Hotel Chopin Genoa

... a pleasant female voice that we have affectionately named "Fraulein" for our trip. Fraulein would later become our best friend.

As we moved about through the city heading to the highway, and ultimately to our first Autobahn, another odd tend was noted. When stopped at a red light, the yellow will light with the red for a couple seconds, to signal that the green is imminent. Once the yellow and the red go out, the green comes on. This ...

so after getting through the Genova traffic because of the yearly boat show.....we arrived in the nice italian riviera.....had a really nice lunch and decided to stay here the night before heading to florence tomorrow. found a hotel and with a bit of negotiating, got quite a good rate. Jason made me do it because he thought it would help in speaking italian. i guess it did, on, he was right, but only this once lest it go to his head ...

Embarrassing isn't it? The bird (Jamie) speaks the lingo, FLUENTLY, in the 2 countries we've been to so far. And how do I get by? By attempting to communicate with the locals like Terry Scott in an episode of "Terry and June", where they holidayed in France for the week!! Communication menthods being, speak slowly and shout. My word, that was a funny episode! They don't ...

so left avignon today with thoughts to head to cinque terre, but due to traffic jam only made it as far as arenzano. found a cute pensione and jason was getting sick of driving so seemed like a good place to stop. tried a few others but was like walking through a sad run down old people town so didn't make it more than 5 mins there. well, happy hour time now, so will write more later....

All of my photos have now been updated with titles and captions, if you're so inclined to read them.

I am heading to Nice tomorrow and trying my luck at a hostel. They call it a "mixed room" which I think may mean boys and gals together. Eben, Jen, is that right? We'll see. Maybe I'll keep the emergency siren Lucy gave me with me ...

... I forced myself to do stay that long! I still hadn't picked up batteries for my 'exhausted' camera, so when I arrived I walked all around the downtown area. Actually, when I arrived I had to sit on a bench for 5 minutes figuring out where the town must be, because NOBODY was on the streets. So then I got to the harbor, and it's cute. And Gucci and Prada and Dolce and all their friends were right there ready to empty your bank account. But that was kind of it ...

... woke up to see Richard looking down at me fromthe luggage shelves above the seats. They also through the hamburger they bought me at a train.

We got into Genoa around 1 AM. Our next train was at 5 in the morning, so weslept on the concrete floor in the train station. We were next to a homeless man who was using a lighter to cover his eyes. It was sketchy,and loud and cold,but I found it easy to sleep because the boys were beside me and I didnt have to worry about them hurting themselves.

... so I haven't done much, tomorrow will be better, catching up with Mel tomorrow which will be great. It will be nice to see a familiar face! That's about it for today, internet is expensive here at this hostel so i am going to log off. Katharine

... we would not be able to admire the wonderful and incredible monument in architecture made up by the terraces. From generation to generation, man has shattered cliffs creating dry-stonewalls with the biggest boulders, and formed the humus for vines with smaller debris, by adding brushwood and pine needles. Grape cultivation led to an excellent wine production, famous more for its quality rather than for its quantity. The Cinque Terre wine ...

... bad night of not getting much sleep i finally went back to the train station around 0600. I found a train leaving for Rome in an hour so I went and waited. I was sitting there thinking about what a miserable night but then walked in the guy that made it all worth it - some incredibly drunk old italian guy singing to the train station at the top of his lungs. it went on for a little while and was really funny.