours on, and this one she christened Charlotte. We all got pretty defensive of our Charlotte.
Top 10 list of some of the most crazy things that happened on tour:
1) Geoff partying in tights and a tutu (later streaking, which most people missed)
2) Tom stripping down to his undies on the top of Jungfrau Mountain (Switzerland) and rolling around in the snow, he even made a snow angel.
3) First night out in Amsterdam one of the Aussie girls got arressted for wandering around the streets drunk and stoned at like 3:30 in the morning.
4) Some of our group getting into jealous "lovers spats" (almost everyone on tour "hooked up" with someone at some point) and causing some damage to the cabins we were staying in (over 500 Euros charged to them for repairs)
5) Several incidents of peeing on mattresses, once due to the pure drunkenness of someone who had passed out on their own bed, and at least twice the guys got drunk enough to think it'd be funny to pee on their mates that were already asleep. All incidents costing upwards of 100 Euros to replace the mattresses.
6) Several incidents of members of our group getting up on tables and dancing.
7) One guy threw up on the bus, he had tried to make it to the bathroom on the bus, but didn't quite make it. He ended up making a mess of one of the stairwells on the bus (bottom of which was the bathroom), walls, steps, etc.
8) Everyone cheering when our two South African guys made it through the first boarder check and almost getting them arressted for it.
9) The self-cleaning gas station toilette somewhere in Germany. It was the most sanitary bathroom anyone had been in. All motion sensored so you wouldn't have to touch anything, and when you were done the toilette flushed itself and then the seat rotated of its own accord underneath a sanitary spray and wipe. Insanity I tell you!!
10) The Aussies themselves...what an insane lot of people.
Okay, I think that's enough for now. I don't really have a lot going on now, so that's the best I can do. Hope you all found it entertaining!!
Love and hugs, Mel
PS-anyone want to share what they've been up to? what's going on at home? I'd love to not be completely in the dark when I get back, be a little more up with the current affairs ya know!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Laundry Day
Yup, today is definitely laundry day. I figure if I wash everything today, it will last me until I get home again and can do laundry for free there :) Le sigh...nothing much going on over here except for laundry today. I met up with my friend Belinda again, she's still here. She spent two weeks in Berlin so we had some good stuff to share about that place. Tonight we're going to buy some stuff to make minestrone soup!! Yay!! She's kinda looking after me and my sickness a bit. We shall cook together and have healing soup tonight! That shall be very good I think. The good news is that I don't seem to have an infection of any kind, no bright yellow stuff coming out of my nose or lungs, so that's a plus as well. I'm sure most of you didnt' neet to hear that last part, but I know that my parents and Dez are worried about just how sick I am - the answer, not so sick I can't get up and meander about my day. So yeah, I thought I'd include a few more details about the last few days of my contiki tour again.
France was beautiful. Did you know that the city of Paris is completely planned and designed to be beautiful?? After it was flattened between the two world wars, a designer was hired to design the city from scratch to be beautiful and pleasing to the eye. That's why everything is so lovely there. It didn't happen by accident like Prague (still the most beautiful city I've been to). Anyways, not the most important detail, but an interesting one nonetheless. Our last night in France we all went out to a Parisian dinner and a Cabaret. That's right, a Cabaret. I have never been to one of those but it was fantastic. What I failed to mention before was the significance of the weather that night. I don't think I mentioned the weather on my trip really at all. I must say, our weather was very nearly perfect the entire time. We had beautiful cloudless days, days with puffy white clouds and nice breezes, days that were grey but you were thankful for a break from the heat, perfect perfect weather...that is until the last night in Paris. We had to walk from the place we dined at to the Cabaret, and as soon as we stepped outside it began to drizzle a little bit. The girls all started to worry about their hair and makeup and such (we got a little dolled up for our last night in Paris), and apparently that slow drizzle is the kind of rain Aussies are used to. I said to Ray (a fellow Canadian from Vancouver) that the drizzle was nothing, it wasn't truly raining out until you spent 2 min outside and got completely soaked. Well, I really shouldn't have said anything apparently. It started to pour rain!! I mean pour!!! We were all soaked to the skin by the time we made it to the Cabaret!! The girls were all screaming and demanding the boys start removing coats and shirts to protect their precious hair!! It was hilarious!! I couldn't stop laughing as we ran down the street, with no possible way to stay out of the rain with the girls are screaming and trying to run fast in heels on cobblestone streets. Mean of me I know, but I really couldnt' stop laughing. It's a good thing I'm not a girly girl and could care less if I got rained on and it "ruined my hair" Couldn't complain really. In 18 days it was the first ugly weather we'd had, we all went through it together, and really, they all needed to just let it go and laugh at themselves. I sure did!! Come to think of it, some of them probably didn't like me too much will all my laughing at them. There were a few other times when I laughed at their expense. Like when one of my fellow Canadians asked where I got moose meat from as she had never seen it in the supermarket, to which I quite bluntly replied that my dad "shot it and we ate it". Stupid questions get stupid answers and a good laugh. Or like when one of the "group of 8" as we called them (a group of friends that were on tour together who were pretty anti-social to the 42 other people on the bus), asked a very stupid question. We were down in a valley, looking up at the Swiss alps on a beautiful cloudless morning. Looking up at the snowcaps, you could see gusts of snow being blown from the sides of the mountain. It was gorgeous. Until one of the group of eight asks, "is it snowing up there!?" to which I turned and asked "Do you see any clouds?" I burst out laughing...wow we had some great blond moments on tour. Anyways, I think that's about all for now. I have to get doing the laundry anyways. More to come later as I have not much to do with my time except play on the internet. Love and miss you all, will be home quite soon.
Hugs, Mel
PS-anyone wishing to meet and greet at my house when I get back are more than welcome to. We should get back from the airport around 9 or 9:30pm on June 28 (that's a thursday), so if you want to come say hi and have some appetizers, feel free. But please do call my mom to let her know if you're coming, cuz she's making the appies and would appreciate a head count before she starts getting ready. For those who have forgotten my home number as I haven't been there to call for 2 months it's 564-7330. Hope some of you can make it!!
France was beautiful. Did you know that the city of Paris is completely planned and designed to be beautiful?? After it was flattened between the two world wars, a designer was hired to design the city from scratch to be beautiful and pleasing to the eye. That's why everything is so lovely there. It didn't happen by accident like Prague (still the most beautiful city I've been to). Anyways, not the most important detail, but an interesting one nonetheless. Our last night in France we all went out to a Parisian dinner and a Cabaret. That's right, a Cabaret. I have never been to one of those but it was fantastic. What I failed to mention before was the significance of the weather that night. I don't think I mentioned the weather on my trip really at all. I must say, our weather was very nearly perfect the entire time. We had beautiful cloudless days, days with puffy white clouds and nice breezes, days that were grey but you were thankful for a break from the heat, perfect perfect weather...that is until the last night in Paris. We had to walk from the place we dined at to the Cabaret, and as soon as we stepped outside it began to drizzle a little bit. The girls all started to worry about their hair and makeup and such (we got a little dolled up for our last night in Paris), and apparently that slow drizzle is the kind of rain Aussies are used to. I said to Ray (a fellow Canadian from Vancouver) that the drizzle was nothing, it wasn't truly raining out until you spent 2 min outside and got completely soaked. Well, I really shouldn't have said anything apparently. It started to pour rain!! I mean pour!!! We were all soaked to the skin by the time we made it to the Cabaret!! The girls were all screaming and demanding the boys start removing coats and shirts to protect their precious hair!! It was hilarious!! I couldn't stop laughing as we ran down the street, with no possible way to stay out of the rain with the girls are screaming and trying to run fast in heels on cobblestone streets. Mean of me I know, but I really couldnt' stop laughing. It's a good thing I'm not a girly girl and could care less if I got rained on and it "ruined my hair" Couldn't complain really. In 18 days it was the first ugly weather we'd had, we all went through it together, and really, they all needed to just let it go and laugh at themselves. I sure did!! Come to think of it, some of them probably didn't like me too much will all my laughing at them. There were a few other times when I laughed at their expense. Like when one of my fellow Canadians asked where I got moose meat from as she had never seen it in the supermarket, to which I quite bluntly replied that my dad "shot it and we ate it". Stupid questions get stupid answers and a good laugh. Or like when one of the "group of 8" as we called them (a group of friends that were on tour together who were pretty anti-social to the 42 other people on the bus), asked a very stupid question. We were down in a valley, looking up at the Swiss alps on a beautiful cloudless morning. Looking up at the snowcaps, you could see gusts of snow being blown from the sides of the mountain. It was gorgeous. Until one of the group of eight asks, "is it snowing up there!?" to which I turned and asked "Do you see any clouds?" I burst out laughing...wow we had some great blond moments on tour. Anyways, I think that's about all for now. I have to get doing the laundry anyways. More to come later as I have not much to do with my time except play on the internet. Love and miss you all, will be home quite soon.
Hugs, Mel
PS-anyone wishing to meet and greet at my house when I get back are more than welcome to. We should get back from the airport around 9 or 9:30pm on June 28 (that's a thursday), so if you want to come say hi and have some appetizers, feel free. But please do call my mom to let her know if you're coming, cuz she's making the appies and would appreciate a head count before she starts getting ready. For those who have forgotten my home number as I haven't been there to call for 2 months it's 564-7330. Hope some of you can make it!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Lazy day
Okay, I'm back in London, and as cash is short, I won't be up to much for the next week. I thought I'd fill you in on current events and also recap some of the stuff I didn't have time to talk about before. So with almost no money, today will be spent on the internet, doing laundry and buying groceries. Hopefully that takes up most of the day, and whatever is left will be spend reading some books I suppose. Here at my hostel I am on the fourth floor, which here really means the fifth!!! It's like they don't count the first one or something. LOTS of stairs!! Just when I thought I had escaped so many stairs on my travels. Being on the top floor means that the hallways are weird, really weird. They wind, there are little sections that involve going up and down more stiars, there are random windows like skylights everywhere, and the bathrooms are in the most abstract places ever and the doors aren't labelled as such. Crazy Londoners and their "make absolutely no sense" designs. I think I got close to 10 hours of sleep last night, which is good considering I was averaging about five or less a night with Contiki. Lots more sleep for me tonight too.
I don't think I told you all enough about Florence, it was one of my favourite places and we were only there for a day. Even though I didn't get to go into the Duomo, I got to see it and take pics and climb the bell tower (the line was too long to climb the dome). The view from the top was more than worth the more than 400 steps I had to climb. Anyone else watch the movie Silence of the Lambs?? You know the drawing in his cell that Clarice comments on, wondering how he drew it all from memory and he replies that memory is all he has. The drawing is of the Duomo as seen from some Palaza or other, and I got a very similar view. It was so cool!! Anyways, before we got free time to do stuff like climb the bell tower and shop, we went on a small guided tour of the city. Our Florentine guide was very funny. He kept making jokes about the dangerous nature of Florentine women. They want money and gifts and are never satisfied and the like. There's this whole elabortate 1km long hallway going over one part of the city that was made entirely on the whim of one of the Medici family women who was above travelling such a distance in view of the common folk. Craziness! Apparently, when Florence was in a bad time, people starving and the like, the Florentine women used to lure men back to their homes and then proceeded to murder and eat them!! Our tour guide was seriously worried about the women there. He said that now, if men pick up Florentine women, they first take them out to a big dinner to make sure they are full, and even then remain wary. Lol, it was so great. With the tour we got to see an exact replica of the Statue of David (the real one had been moved and kept in a safer, more preserving place) in the place where it originally stood. Ever wondered why David's hands and head were so out of proportion with the rest of his body? It is because Michelangelo wanted to represent the strengh of the Florentines, which came from their abilities with thier hands and their abilities to use to their heads. David was made to look mature and capable to reflect the highest values of the people. Traditionaly, David was a child. So cool!! I never knew all that. I also got pics of the statues of Da Vinci, Rafael and Galileo (they are like portraits, so neat). There was much rivalry between Da Vinci and Rafael, Da Vinci lived to be 89 at a time when most people didn't live past their forties, and Rafael died in his 30's. The funny explanation for this is that Da Vinci didn't have any girlfriends and Rafael had too many! Our tour guide was really digging on the women in his tour, but it was funny.
Okay, more to come soon, but I'd better get out and buy some food and get change to do laundry. Miss you all, see you very soon!
Hugs, Mel
PS-the craziness of contiki has finally cought up to me. I'm a little sick. I have a cough as a result of my chest being so congested...pretty icky actually. Here's hoping I can rest up and be better before I come home.
I don't think I told you all enough about Florence, it was one of my favourite places and we were only there for a day. Even though I didn't get to go into the Duomo, I got to see it and take pics and climb the bell tower (the line was too long to climb the dome). The view from the top was more than worth the more than 400 steps I had to climb. Anyone else watch the movie Silence of the Lambs?? You know the drawing in his cell that Clarice comments on, wondering how he drew it all from memory and he replies that memory is all he has. The drawing is of the Duomo as seen from some Palaza or other, and I got a very similar view. It was so cool!! Anyways, before we got free time to do stuff like climb the bell tower and shop, we went on a small guided tour of the city. Our Florentine guide was very funny. He kept making jokes about the dangerous nature of Florentine women. They want money and gifts and are never satisfied and the like. There's this whole elabortate 1km long hallway going over one part of the city that was made entirely on the whim of one of the Medici family women who was above travelling such a distance in view of the common folk. Craziness! Apparently, when Florence was in a bad time, people starving and the like, the Florentine women used to lure men back to their homes and then proceeded to murder and eat them!! Our tour guide was seriously worried about the women there. He said that now, if men pick up Florentine women, they first take them out to a big dinner to make sure they are full, and even then remain wary. Lol, it was so great. With the tour we got to see an exact replica of the Statue of David (the real one had been moved and kept in a safer, more preserving place) in the place where it originally stood. Ever wondered why David's hands and head were so out of proportion with the rest of his body? It is because Michelangelo wanted to represent the strengh of the Florentines, which came from their abilities with thier hands and their abilities to use to their heads. David was made to look mature and capable to reflect the highest values of the people. Traditionaly, David was a child. So cool!! I never knew all that. I also got pics of the statues of Da Vinci, Rafael and Galileo (they are like portraits, so neat). There was much rivalry between Da Vinci and Rafael, Da Vinci lived to be 89 at a time when most people didn't live past their forties, and Rafael died in his 30's. The funny explanation for this is that Da Vinci didn't have any girlfriends and Rafael had too many! Our tour guide was really digging on the women in his tour, but it was funny.
Okay, more to come soon, but I'd better get out and buy some food and get change to do laundry. Miss you all, see you very soon!
Hugs, Mel
PS-the craziness of contiki has finally cought up to me. I'm a little sick. I have a cough as a result of my chest being so congested...pretty icky actually. Here's hoping I can rest up and be better before I come home.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Back in London!
Hey everyone!! I'm back in the land of cheap, 24 hour access to internet, a language I can speak, and luandry facilities at the ready! I love London!! Lol. Mostly I'm just pretty freaking exhausted from the Contiki tour. Lets just say that as much as I wish I were on my way home now instead of spending another week here, I just may need the week to recoup and be ready for home and work again. It's literally been quite a whirl of a trip, they don't joke in the title (I was on the European Whirl Tour by Contiki). Also for the record, carting over 70 pounds worth of baggage across London = not fun. Ah well, only have to make a journey like that one more time. It also looks like I got back here just in time, almost out of money. I should have just enough to be able to afford food this week, and that's about it. Can't complain though, I have a suitcase full of good stuff and hundreds (that's right, hundreds) of pictures.
We drove from Switzerland to France a couple of days ago, went strait to the camp after 12 hours on the road. Spent the entire next day in Paris, went to the top of the Eiffel tower, the Louvre was closed so no go, saw the Arc de Triumph, the Champs d'Elises, the Notre Dame Cathedral (although only in passing on the bus, not inside and no chance for a pic, so got a postcard instead), and much much more. It was all very lovely. I even caved and bought some French perfume (which incidently is the reason I'm short on cash for this last week). Today was another ridiculously long day on the bus to get back to London, but it's all good. I'm freaking exhausted, but happy. Got to see almost everything I wanted on this tour, excepting the Spanish Steps in Rome, the leaning Tower of Pisa, inside the Louvre and inside Notre Dame. Just not enough time on this whirl. However...last night in Paris went out for dinner and a Cabaret show!! At dinner I had duck with orange sauce (so good) and the Cabaret was amazing!! Such cool dancing and music and comedic entertainment and acrobatics!! I'll have to describe it better when I get home. It was all great though.
I really have to get to bed now. It's past eleven here in London and I've been up since 6am...sleep shall be wonderful!!
Miss you all, sorry for the lack of posts recently, but European computers are so touchy (not to mention expensive). Hope you're all doing great!!
Hugs, Mel
PS-for anyone who will be as excited about this as I was...I GOT TO SEE THE VIMY RIDGE MEMORIAL TODAY!!!
We drove from Switzerland to France a couple of days ago, went strait to the camp after 12 hours on the road. Spent the entire next day in Paris, went to the top of the Eiffel tower, the Louvre was closed so no go, saw the Arc de Triumph, the Champs d'Elises, the Notre Dame Cathedral (although only in passing on the bus, not inside and no chance for a pic, so got a postcard instead), and much much more. It was all very lovely. I even caved and bought some French perfume (which incidently is the reason I'm short on cash for this last week). Today was another ridiculously long day on the bus to get back to London, but it's all good. I'm freaking exhausted, but happy. Got to see almost everything I wanted on this tour, excepting the Spanish Steps in Rome, the leaning Tower of Pisa, inside the Louvre and inside Notre Dame. Just not enough time on this whirl. However...last night in Paris went out for dinner and a Cabaret show!! At dinner I had duck with orange sauce (so good) and the Cabaret was amazing!! Such cool dancing and music and comedic entertainment and acrobatics!! I'll have to describe it better when I get home. It was all great though.
I really have to get to bed now. It's past eleven here in London and I've been up since 6am...sleep shall be wonderful!!
Miss you all, sorry for the lack of posts recently, but European computers are so touchy (not to mention expensive). Hope you're all doing great!!
Hugs, Mel
PS-for anyone who will be as excited about this as I was...I GOT TO SEE THE VIMY RIDGE MEMORIAL TODAY!!!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Sorry Everyone. Europe hates Blogger
Hey there!! The computers over here have not really been liking me much. I've been able to check my email, but blogger was being fidgety. So sorry for the lack of posts. I shall try to sum up the last few days as best I can. Venice was beautiful, I'm sure I mentioned. That night at midnight (which turned it to the 13) a bunch of guys from my bus bought me some shots...six (that's right brandon, six) and I did them all in about a minute and a half. My friend Steph has photographic proof. I was a little tipsy for the first time in my life, but it was lots of fun, lots of dancing, and I was not sick or hungover, so no real harm done. Then we went on to Rome, which was amazing!! I only wish I had more time there. I got to go into the Colleseum!! The only thing I didn't get to see was the Spanish Steps, but after the long RIDICULOUSLY HOT day, I couldn't get the energy to go that far. It was good all around. Florence was also beautiful, great food. I climbed to the top of the bell tower at the Duomo (not to the top of the dome cuz the lines were too long), the view was absolutely spectacular. Got lots of pics. But after over 400 steps, I was freaking exhausted!! Great time though, great food. Bought myself a ring that is also a puzzle, very cool, as well as some itallian sued gloves for driving my car in winter (they're green!!!) Now I am in Switzerland and this has been my first real chance to post in a long while. They're not kidding when they call this tour a whirl!!! I spent today on top of the Swiss Alps!! Now I know I'm from Canada and I've seen the rockies, but being up in them among the snow and the peaks is just mindblowingly cool and so beautiful! I walked out on the mountainside and it was like being in a dream. It was warm out, proabbly above zero, soft snow underfoot, and so much cloud aroudn that u couldn't see 20 feet in any direction, but not wet. Standing still it was almost completely silent up there. Truly it was like being in a dream. Fantastic experience!! And I got to walk through tunnels through the mountain and through an ice palace!! How neat is that!? Okay, I really have to cut this off because it's costing me a fortune, but I love and miss u all and will be filling u in on more details when I get back to cheap internet in london. Hugs all around, Cheers from Switzerland (only France left to go!!)
Love u all lots, Mel
PS-HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!!! LOVE YOU-bub
Love u all lots, Mel
PS-HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!!! LOVE YOU-bub
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Past Austria, now in Venice
Hello one and all!! That's right, I'm now in Venice. Austria was amazing. We arrived there a few days ago, and basically dropped off our stuff at the contiki camp and went off up into the mountains on a bike ride!! It was so beautiful!! It was like I was home again!! There were mountains!! Of course, their mountains are older and less peaky, and there are fields all over them for the cows, but still gorgeous. There was one part of the ride where we went through an evergreen forest and it was like I was back in BC!! So very happy, been missing Canada outdoors. We got to the top of one of the hills and had a barbecue lunch, some ice cream, then biked back down the hill. I rode into the tiny village we were by and took some pics, then went over to the trout fishing spot hoping to fish and have a good time. Never got to fishing though. Our bus driver and two of the guys from my bus were sitting there having some drinks, so I stopped to chat before fishing (if I had gone fishing, with a piece of wood and some line, and had caught anything, they would have cooked it right there for me, so very cool) and ended up chinwagging, sharing stories and stuff. It was so cool. And the one guy from my bus, Geoff, started buying us shots of shnapps. Now, shnapps in Austria is not like schnapps at home...it's basically moonshine distilled from random fruits and stuff. So we had some from apples, pears, apricots and...get this...pine cones!!! I must say, the pine cone was the best. Strange I know, but it was. After FOUR shots (this for a girl who doesn't drink at home) me and the two boys from the bus had to get back on our bikes (the ones we rode up the mountain we got to keep for the day to get around the town and to the trout farm or pool if we wanted, tres cool) and ride across the village to the contiki camp. I did really well, think my balance was better on the bike than when I was standing after the shots. Anyways, that night we had a beach party theme at the bar downstairs, everyone danced and had a good time. My buddy Geoff who was buying the shots got into a pink tutu and tights for the dance....icky....but funny as hell. I actually got to see stars last night too!! In the cities we're in you don't really get the chance to see a lot of stars or anything, so I got my stargazing fix last night. Yesterday morning we went white water rafting, it was amazing!! The Aussies were complaining about the water being cold, but they're just pansies...the water wasn't actually much colder than green lake!! lol!! I loved every minute of it. Then we drove here to Venice and camped out for the night. Lots of people got drunk again, but me Steph and Lynn had a quiet night knowing that tonight there are four contiki buses staying at the camp...it's going to be a karioke night, and it will probably go pretty late. I can't drink like the Aussie's, they are all pretty crazy when it comes to the alcohol. But I do have a social drink with them and then just enjoy the evenings and the dancing and singing and stuff. Very fun...think tomorrow (my birthday) they are going to try and get me drunk. They have yet to succeed in that. For a person who doesn't usually drink, I apparently have a surprisingly high tolerance for alcohol. Anyways, I know this has been kind of a long ranting blog, so I'll cut it off. Tomorrow we leave for Rome, that will be beautiful too. Plus, it's my birthday!! Yay!! Love and miss you all!!!
xox Mel
PS-Mom, I finally found something souvenir-like for you!! Whoo hooo!!
PPS-Loved the post from Mindy!! Of course I will throw the ball for her when I get back!! Miss my dog a lot...there are so many dogs here in Venice, it's cute!!
xox Mel
PS-Mom, I finally found something souvenir-like for you!! Whoo hooo!!
PPS-Loved the post from Mindy!! Of course I will throw the ball for her when I get back!! Miss my dog a lot...there are so many dogs here in Venice, it's cute!!
Friday, June 8, 2007
Later in Prague
Hey there! I'm posting again because I'm having a night in and enjoying the time to myself. It's pretty crazy hectic on this tour, and I took a chance at some alone time tonight. By the time everyone was getting ready to head back into the city, it was past nine and I didn't want to start the night then, knowing we'd have to share a cab to come back, and no one would want to come back until the wee hours of the morning. Wasn't up to it tonight, would rather have some sleep, read some Charles Dickens, have the bathroom to myself without having to accomodate other girls that need hair dryers and straiteners and stuff...Plus, I get the chance to say one more quick hello. I'm so excited for Munich tomorrow, then it's off to Austria (tyrolean alps), and there we're going white water rafting and mountain biking, so exciting!! I'm keeping some of my change from Prague just cuz it's pretty cool, I also swindled an Australian coin from one of my roommates and will definitely have some Euros and pence to bring back. I love the money, it's different. Anyways, this is really kind of a pointless post unless you all want to hear the random smaller details of the trip, but those I think will save for stories when I get home. Cannot wait to do the rafting and biking!!! I know I already said that, but we spend a lot of time on buses, sitting, eating, some walking (today was over three hours strait...probably more like five or six), but not a lot of stuff outside of cities and crowds, so a couple of outdoors-y activities are very welcome!! Plus, it's five days till my birthday!! 21 in Rome! Whoo hooo!! There's another girl having a birthday, she turns 26 on June 16, so that's going to be fun too!! I think they're going to try and get me drunk on my b-day, but I don't think it's likely they'll succeed. I'll definitely have a shot on them (expensive buggers over here, like 10 Canadian dollars for a shot!!), but much more than that won't be happening. Okay, enough of this rather nothing post. Miss all you guys, can't wait to get home and share pics and presents (don't worry, I haven't gone overboard. I definitely have way more stuff for myself than for anyone else)
xox Mel
PS-HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!! LOVE YOU!!!
xox Mel
PS-HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!!!! LOVE YOU!!!
Prague (or Praha in Czec)
Hello everyone!! That's right, I'm in Prague. Except here all the signs and souvenirs and stuff say Praha in stead. This is by far the most beautiful city I've been in so far. I have so many pictures. We're not out doing as much stuff here, not going to specific places other than the castel because this whole place is so amazing and old. It was a Communist country up until I think the 90's...or something like that. They were totally within the Commy regime, and now they are free, and it's so cool!! The economy is booming and all that, but because they were so cut off before with the politics of the place, it is still all very old, very much stepping into the past. Again, I have so very many pics. The castle is amazing...it's in the old Gothic style of architecture. I don't know if many of you have seen real Gothic architecture before, but it's the really spiky kind, with gargoyles and peaks and stained glass everywhere!!! OMG!!! So happy!! The streets here are all windy and cobblestoned, there are big streets that have horse drawn carriages and cars on them, and then tiny little streets no wider than a bike path but that are lined with shops and stuff. I so love it here. I bought myself my one expensive take home item here. I knew I wanted to get a piece of jewelry from my travels and I thought I'd get it in Italy, but Prague is just so unique and different and not a place that everyone goes to. I got a ring with garnets set in silver, which was totally made in Prague using materials found in the surrounding area. So cool. I love it! Going to have to get it resized though, I wanted it for my thumb, but they didn't have different sizes in the tiny shop we were in. Ah well.
Last night I actually got to play cards with Steph, Lynn and Geoff. Steph and Geoff are both from Australia, Steph's been my buddy since day one and Geoff is the most polite guy on the whole tour, Lynn is one of my fellow Canadians, she's from Ottawa. So yaeh. Great bunch and we played a game that Geoff taught us and I showed Steph and him how to play 9, 5, 2, whoo hooo!! I got people to play with!! It was wonderful. I confused the hell out of the bartender at the small pub in the downstairs of our hostel last night. They don't really do mixed drinks here. There's beer and wine and strait booze...I don't really care for beer or wine or strait stuff, so I wanted to order juice and a shot of vodka and put them together (yes yes everyone, I have had drinks on this trip, no I haven't gotten drunk, but I've managed to find some nice things when we've been out so that I can be social with the rest). The bartender had no idea what I was on about. I finally had to basically point to stuff in the fridge and be like "a glass of that and a shot of that" and just mixed it myself at the table. Sigh...so complicated apparently. Everyone was giving me a hard time for being so picky lol. Tonight we're apparently all going out to this club near the river that's...get this...FIVE STORIES!!! That's right, five stories of a single club, with different kinds of music and ambiance on each floor. Should be interesting. I think people are going to be hurting on the bus to Munich tomorrow. Actually, people have been hurting most nights...they just don't seem to be able to take a night off of getting smashed. Crazy Aussie's! I can't do what they do, so I just tag along, have one drink (occasionally two) and have fun. They've spent so much money on alcohol I don't know how they do it!! Anyways, I'm going to leave off this post for now because it's a million degrees here in Prague.
Love and miss you all!!
Mom-hope inventory is going well!!
Dad-no floods, just say NO!!
Dez-hope that pie was good, but it doesn't compare to the desserts I've been having!! Chocolate covered things and crepes of all descriptions and pastries and gelato...you'll never catch up m'dear!
Eric-(he might not read this, but Margaret, I'm sure you'll let him know) I finally found the perfect little souvenir for you!! Nothing too crazy, but it was too cool to resist.
Okay...really, that's all!!
Last night I actually got to play cards with Steph, Lynn and Geoff. Steph and Geoff are both from Australia, Steph's been my buddy since day one and Geoff is the most polite guy on the whole tour, Lynn is one of my fellow Canadians, she's from Ottawa. So yaeh. Great bunch and we played a game that Geoff taught us and I showed Steph and him how to play 9, 5, 2, whoo hooo!! I got people to play with!! It was wonderful. I confused the hell out of the bartender at the small pub in the downstairs of our hostel last night. They don't really do mixed drinks here. There's beer and wine and strait booze...I don't really care for beer or wine or strait stuff, so I wanted to order juice and a shot of vodka and put them together (yes yes everyone, I have had drinks on this trip, no I haven't gotten drunk, but I've managed to find some nice things when we've been out so that I can be social with the rest). The bartender had no idea what I was on about. I finally had to basically point to stuff in the fridge and be like "a glass of that and a shot of that" and just mixed it myself at the table. Sigh...so complicated apparently. Everyone was giving me a hard time for being so picky lol. Tonight we're apparently all going out to this club near the river that's...get this...FIVE STORIES!!! That's right, five stories of a single club, with different kinds of music and ambiance on each floor. Should be interesting. I think people are going to be hurting on the bus to Munich tomorrow. Actually, people have been hurting most nights...they just don't seem to be able to take a night off of getting smashed. Crazy Aussie's! I can't do what they do, so I just tag along, have one drink (occasionally two) and have fun. They've spent so much money on alcohol I don't know how they do it!! Anyways, I'm going to leave off this post for now because it's a million degrees here in Prague.
Love and miss you all!!
Mom-hope inventory is going well!!
Dad-no floods, just say NO!!
Dez-hope that pie was good, but it doesn't compare to the desserts I've been having!! Chocolate covered things and crepes of all descriptions and pastries and gelato...you'll never catch up m'dear!
Eric-(he might not read this, but Margaret, I'm sure you'll let him know) I finally found the perfect little souvenir for you!! Nothing too crazy, but it was too cool to resist.
Okay...really, that's all!!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Berlin
First- Happy Birthday Dad!! Love you lots!! Enjoy your present and I hope you win on your scratches!!
Hello one and all!! Well, yesterday was an extremely long day on a bus...but we are now here in Berlin and spent this morning going on a walking tour. It was very interesting, very neat to get more into the immediate history of the area, it was more intimate than a history lesson, especiallz walking by the Berlin Wall and stuff. Ah me, history bliss. I was a little miffed at our tour manage`s condensed version of the world wars and Germany's history, but I guess u can't expect a lot in a short time, still, i cringed a bit at the things she was leaving out or slightly messing up.
Last night though, I slep in the most comfortable bed since I left home...oh my goodness...it was a beautiful thing. I cannot wait to go back to sleep tonight. Tonight wè're also doing a pub crawl, that is the whole group is going, and it's like all the historic, old pubs in Berlin still standing after the war. Should be quite cool. Oh, I almost forgot to mention...we already lost two girls on the trip. The bus doesn't wait, if u r late, that's too bad...little scary, but it induces most of us to be early instead of right on time. The two roudiest girls from Australia went out the second night in Amsterdam and one of them didn't come back. They were friends, so the one named Mel had to wait around at the hotel to see if Leah (I think that's her name) would come back. Apparently, we found out late yesterday after leaving amsterdam and calling back to check on the one, that the other had been picked up by the police the night before, wandering around drunk and stoned on the streets...so yeah, little scary but at least she's okay...they will have to find their own way to catch up to the tour. The bus driver was encouraging on one fact...aparently the best place to get arrested in Europe is Amsterdam, there the police will look after you, try and figure out where u r staying, and apparently maybe even give u a joint in your cell. Strange things here in Europe.
Tomorrow we go to Prague, and I'm very excited about that. Going to get a good night sleep here and be chipper for the tour. Oh, Jen, forgot to tell u. Despite it being a little off-putting, u have to go to the red light district. Just go towards evening, not full on night, because it's something very interesting to see. I guess it's one of those - u can't not go - sort of places. It's really not that bad, just check it out to say u have. If nothing else, the canals are beautiful.
Okay, sorry there aren't more interesting details in this one, but I'm a bit tired, and this German keyboard is driving me insane!! Stuff isn't where it is supposed to be!! Gah!! Will post again ASAP,
Love u all!!
Mel
Hello one and all!! Well, yesterday was an extremely long day on a bus...but we are now here in Berlin and spent this morning going on a walking tour. It was very interesting, very neat to get more into the immediate history of the area, it was more intimate than a history lesson, especiallz walking by the Berlin Wall and stuff. Ah me, history bliss. I was a little miffed at our tour manage`s condensed version of the world wars and Germany's history, but I guess u can't expect a lot in a short time, still, i cringed a bit at the things she was leaving out or slightly messing up.
Last night though, I slep in the most comfortable bed since I left home...oh my goodness...it was a beautiful thing. I cannot wait to go back to sleep tonight. Tonight wè're also doing a pub crawl, that is the whole group is going, and it's like all the historic, old pubs in Berlin still standing after the war. Should be quite cool. Oh, I almost forgot to mention...we already lost two girls on the trip. The bus doesn't wait, if u r late, that's too bad...little scary, but it induces most of us to be early instead of right on time. The two roudiest girls from Australia went out the second night in Amsterdam and one of them didn't come back. They were friends, so the one named Mel had to wait around at the hotel to see if Leah (I think that's her name) would come back. Apparently, we found out late yesterday after leaving amsterdam and calling back to check on the one, that the other had been picked up by the police the night before, wandering around drunk and stoned on the streets...so yeah, little scary but at least she's okay...they will have to find their own way to catch up to the tour. The bus driver was encouraging on one fact...aparently the best place to get arrested in Europe is Amsterdam, there the police will look after you, try and figure out where u r staying, and apparently maybe even give u a joint in your cell. Strange things here in Europe.
Tomorrow we go to Prague, and I'm very excited about that. Going to get a good night sleep here and be chipper for the tour. Oh, Jen, forgot to tell u. Despite it being a little off-putting, u have to go to the red light district. Just go towards evening, not full on night, because it's something very interesting to see. I guess it's one of those - u can't not go - sort of places. It's really not that bad, just check it out to say u have. If nothing else, the canals are beautiful.
Okay, sorry there aren't more interesting details in this one, but I'm a bit tired, and this German keyboard is driving me insane!! Stuff isn't where it is supposed to be!! Gah!! Will post again ASAP,
Love u all!!
Mel
Monday, June 4, 2007
Amsterdam!
Hey there everyone!! That's right, I'm in Amsterdam. Between last night and today, I have witnessed the two extremes of life in the Netherlands. Last night we arrived and almost the entire bus went back out into the city to witness the Red Light District. With the whole group it was kind of cool and exciting, and not so worrysome that you were out there by yourself. It was an experience to say the least. Never been that exposed to sex and all that stuff. Been to fantasia parties, they're nothing compared to here. There are literally windows upon windows of almost naked women in them, from the most horrifyinly ugly girls you've ever seen, to ones that look like they could be making a living in the super model agency. Very strange. You're not allowed to take pics of them, they'll smash your cameras. However, if you want to visit any of them, you just tap on the glass. They have the right to refuse any client, and barter on the price depending on what you want. Interesting, interesting. There were some rooms with multiple girls in them. The girls in my contiki group asked where the windows with the men were, but apparently the sex stuff here doesn't cater to women, just men. My comment, most men are slutty enough already, you'd just have to ask them, wouldn't have to pay. Got my laugh out of the group for the day. On the bus we all had to introduce ourself, where we were from, what we did, our favourite food, what we were looking foreward to and an embarrassing moment or a joke. I told them a joke, that my fav food is moose steak (trying to be as Canadian as possible), hobbies are camping and snowmobiling and theatre and movies and too many more to mention, and I told the joke about the refrigerator (dez, i hope you remember it). Got a laugh from that too, and now everyone remembers that I'm from Canada and that I'm a total carnivor!! It's great!!
Anyways, today we drove out into the country. We stopped at the Cheese and Clog place, tried some cheese, tried on some clogs. It was pretty cool. Saw how they made both cheese and clogs too!! Almost bought some, but not really worth the money and carting the s tuff around for the rest of the day. Then we went on to Edam village (where the cheese comes from) and rode granny-bicycles around (you know, the ones that are all curved handle bars, you sit up strait, ring bells and stuff). It was so cute. All the old houses were decorated with flags and windmills and stuff in red and green and yellow. Gorgeous!! Can I live in Edam?? It was so peaceful, so pretty with all the canals and little boats and stuff. Eveyrone was so friendly too. Dutch isn't that hard of a language is it??
Okay, must run, all the people I'm walking with today are already finished on the comps, so I must leave and keep up with the group. Miss everyone, keep up the comments, I love em!!
Giant hugs from Amsterdam (no, I didn't smoke any pot to all those burning to ask)
xox Melissa!!
Anyways, today we drove out into the country. We stopped at the Cheese and Clog place, tried some cheese, tried on some clogs. It was pretty cool. Saw how they made both cheese and clogs too!! Almost bought some, but not really worth the money and carting the s tuff around for the rest of the day. Then we went on to Edam village (where the cheese comes from) and rode granny-bicycles around (you know, the ones that are all curved handle bars, you sit up strait, ring bells and stuff). It was so cute. All the old houses were decorated with flags and windmills and stuff in red and green and yellow. Gorgeous!! Can I live in Edam?? It was so peaceful, so pretty with all the canals and little boats and stuff. Eveyrone was so friendly too. Dutch isn't that hard of a language is it??
Okay, must run, all the people I'm walking with today are already finished on the comps, so I must leave and keep up with the group. Miss everyone, keep up the comments, I love em!!
Giant hugs from Amsterdam (no, I didn't smoke any pot to all those burning to ask)
xox Melissa!!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Last night in London (until the 20th)
Hey there everyone! Just giving one last farewell before I leave on my tour.
Mom and Dad-don't worry, I'll be with a group for the next 20 days, so even if you don't hear from me every day I'll be in good hands. Love ya lots!!
Rob-I'm so happy Phrank is full, it's just not fair that I didn't get to partake of the ribs and rice! I say hi to all your kidlets and Trae too!! Can't wait to go camping with you all!!
Dez-Any particular things you'd like a pic of from my journey ahead? I'm going to Amsterdam, Munich, Prague, the Tyrolean Alps, Venice, Rome, Florence, Swiss Alps, and Paris. Let me know if there's anything you'd really like to see!!
Becca-I keep meaning to look up who played Elphaba in Wicked to let you know if it was the original woman, but I keep forgetting, and now it's packed in my stored luggage so I won't be able to tell you until I get back to London!
To one and all-this is my last day here in London and there isn't a cloud in the sky!! What's up with that? Every time you go on vacation you have some miserable days that are just wet and cold, and then when you're about to leave the weather is gorgeous! Ah well, I'm on to even hotter places next :) Keep an eye out for more posts, they'll just be more infrequent!
Love and miss you all!! I'll be home before you know it!!
Hugs, Mel
Mom and Dad-don't worry, I'll be with a group for the next 20 days, so even if you don't hear from me every day I'll be in good hands. Love ya lots!!
Rob-I'm so happy Phrank is full, it's just not fair that I didn't get to partake of the ribs and rice! I say hi to all your kidlets and Trae too!! Can't wait to go camping with you all!!
Dez-Any particular things you'd like a pic of from my journey ahead? I'm going to Amsterdam, Munich, Prague, the Tyrolean Alps, Venice, Rome, Florence, Swiss Alps, and Paris. Let me know if there's anything you'd really like to see!!
Becca-I keep meaning to look up who played Elphaba in Wicked to let you know if it was the original woman, but I keep forgetting, and now it's packed in my stored luggage so I won't be able to tell you until I get back to London!
To one and all-this is my last day here in London and there isn't a cloud in the sky!! What's up with that? Every time you go on vacation you have some miserable days that are just wet and cold, and then when you're about to leave the weather is gorgeous! Ah well, I'm on to even hotter places next :) Keep an eye out for more posts, they'll just be more infrequent!
Love and miss you all!! I'll be home before you know it!!
Hugs, Mel
Friday, June 1, 2007
Yay for musicals!
First off, Jen, I don't think you can go wrong between Wicked and the Lion King, especially since you've seen Phantom already. Those three are my top picks by far! So whatever you choose, I garuntee it will be worth your money. You're best off to go to the half price ticket booths in Trafalgar or Leicester Square and book a couple of days in advance for the best seats you can get, and for the Globe, go a day or two early as well (to the Globe box office that's in the building), and get the standing seats (if that makes sense...I mean get tickets for the area around the stage that you stand and watch, they're the best and the cheapest tickets!!) and then just make sure you're at the Globe a half hour before the performance starts to get a good spot (preferably close enough to the stage that you can lean on it during the performance.) Oh yeah, and the easiest way to get to the Globe by underground (my fav tool for getting around the city) is to ride the tube on either the Circle or District lines (yellow or green in colour) to either the Mansion House or Cannon Street stations, then just walk across Southwark Bridge (from which you can see the Globe just off to the right hand side on the opposite bank) and take the stairs down at the other side and walk the 500 feet along the river Thames to the theatre. It's the quickest and easiest way to get there by tube. Hope that's helpful and will save you the time I took in discovering the way there. Okay, now on to a little bit of theatre...
Phantom, no need to really say it, was absolutely phenomenal!!! The sets OMG, the singing OMG, the music I had never heard before OMG (there's apparently more than what is usually on the soundtrack and the movie, so very happy!!). You just have to feel attatched to Phantom, it's so incredibly powerful and magical!! Ah me...for all you theatre geeks, lets just say that they went all out on the set. It had so many complicated aspects to it it would take me all day to relate them to you. Lets just say the scenes of them paddling over the underground lake were mindblowingly cool, and that the proscenium arch (that lovely outer part that boxes in the stage for all you non-theatre people) had been constructed specially for the show, separate from the usual build of the theatre. There were these huge golden statues of angels and demons and stuff, was amazing to look at, and for the musical number "That's all I ask of You", the Phantom was watching them from up on the central statue piece, and when Rhal and Christine left the stage, that statue piece detached from the procenium arch and descended so the audience could see the phantom there!!!! SO COOL!!! There was even a spiffy moment in the first number Christine does ("Think of Me") when they play with curtains and stuff and give the audience the impression of watching from backstage and viewing another audience and orchestra conductor on the other side!! Tee hee, it was so wonderful. And the music!!! Ah the music!! They singers were so good that you actually got carried into the emotions of the pieces, you felt the joys and the anguish and the passion and the struggle!! SO GOOD!!! I got the fancy programs and stuff for everyone to see later...I actually think that all my programs, pics and brochures from places I've gone to are the heaviest pieces of my luggage now, so it's a good thing I'm sending some stuff home today in an effort to balance out some of the weight...sheeesh...I got one of my roommates to take a pic of me in my blue dress holding the program for Phantom, so that's pretty cool too! Tomorrow I join up with the Contiki group and so will be more out of contact than I have been. Sorry, but the blogs will probably cease to occure on a daily basis...I shall do my best to find an internet cafe every couple of days, but I'm gonna be pretty much on the move from June 3 to June 20, so if you aren't hearing from me here or on the phone for those of you I call to check in with, it's because I just won't have the convenience of this computer lab (which is just downstairs in my hostel from my room). Anyways, today is laundry day. I'm writing this as I wait for the dryer to finish...it takes FOREVER!! Then I'm taking the laundry and getting everything re-packed in preparation for my Contiki tour, then I'm going to the post office to send all items no longer needed home, as well as some light knick-knacks that I've picked up. I think I've decided against going back to Scotland, sorry to say. The train costs and stuff are just ridiculous, would be more expensive than if I just came back here, and there's still plenty of museums and stuff for me to see, as well as a couple more tour days I wouldn't mind going on, and then I could see the other Shakespeare play the Merchant of Venice!! So yeah, that's as far as my plans go so far. I'm a bit sad that I'm not going back to Scotland, but at least I got to see it, and I shall definitely be coming back in the future, so no biggie. Okay, back to luandry and stuff, love and miss you all, shall do my best to keep you updated on my Euro travels!!
Hugs, Mel
Phantom, no need to really say it, was absolutely phenomenal!!! The sets OMG, the singing OMG, the music I had never heard before OMG (there's apparently more than what is usually on the soundtrack and the movie, so very happy!!). You just have to feel attatched to Phantom, it's so incredibly powerful and magical!! Ah me...for all you theatre geeks, lets just say that they went all out on the set. It had so many complicated aspects to it it would take me all day to relate them to you. Lets just say the scenes of them paddling over the underground lake were mindblowingly cool, and that the proscenium arch (that lovely outer part that boxes in the stage for all you non-theatre people) had been constructed specially for the show, separate from the usual build of the theatre. There were these huge golden statues of angels and demons and stuff, was amazing to look at, and for the musical number "That's all I ask of You", the Phantom was watching them from up on the central statue piece, and when Rhal and Christine left the stage, that statue piece detached from the procenium arch and descended so the audience could see the phantom there!!!! SO COOL!!! There was even a spiffy moment in the first number Christine does ("Think of Me") when they play with curtains and stuff and give the audience the impression of watching from backstage and viewing another audience and orchestra conductor on the other side!! Tee hee, it was so wonderful. And the music!!! Ah the music!! They singers were so good that you actually got carried into the emotions of the pieces, you felt the joys and the anguish and the passion and the struggle!! SO GOOD!!! I got the fancy programs and stuff for everyone to see later...I actually think that all my programs, pics and brochures from places I've gone to are the heaviest pieces of my luggage now, so it's a good thing I'm sending some stuff home today in an effort to balance out some of the weight...sheeesh...I got one of my roommates to take a pic of me in my blue dress holding the program for Phantom, so that's pretty cool too! Tomorrow I join up with the Contiki group and so will be more out of contact than I have been. Sorry, but the blogs will probably cease to occure on a daily basis...I shall do my best to find an internet cafe every couple of days, but I'm gonna be pretty much on the move from June 3 to June 20, so if you aren't hearing from me here or on the phone for those of you I call to check in with, it's because I just won't have the convenience of this computer lab (which is just downstairs in my hostel from my room). Anyways, today is laundry day. I'm writing this as I wait for the dryer to finish...it takes FOREVER!! Then I'm taking the laundry and getting everything re-packed in preparation for my Contiki tour, then I'm going to the post office to send all items no longer needed home, as well as some light knick-knacks that I've picked up. I think I've decided against going back to Scotland, sorry to say. The train costs and stuff are just ridiculous, would be more expensive than if I just came back here, and there's still plenty of museums and stuff for me to see, as well as a couple more tour days I wouldn't mind going on, and then I could see the other Shakespeare play the Merchant of Venice!! So yeah, that's as far as my plans go so far. I'm a bit sad that I'm not going back to Scotland, but at least I got to see it, and I shall definitely be coming back in the future, so no biggie. Okay, back to luandry and stuff, love and miss you all, shall do my best to keep you updated on my Euro travels!!
Hugs, Mel
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