Yes, the world is as round as a baguette

But really, who didn't know that?

France: what can you say about Paris? It doesn't smell like I thought it would, it's full of french words that I can actually pronounce but have no clue of their meaning. We had a blast, missed our first train from London and then took the eurostar through the chunnel to the big city. We walked, we talked, we forgot about the H2O in the damned heat and we cursed ourslelves for walking five miles to the louvre, when we could have just taken a bus :-) But then, as night fell, and the lights lit up the Eiffel Tower- day one was not a bust, but the first day of an adventure. The next day we climbed and climbed and climbed to the middle of the eiffel tower (688 steps) and then spent the day admiring the art at the Louvre- until Casie got kicked out for taking illegal pictures (hehehe). Notre Dame was great, a nice place to sit if anything and really feel the weight of gothic architecture.

Day two was a trip in a train (oh-we only traveled by boat and train until the end- we flew) to Venice. But wait- pit stop, in Switzerland? Who knew we would end up there? Especially with cabin friend Chris who went to MoState with the both of us (small small world). Few hours later, switzerland was pretty but italia here we come. And Venice was exactly how I pictured it.

Venice was rows of colored houses and hung laundry and boats in canals. It was street vendors and italian food vendors. It was hecklers on bridges and homeless on church steps. It was tiring (a day and half on a train later) and we were camping. But that night we endured what felt like a tropical storm and spent the evening in a candlelit bar (super romantic if we weren't all wet ;-) ). The next day, Rome.

Rome, in one day on 40 Euros, and were loving it. I had been to Rome once before but the second day around was super. We did everything there was to do except the Vatican (near impossible with a line stretching close to three miles). I finally saw the Piazza di Spagna which was the inspiration for Richard Wilbur's poem of that same name. W e had a beautiful time.

Finally to Greece. Corfu Island, by Ben's suggestion- Sun Rock hostel. This is important- stay there! We swam the clear ocean, got golden tans, and slept and slept on the beach, went the wrong way to a nudist beach, indulged in a mud bath, and ate all sorts of authentic greek food. Met some awesome aussie's (who hasn't really?) and had a dreamy time. I imagine Corfu will be a place I visit again and again.

We ended our trip back at Venice and by that time we had taken all forms of travel but plane, slept in train stations, ferry ports, ferry decks, and beaches, ate nothing, ate big meals, had our first espresso in a week. Nottinghill was tempting but home is even more so. We flew back to London, slept in the airport (haha) and came back to Nottinghill this afternoon. Home sounds good though. I miss faces and hugs and you.

Pictures will be on their way soon as will I.

Much Love,
Meg