Saturday July 23 Barcelona , Spain

First let me tell you how sleeping on a night train when you travel really messes up your day of the week and month schedule. Since you go to sleep in one town and wake up in another…it is really difficult to remember which day it is. That is a small price to pay for a great benefit, I think.

One small story, Meredith who was traveling with us has a minor in Spanish. Like everyone else, if you don’t use it, you lose it. So she was a little slow but still able to comprehend what was going on. Before leaving the train station, we reserved tickets to go to Paris. Dylan, when talking to the ticket man was speaking nothing but English. He decided that he needed to throw a little spanish in there to compensate. So when asking for tickets he stated “ Yes sir, I would like TRES tickets” all while holding up his pinky, ring and middle finger signifing 3. It was another moment for the ages.

We stayed in a place near La Rambla called Hotel Colon. It was a Youth Hostel and we got a room with 5 beds. It was very tight. There was a double bed and three single beds. There was also a sink and a really crappy locker that didn’t have the proper clasp on it. We decided to skip showers since it was once again hot as hell…it was off to sightseeing. We walked for a long way down La Rambla…this was a median between both lanes of traffic. There were street vendors about 4 wide for miles down this street. It was actually really cool. We went to eat at a brewery and decided on a name for the last days of our trip. The “Tore de Liver” in honor of Lance and his impending win. We had some very good burgers and fries at this brewery, and were so hungery just happy to get anything at that point.

We headed to the Picasso Museum, which was not that impressive. Ol’ Picasso was a little more of a pervert than I previously thought. He had some interesting paintings…that is all I am going to say. After leaving the museum, we headed towards the Barcelona Basilican Cathedral. It was really nice. What can you say, I was with a bunch of Catholic Tallies…and they were into their churches. We walked through a really nice park. It had a huge fountain that was really cool. Then, there was a full size wolly mammoth beside it…I have no idea what that was about. Of couse it was a perfect photo op.

We headed back to the hotel and finally got cleaned up. The only people that probably knew we smelt bad were the Americans. Take from that comment what you will. We walked along the water to try and find a place to eat dinner. There was a small problem however the good restaurants do not open until 7:30. That is not cool when you are used to eating at American times. I had the Steamed Mussels for appetizer and a Cod for entrée. It was really good. I ate more fish and seafood on this trip than I have in a long time.

We then headed to small pub near our hotel. It was of course an Irish Pub, and I drank some Murphy’s Irish Red. It was outstanding. Lenny and I met 2 German Girls from Cologne named Mike and Katja. (Think Eurotrip) They of course knew country roads and we really fun to talk to. They took all 5 of us to another bar called the Forest. It was really like moving into one of those movies. There were realistic trees everywhere and they were low hanging. All the tables surrounded trees and it was really dark. It was a really cool place. Brain, Mere, and Dylan wanted to find another bar so they left. Since we didn’t want to leave anyone alone, I stayed with Lenny. After closing the bar, and trying to find another one we walked the girls to the cab stop and sent them on their way. Lenny was extremely disappointed, but those Host Families…you know. That ended our first day in Barcelona.

Friday July 22

It’s the last day of class here in Asolo, and the beginning of one of the more exciting parts of the trip. We had finals today in both classes, Problem Solving and Decision Making, where we had to solve a couple corporate problems using our new Kepner – Tregoe method. Then Dr. Blakely, our WVU professor, who was talking about how we needed to study a couple of articles and prepare to write about both…suprises us at the door of his exam with two stacks of papers. Asks which article we want to write about, and tells us to make sure it is under a page. How cool is that?

After the tests, I finished packing. There were 2 bus trips leaving this afternoon, one at 1:00 and one at 3:00. A bunch of us gathered at the door around 12:45 to wish the first group off. I went and did a last check of the room and ate my bag lunch. Then it was off to the computer lab to get the last of the free internet while I was in Europe.

Finally time came to head to the bus. We all stopped by everyone’s office and said goodbye. Went I went to hug Margarita (not the right spelling), who was our secretary, she puckered up and leaned in for a kiss. I was a little startled, and she started laughing. She was going to give me the customary kiss to each cheek, which I was not prepared for. It was quite funny. We made our way to the bus and out of the town of Asolo…until I return.

We made it to the bus stop and caught a train to Milan. We were excited and sad to see it go. In Milan, we paid a little extra to take a first class sleeper train to Barcelona. This was a very wise investment. In the first class cabins they have 4 chairs, which they put away when the attendant comes around about 10:30. Then 4 nicely made bunks are laid down for you. There is a sink, a place to hang clothes, and a place for you luggage. Since there were 5 of us…Dylan, Lenny, and I stayed in one cabin (with one spanish guy) and Meredith and Brian stayed in the other…we found out later that they had a double cabin which was more expensive and more roomy. We woke up in Barcelona really refreshed and about one hour late due to some problems at the border. We all slept well and felt pretty secure all night. We were ready to face the Saturday in Barcelona.

Sun July 17 and the Final Week of Class....EVER

Sunday July 17^th\

Actually got up at a decent time (around 9:00am), we went to Duchau (I need to check spelling), which was the first concentration camp. That was a very sobering experience. It was free admission, and it included a video in English as well as a very informative museum tour. It also included a tour of the gas chambers, confinement cells, and bunk houses. The camp was originally built for about 2000 people. At the end of the war it housed around 32,000. The conditions they lived in were unbelieveable. It it a good thing for everyone to visit a place like that to see exactly what it was like.

Moving on to a more upbeat topic, we left the camp and decided to head towards the park. The guidebooks say that there is some nudity around, so we of course had to check it out. Our friend Paul said he went there a few weeks before, but was not impressed. We had to make our own opinion. There was actually a large amount of people there, clothed and naked and it was actually a really nice atmosphere. There were actually a good amount of good looking women there as well, and not as much naked guys as expected. The only really weird part was that there were some families there and they all were naked. A couple of them were playing chase and tag, and wrestling around. That seems innocent, and is not a big deal in their culture, but when you see a grown man hold his daughter up by the feet with his junk in her face, you have to do a double take. It just takes a while getting used to.

Chase laid down to take in a nap and the sights and Kenny, Herbie, Burns, and Myself headed towards Childester Turn, which is another area of the park. One that is clothed I may add. When we got close, we could hear a band playing traditional Bavarian style music. When we got closer we saw rows and rows of Bavarian style picnic tables along with many people eating and drinking. Everyone was walking around with the One Litre mugs…from 16 to 80 everyone had beer. I don’t know if you know, but in Bavaria they just have really long tables. You sit where you find a seat. It’s a very fun atmosphere and the people around you just start talking to you and making conversation. We made our way to a large food area, and had some of the greatest brats and sauerkraut I have ever had. You better know what you are doing in the beer line, because they cannot pour them fast enough and a very old lady will sneak around you and grab the one they are sliding to you. It was an experience I would like for everyone to see.

Afterwards, we headed back to the hostel to shower and head out. On the way to our destination we all boarded the metro. Kenny accidently boarded the train right in front of us and it was not connected. The trains were kinda empty so we were just hanging out being ourselves. Kenny gets up in front of the window which seperates the trains and starts…we will say dancing. All of a sudden the train arrives at a station, which he cannot see and the train starts to slow down. He was not prepared for this and immediated fell to the ground. Needless to say, we all laughed extremely hard when he came crawling back up. It was truly a great “had to be there” moment. Moving along….

We had to go to the kinda touristy, really fun place called the Houfbrau Haus. Its supposedly the world’s largest pub. Bavarian style tables, waiters, and music. Its really a fun time, and I recommend at least stopping by if you are there. It was there at our table that we met Mark and Bevan Knofflock, from Ireland. They were actually from New Zeland, but had got jobs in Ireland. They were really cool, and had a good time drinking with us we think.

After leaving the bar we were going to go somewhere else, but couldn’t find a place to go that was close. Carl began fighting with Kenny and made no sense in his argument. It was typical Carl, especially after drinking. He ended up leaving us and stormed off. He actually didn’t really hang out with us or anyone else the whole rest of the time we were in Europe.

Moving along….

We got back that night and went to bed. The next day we got up and headed back to Asolo and the heat. We got back to town around 900 that night.

Tue. July 19

I got everything packed to mail back to the states today. It costs about 65 Euro for about 7kg…in case anyone is interested.

Had to get my hair cut, which some of the guys did last week. Went to the Italian Barber/Hairstylist…He was really funny. He knew the words CIMBA (pronounced Chimba) which is what our school is called and SHORT? I agreed with the short comment and he immediately took me to his chair. I got a really good short cut…and he is one of those barbers that never stop the scissors cutting. It was actually kinda impressive. Afterwards, he washes your hair and sends you on your way. It was a really cool experience for 15 Euro.

Wed. July 20

We had a test…and that night we went out and had about 7 Chateaus. A Chateau is a large tank of beer they put on your table…which basically saves someone from having to go on beer runs. I don’t remember exactly how much they hold, but for 21Euro, it was a great deal.

Thurs July 21

Went out and had some bottles of Italian wine for the last time. Since I was backpacking, I am not able to take any home. (too heavy to carry across Europe) Paul bought everyone shots of Grappa and something else, which is like Italian Moonshine. (No where near as good) When he bought the shots, there were a lot of people from class there and they wanted him to give a toast. He denied, and the efforts turned to Dylan. Dylan said he could not come up with something that quick. So after waiting a couple of minutes, I jumped on a chair and gave a very impromptu toast. I basically told how I was happy to meet eveyone, how I am going to miss them, how fast time went, the good friends and memories we made, and wished everyone a safe trip home and good luck in their education and careers. People actually told me that night and the next day it was a really good toast. So, especially with a prepared one I might be OK. Donnie and Nikki can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Sat July 16

The hotel we were staying at had a great breakfast. Lots of choices. We hopped onto a train to Berchtesgaden, which is the only thing I wanted to see on this trip. We got there a bit early and found a small restaurant to have lunch at. It was great. The Jagersnitzel was great, followed by a great Weissbier.

Since I waited until this week to call and make reservations for the Eagles Nest, they could only confirm 2 of them. The other 4 of us were on a waiting list, but told us all to be at the station at 1:00pm and we should be able to go. Luckily, they had a large amount of people sign up that day and we all got on the same bus (they got a bigger bus). On way up to the nest, the mountains and scenery was just beautiful. It was amazing. I hate to tell Switzerland, but the German/Austrian Border is absolutely amazing. Got to our first stop on the tour, which is part of a bunker system under the lower part of the mountain where the Eagle’s Nest is located. This ran under supply houses, Hiter’s actual house, along with barracks and many other things. There were even bunkers built there they did not find until a few years ago. Some ran within meters of each other. The view from the nest was unmatched. The nest was never actually used for lodging, just for a retreat and entertaining. Hitler actually only visited it 14 times. The whole thing including the road upto it…way too steep and narrow for me to convey, along with only 1 switchback…only took 13 months to build. They gave it to Hitler as a 50^th Birthday present from the Nazis.

After finishing up, we took took the train to Munich. Got into our Hostel, which was an offical youth hostel. We were the oldest people in there by far. The age limit was 26. Our room, which could hold 6 people, only had us 4 in it. So Chase was able to get not only in our hostel, but also in our room. They had really nice lockers and enough room to move around in. It was a really good place, and we felt secure.

We headed out to try and find a bar. Although, the place we went too would not allow people in with shorts. As most of you know, at this point of the trip, I did not have any pants. My whole wardrobe consisted of shorts. On the way to try and find another bar, we got caught in a downpour. We ducked into a place that served the meat that you shave off of a spinning skewer. I think it is called a Kepbap. Good food, plus they had beer…so we waited for the rain to slow down. We did find a bar down the road that had no problem letting us in. We sat in the basement of this place and had a great time drinking Bavarian beer. We were there so long, that the DOM was actually falling alseep at the table, while sitting up. We started messing with him and thought he had no idea. When we were ready to leave, we got him up and he told us everything we were talking about along with everything we were doing to him. It was weird.

We made our way to the Metro station, but of course it was closed. At the same time we were getting there, a couple of decent looking German chicks were also dissappointed that the train was closed. Quickly talking to them, Kenny and Herbie were clocked in. They both made quick exits and told us not to worry about them. Turned out they ended up at another bar. They both were making out with there women, but Herbie’s (who was hotter) had MAJOR mental issues…and Kenny’s was telling him about her friend’s issues. They ended up coming in very loudly at around 630am…and their efforts were fruitless.

Friday July 15

Caught the 1:40 train after class to Salzburg. Didn’t think Herbie was going to make it because he had a 1:00 appointment with a doctor to check out his eye. He actually made it with about 10 minutes to spare. On the way to the train station we stopped again at the Asolo deli and got the guy to cut us some bread, cheese and meat.Chase’s train was full on his planned trip to southern Italy…so he decided at the last minute to come along with us. We had Hostel reservations, but we were going to try and accomidate him. It was awsome again as usual. We made it to Salzburg around 9:00 that night. We were staying at the Hotel Centro, which was actually a really nice place. All twin beds in our rooms, a pull out chair (that was too short, even for Herbie). They didn’t have a receptionist after 11:00, so getting Chase into the room was not a problem. We were only supposed to have 5, but as you know ended up with 6. The first night of Chase getting a place to sleep worked out.

Made our way to the old town, ate at a sidewalk stand . We had some snitzel, wurst, and brats. It was a really good introduction to Bavaria. Did some bar hopping in the area. It was a really happening place. The bars were primarily women, which was a really good thing for the single guys in our group. The temperature in the bars, however was like the hot Italian sun. It was unbearable. We did finally find a bar that was not quite as hot or crowded…so that is where we ended up.

This is where the story gets interesting. On the way back to the Hotel, we stopped at a local wurst guy. (The equivilent of the hotdog man) A non attractive girl who was also in line approached Burns and asked if she could borrow 10 E cents. He found some and gave it to her. Not a problem. The ones that wanted food got it and we congregated away from the wurst man along a wall. While some of us were finishing our food, she came and chatted and wanted to thank Chris again for his help in getting food. This is where the one guy with us we call the ‘DOM’ came into play. You see, anytime there is ANY type of woman around, he swoops in and as we like to call it…’clocks in’ He starts talking to her and they exchange pleasantries. She goes on to say that he looks too old to be with us, as he looks 30 (which he is). He said he was 24, which prompted an outcry of laughter from us. She goes on to say that something is amiss with her boyfriend…and that is the last of the conversation we could hear. The next thing that we could hear was that the fact she was desperate. At the hearing of this, Chase, Herbie, Burns, Kenny, and Myself decided to head quickly back to the room in hopes of losing the both of them. As we rounded a corner, we looked back and they both were heading towards us. After getting ready for bed, we checked our balcony which is shared with the other guys room. We saw the DOM and the ugly chick making out. We decided to lock the door and head to bed. Later, we heard her knocking on our door, but we did not open it. We are still trying to figure out what she was trying to do.

We decided to head to bed…and soon heard a door slam. Not long after we could some action taking place in the hallway. The hotel had lights you could turn off in the hall way, and there was no peephole. It sounded like there was some MAJOR making out. This was followed by some of the greatest lines of the trip “Your so beautiful…why are you desperate?” We all had to bite our tounges at hearing this comment in the room. Soon after, this was followed by moaning by her and some really loud slurping sounds. I will let you make of that what you will. In between the moans, we heard ‘NO’ and ‘STOP’ numerous times, all interupped by moans. Soon there was a loud moan…followed by a loud goodnight by her…and quick footsteps down the hallway. We could hear him yelling..no stop…comeback…we can only assume that this was a one way street, if you get my drift. Soon after, Kenny and I started dying laughing and the DOM appeared at the window…asking what we were laughing at. We of course told him we were telling jokes…but don’t think he believed us. Soon after we went to bed…and the first night in Bavaria was a hillarious one.

Sorry about the delay, but like I said Internet is expensive. Now that I am home, I am going to keep writing. I will try to put up a post every day or so. Talk to you soon.