AAARGH!!!

The title of this post is meant to illustrate my frustration with being in a hostel that has actual computers for use and not internet terminals.  This is because I want to be able to share pictures in my updates rather than just ramble on with my crappy writing.  I was [ ] that close to buying a mini laptop in Munich a little over a week ago.  For 300 Euro I could have had one, which is about $500 or so, but I decided I'd better not.  That would give me four computers at home!

So a brief outline of what I've been up to.

After Paris I went to the Swiss Alps and then to Bern.  While in Bern everything was closed, so I didn't see much of anything.

Following Switzerland it was into Italy.  First Rome, then Florence and then Venice.  Florence is easily my favourite of the three.  I could have spent weeks in Italy, traveling to the coast, to Sicily and other places.  It's a very beautiful country with very odd people.  They are so laid back and relaxed and the entire country seems extremely unorganized.  I'll detail Italy more as soon as I can, including a write-up on Michelangelo's David, by far the best thing I've seen all trip.

After Venice it was to Munich, Germany.  Love Germany.  After the somewhat messiness and laziness of Italy, Germany was a big change.  Everything is clean, on time and to the letter in Germany.  The best part about Bavaria, where Munich is, is that beer is considered a staple food.  It's taxed the same as bread or milk or fruit.  This means, wherever you can eat a sandwich, you can drink a beer.  It's extremely cheap and the Germans love it.  Beer gardens and beer halls are the greatest places on Earth.  I would move to Munich.  Such a stark contrast to Canada where we consider alcohol a poisonous sin and you can only buy it from regulated vendors during limited hours and must consume it in hiding.

After Munich was Budapest, Hungary.  Awesome place but it was ridiculously hot.  It was so hot I found it difficult to do much of anything.  It was here I had to purchase baby powder to help heal my, uhh, diaper rash?  Chaffing sucks.

Vienna next.  Not much to say about Vienna.  A very nice city but also a boring city.  Also, stupid hot.

I'm currently writing this in Prague, in the Czech Republic.  Now this is an awesome city.  So much to see and do, everyone speaks English, the food is great and people are friendly.  It's really awesome that the World Cup is happening right now, in the same time zone as Europe no less, because it means there's something to do every single night.

Upon posting this I will be heading to the train station to get on a train for Berlin.  I'll be there five days as there's about a billion things to do.  That and I quite enjoy Germany.  Definitely my kind of country.  So, sorry for the boring post but I figured I'd better do something.