Since leaving Croatia earlier this month, I have been backtracking through countries I already visited earlier in my travels. I went back to Budapest, back to Berlin and am now back in Madrid. Highlights of the past few weeks include:

Traveling with my good US pals, Tamara and Jared, who have taught me tons about football.

Visiting with the BoostnAll World Cup crew in Berlin, who taught me everything else about football.

Chats with my brother Dan back in the US, who continues to be impressed by my growing football knowledge 🙂

Emails and chats with family and friends who have caught World Cup fever back home too…this is great…I will convert you all into football fans!!! (But don´t worry, I´ll still watch American football and baseball too…how are the Yanks and O´s doing??)

Attendance at two World Cup football matches, including last Saturday night´s exciting US vs. Italy match — amazing atmosphere and intense action I´ll never forget.

Watching countless other games at Fan Fest in Berlin and on other TVs throughout Germany, France and Spain.

Jumping in the fountain (sort-of) at Plaza de Colon after Spain´s win over Tunisia on Monday night. It was so cool to be downtown when the game finished…I´ve never seen celebrating like this…and it wasn´t even a semi-final or final match!

There are some non-football related highlights too…

First, the unexpected afternoon in Paris (between trains) during which I was able to visit the Musee de’Orsay, which I was not able to see on my last visit to Paris ten years ago. I did not think I would see Paris at all on this trip, so I was happy to have the chance to explore for a few hours.

And now, a reunion with an incredible friend here in Spain, who is hosting me for a week of fun and great food in and around Madrid. Cristina is determined for me to try every authentic Spanish cuisine before I leave, and is cooking samples of all sorts of unique and new dishes for me to try in between sightseeing and football watching. We visited the Royal Palace and Cathedral in Madrid yesterday, and will go to Toledo later this week.

And life-planning mode is slowly taking shape…

I´m doing a little work on some writing projects, lining up my accommodations for the last few weeks of my travels, and beginning to make plans for my return to the states and the What´s Next phase (deep thoughts already in progress).

I´ll continue my backtracking for the remainer of my time in Europe, spending most of it in Italy. Not sure yet where I am headed next, but will enjoy Spain for the rest of this week and write again when I know where my next stop will be…

Any suggestions between here and Florence?? I’ve already been to Barcelona, but that might merit one more stop on the backtracking trail before heading into Italia for the grand finale.

Hey all, just a quick update on where I’ve been…mostly on trains the past 48 hours or so…but having a blast and meeting lots of cool folks from around the world. Europe has turned into a true global village…it’s World Cup time!! After leaving Croatia I spent four days visiting a friend in Budapest, then made my way (via night train) to Munich, then Frankfurt, then Essen, in time to attend the US vs. Czech Republic World Cup football match last night. The atmosphere was awesome, but the results were not pretty for the USA. Today I took a train to Berlin where the World Cup BootsnAll gang will host me for a few nights full of football, football, football!!! We went to Fan Fest by Brandenburg Gate tonight for the 9 pm game — an amazing sight to see, tons of football fans from every nation, a true international party in the streets. The Brazilians and Croatians wore their team colors proudly, there was music, dancing, cheers…tons to see besides the game on the big screen.

I’m really lucky to be able to be here to see this live, and look forward to enjoying the rest of my World Cup week. Ít´s so fun just to be in Europe to watch the games on TV too, everyone is so into football here now (except those folks we saw lined up to go to the ballet here in Berlin last night.) I’ll be in hot, boiling Berlin until Saturday, and will then head south to attend the US vs. Italy game. I’ve been traveling with my Baltimore pals Tamara and Jared, and have had a great time catching up with them too. I’ll be writing more over at the Eurail Blog this week, so check in there for more updates.

Following in the footsteps of my wonderful friend Beth who recently celebrated her 32nd birthday in Shanghai (where she is currently living), here is a recap of how I spent my big day:

I intentionally left the day completely unplanned and decided to just set out and see what unfolded. All I knew was that I needed to head north, so I left Dubrovnik on a 9 am bus headed up to Split, enjoying the spectacular views of the coast along the way. It was a quiet and peaceful four hours staring out the window at sunny skies, green islands and the aquamarine sea. The journey was highlighted by a quick pass through Bosnia, my 14th country of the trip. During our ten minute bus stop break in the town of Neum I spent a few minutes speaking with a with a Spanish soldier who is currently serving a four month duty in Bosnia. It was fun to practice my Spanish language with him – I was able to utter several complete sentences…and he understood me!

I had decided to head to Split with no accommodations booked in advance, since getting a private room in someone’s home (called a sobe) is usually the way things operate around here anyway. As I got off the bus there were at least six or seven women of various ages with “room available” signs waving at the disembarking passengers. I connected with Antoinetta, a sweet younger woman who did not speak much English. After negotiating a price she passed me off to her husband, who spoke even less English but seemed nice enough. He guided me to their home, just a few blocks off the harbor, where I found a clean sparse basement room and adjoining bathroom. It worked fine for me so I unpacked and headed out for a walk.

At this point I did feel a little lost and lonely. Folks who know me know that I don’t shy away from birthdays…I enjoy celebrating them, nothing big and fancy, but I like to be with people I know on my birthday. So I was missing the fam and friends for a bit…But not having the energy just yet to meet new people, I headed for the Marjan peninsula, in search of a sandy beach. I didn’t get too far, and wound up wandering into Sustipan, a seaside park that is the site of a former monestary and cemetary, where I soaked up some rays and stared off towards the horizon for a while. Eventually, I started talking to myself and knew it was time to go make friends 🙂

Back in town I walked along the Riva harbor-front promenande, wondering who was going to become my new pal for the day. I eventually headed back to the room to shower and decided to put my neighbor on the spot. An Aussie had checked into the room next to mine and I approached him in the hall and asked if had plans for the night and if he wanted to join me for drinks or dinner. I did mention to the poor bloke that it was my birthday, so I really left him no other choice but to join me (!) but James, who is from Brisbane, was really nice and seemed up to hanging out so we agreed to meet up later that evening.

We went to a local seafood joint called Buffet Fife where we dined on fried calamari and shark (called flake downunder) which came served on the same platter, along with some bread and two bottles of the local beer. James has been on the road nine months, spending time working in Hong Kong and on a pig farm in Scotland, and he will soon head to South Africa. Sooooo, needless to say, there was plenty for us to talk about and it was a very nice time. He even sang happy birthday to me, although I did not blow out any candles…so I still have a birthday wish to make!

We met up with some locals afterwards for a few more beers, chatting about language, politics, real estate, travel and all sorts of things until about midnight when we decided to call it a night since James had an early train to catch this morning…and you know, I’m getting older 😉 It was a memorable and enjoyable day, with new friends, great laughs, and a spirit that made me feel more like 23 than 32 for awhile! Another GREAT highlight of the day was all the wonderful emails I got from family and friends…if I have not responded yet, you will probably hear from me today…thanks to all of you for making my birthday another to remember 🙂

Ciao from Matera!

So… I wrote when I arrived in Italia, and now I will take a few moments to write as I prepare to leave! It has been an amazing (and busy!) two weeks, and as I told my Aunt Catherine last night, my family has officially grown by about 15 people!

First it was the wonderfully kind and generous crew in Mira, outside of Venice, my Uncle Roberto’s family…we shared delicious meals, took some daytrips, laughed a lot, and sang too 🙂

Then, in Sant’ Arsenio, a town south of Salerno where many of my ancestors are from, my Aunt and I were able to connect with a bunch of distant relatives of my great-grandmother, who showed us around town, introduced us to other distant cousins and treated us just like one of the family.

I’d love to write so much more about my visits to Trieste, Chiogga, Venice, Asolo, Sant’ Arsenio and Matera but there is unfortunately no time now. I’ve visited six Italian provinces in two weeks and will visit a few more when I return to Italy in early July (the final leg of my 5-month journey!!)

We were really lucky to even find this internet cafe in Matera, but we’ve got to get going soon. Tonight we will board a ferry in Bari that will take us to Dubrovnik in Croatia, and I’m more than excited. I’ll spend about a few days in Croatia before finally boarding a train again (it’s been more than two weeks!) to go visit friends in Hungary, Germany and Spain.

I’m thinking of the rest of the family back at home, and sending hellos to all my friends, near and far, that I have not been able to speak with in awhile. Will try to be in touch in June!

I’ve made it to Italy, home of my ancestors, and the food that is NOT going to help my bathing suit appearances this summer.

It’s exciting to be here, knowing that tomorrow I will be meeting up with my aunt and uncle in Venice, who I will be visiting with and traveling with for the next two weeks or so.

My first few minutes in Italy were slightly challenging, and boy do I need to work on learning this language..but I’m just really happy to be here — after three months in Europe, it is nice to sort of feel like I’m arriving at a second home, and being with family for a few days will make it extra special…

And as for my family that I won’t see here this week…I’m missing you right now, but pretty sure that we will all visit this country together one day. Love to you all, esp. Mom and Dad.
Oh, and a special Happy Birthday to Dan! Happy 23 and enjoy the weekend bro!

~ From Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe, Bill Bryson

This is not the first time I have felt wonder on this trip, but it is certainly magnified for me right now, in this magical point at the tip of the sea. I’m in love with this tiny nugget of land, this perfect little peninsula that juts out into the Adriatic, waving softly to neighboring Italy.

I’ve seen two stellar sunsets, full of periwinkle and pink. I’ve walked along pebbly, rocky and sandy beaches, and hiked up fantastic sleepy hills under deep blue skies. I can’t really believe that I’m here. Today felt like an out-of-body experience at times, full of highs and lows. I shed some tears in the colorfully frescoed Church of St. George, and then a few more while high above the sea at a unique sculpture garden. These were tears of joy, wonder and sadness all mixed into one, just your average emotional jumble. And then my camera broke. But I was all out of tears, so I laughed.

Tomorrow is day nine-zero, and later this week, the three-month mark. Wow. Wow. Wow. That’s a long time to be roaming around Europe. Yet sometimes it still just does not seem real. Life happening all around me seems real, but me standing in the midst of it still feels like a dream on days like this. It really is a dream come true.

It has been an excellent week here in Slovenia. This is a really beautiful country, and small enough that is easy to see lots in a short period of time. Ljubljana is a great town, and I have especially enjoyed learing about Joze Plecnik, the Slovenian architect who is responsible for creating much of the cities buildings and bridges. He designed buildings in Prague too, some of which we saw when we were there a few weeks ago. A tour of his home here in Ljubljana is well worth the time.

Other things we did around town: sampled Slovenian wines at the Movia winebar with a friend living here who played tour guide (and also graciously let us use his washer for laundry day!), strolled through Tivoli Park, hiked up to the castle (a routine occurence in every European city we visit), and randomly had Mexican food twice this week (belated Cinco de Mayo celebration.)

We also took some great daytrips to Bled and the caves at Postojna, which I wrote about here. The incredible weather we have had the past two days has really added to the beauty of this region. People are very nice too…I am headed to Piran next, on the coast, and will be traveling solo for this next leg of the trip. My wonderful travel pal CJ left today for Venice. After two months and nine countries together, we are parting ways for the rest of our journeys. Next time we catch up will be sometime this summer back in NY. Its been great to have such a wonderful travel partner. Weve got lots of great memories…and photos…more coming…eventually! Okay, there is a line for the internet at this late hour and Ive got packing to finish so off I go…sorry for no apostrophes, no clue where they are on this keyboard!

Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventure.

– L. Drachman

And boy have I been blessed! I’ve made it to day 80 and I can hardly believe all that I have been able to see and do. Every single day I meet incredible people, see beautiful things and learn interesting lessons about the history, culture and traditions of the places I visit.

But I must say the people are the most memorable for me. Sure, there are sunsets and buildings and bridges (and yummy meals!!) that I will never forget, but it is the people that will stay with me forever, closest to my heart…even the few that haven’t always left the best impression. What I keep with me daily, and revisit in my journal writing, are the people, the moments, the conversations and interactions. I am the lucky owner of a long list of incredible people who have taught me things, made me laugh or cry (or both) and touched me in ways I will never forget. Often it is someone who’s name I learn, people I spend time with — Laura, Sam, Cristina, Keith, Terry, Charles, Col, Eszter, Meleta or Sasha (just to name a small few.) But sometimes it is simply an anonymous person who helped me in some way — the woman I bought my fruit from, the sweet girl who helped me find a working payphone, the redhead at the train station who asked me if I needed help with directions, the man who waited patiently while I counted my change…AGAIN! There are tons of folks like this, every single day some angel gives me a nod or shove or push, almost always in the right direction or at just the right time.

The journey continues…and I think it is because of people that I feel just as energized as Day 1 — people I meet and folks back home too. In less than 80 days I will be back in the states (MOM: insert big smile here) and will continue to be touched by incredible people…all those that have supported and cheered me on during this great adventure, as well as new folks whom I’ve yet to cross paths with. Here’s to more adventures of a very curious mind…and the people she meets along the way 🙂

Oh, just a quick reminder too — please also check the Eurail blog for updates, I’ll continue posting on that website about three times a week through the end of my trip. I promise lots of good travel tips in the coming months, as high season approaches. And a quick mention of two other BootsnAll Europe websites to check out, the creative Europe on an Alphabet and the all-knowing World Cup Blog! Start planning your own European adventure today 🙂

It’s a rainy Monday morning here in Budapest and I am safe and sound at a cozy internet cafe, waiting for CJ to arrive this afternoon on a train from Vienna. Today is another bright-blue-poncho-day — I scream tourist in this thing, walking around looking like a soaked Cookie Monster, but it’s all I got, and I’m thankful for that.

Yesterday’s marathon travel day worked out just fine (another thanks to the travel gods) and I arrived at the Grotta House on Castle Hill by about 8 pm last night. I traveled through three countries yesterday and actually got three stamps in the passport to prove it. Although I did not get off the train in Slovakia, it was cool to pass through Bratislava and the border town of Stúrovo. Coming the way I did (via Brno in the Czech Republic instead of via Austria), I also got a great late-day peek at the beautiful Danube Bend, near Esztergom and Visegrád. We might make a day trip up that way later this week if the weather improves…

The owner of Grotta House, Eszter, is a wonderful host — after I unpacked and showered, I joined her in the wine cellar/basement bar for a late dinner — a glass of Hungarian red wine and a warm cheese and salami sandwich. I think I’m going to enjoy staying in the hilly Buda neighborhoods of Castle Hill and Viziváros, with its stunning views of the Danube (and its sprawling bridges), and the Parliment building on the banks along the Pest side. It is a huge city, much larger than Prague, but it looks like the metro and tram systems will get us where we need to go (when our feet give up).

Well, here’s hoping April showers give way to May sunshine, wherever you are 🙂

Beer Garden at Vyserhad

Originally uploaded by lostinplace.

Finally! Thanks to my traveling pal CJ, who actually OWNS a digital camera, we finally have some photos from our trip. I’ve uploaded some to the blog, and others to my Flickr account. Just click on the photo ( or here) to see more. I’ve got to fiddle with the sizing on some, but this was what I had time to do quickly, there are photos from Warsaw, Krakow, Prague and out hike yesterday here in Cesky Krumlov. I took this one with CJ’s camera at a beer garden in Prague last Friday night. But most of these photos were taken by her…thanks CJ!