Saturday, September 9th, 2006, 4:16 pm

The Final Stretch, A Conclusive Beginning

Ahhhh, Paris…

I checked myself into a relatively decent hostel for my last few nights in Europe, and started to re-acquaint myself with what is supposed to be one of the world’s most romantic cities. And romantic it is, with its winding streets scattered with Parisians strolling stereotypically with baguettes in their hands.

I met up with a couple of other solo travellers, which there seemed to be an abundance of, and headed off into a Parisian night at the Eiffel tower on my first night. Stocked with cheap wines and high spirits, we found a comfy piece of grass at the tower’s base and after a few bottles found ourselves chatting away with some South Americans, a couple of Germans and a fistful of Moroccans.

Once an hour, on the hour, the tower lit up with a dazzling light show, like an oversized Christmas tree with enough strings of lights for the entire neighbourhood. Without fail all conversation would come to a standstill, and all heads turned to the sparkling tower. I imagine our eyes all widened a bit, and a complacent grin fell over our lips as we each retreated into our own thoughts, hopes and dreams. Yes, life’s pretty good.

The next couple of nights were spent sitting on the steps of la basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, offering one of the best views of the Parisian skyline while I made a great new friend from California. A small crew banded together, unified not only by the regular traveller bonds – language, distance from home and virginity to so many new cities — but by something even stronger: we were all going home.

With mixed emotions I boarded a plane last weekend and began the final leg of my trip. I was flying home. The flight passed with relative ease, and after what seemed like countless hours (about ten, but who’s counting?) I was back on Canadian soil once again. After greeting loving parents, I was whisked away from the airport in a big cozy car.

And now I sit in reflection, home a week and already back into classes at school for another year. When I look back at what I’ve gained and lost over the summer past, I can’t help but be happy with what I’ve done. Sure, my finances have suffered (I dream restlessly of bankers rubbering their hands greedily with teeth-bared sneers) but all of this is nothing in comparison to the things I’ve seen, learned and experienced. The world is a big place, and I but a small piece of it, but I can safely say I know both just a bit better now.

Those who wander are not always lost
-Anonymous-

Wednesday, August 30th, 2006, 5:09 am

Early Flights Hurt!

I sit now at a dirty internet cafe in Paris, but before I discuss this, there is some backtracking left to do.

The football tournament was a blast, although a bit short-lived in retrospect. We drew a tough pool, having to play the Brazilians and the Croatians. We were hoping that both teams would actually be made up of Austrian kids looking to have a bit of fun, but we would not be so fortunate. The Brazilians were, well Brazilians… and likewise with the Croatians. Continued >

Monday, August 21st, 2006, 4:13 pm

Flight

The last week has been a fast blur of a blast.

With a few days off work as usual, I hit the train to Innsbruck, determined to get to know Austria a little better than just Salzburg and a bit of Vienna. Continued >

Saturday, August 12th, 2006, 11:13 am

Football Fever Forever!

My return from Berlin was one of mixed feelings. Berlin was comfortable, despite its busy bustling lifestyle. There seemed just so much to do, and coming back to Salzburg seemed a bit of a bore in comparison. This isn’t meant as a bash to Salzburg — I still love the city — but it simply doesn’t hold the same buzz… nowhere near as much history, a tiny population in comparison, and quite frankly, not as much to do on the surface. Continued >

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006, 4:38 pm

Berlin! Berlin! ICH Fahre Nach Berlin!

After slugging out six shifts in five days last week at the pub in Salzburg, I’ve escaped to the north for a few days of exploring in Berlin!

My train pass is soon to expire, so I was excited to have the opportunity to get a few more days of travel while it’s still good. The railpass has turned out to be an excellent value, considering that the trip to Berlin would have cost me around 200€, and the pass was around 350€. Continued >

Friday, July 21st, 2006, 9:52 am

One Bad Joke

This may seem like a familiar start to my last periodical, but I feel that I should once again apologize to anybody who’s been waiting for an update on my behalf. Just as I sat down to type this, I was reprimanded for ‘slacking on the periodicals.’ Sorry! Life of late has been party! party! party! Continued >

Monday, July 10th, 2006, 3:18 pm

Find Enjoyment In Transience

My most sincerest of apologies to any readers who have been stuck in rapture for an update over the last few days. I’m pretty sure that the list is contained to my parents (love ya!), my cats (via my parents) and an Elvis Presley impersonator based in New Jersey.

I’ve made my way back to Salzburg, Austria, and my trip has begun to have a twisted déjà vu effect of sorts. Continued >

Monday, July 3rd, 2006, 7:27 am

And Then There Was One

After a couple of enjoyable days of reuniting with some old friends in Salzburg, my travel amigo and I booted off to Geneva for a night. We chose the city because of its relative proximity to Paris, only a few hours on one of France’s TGV trains.

The city is beautifully perched on the edge of an enormous lake, and one can’t help but note the contrast between the serenely calm waters and the bustling metropolis that oozes money at its side. Continued >

Tuesday, June 27th, 2006, 12:54 pm

A Strange Homecoming Of Sorts

Things have been a bit of a whirlwind of late, with plenty of issues involving messed-up train schedules and lost reservations. All the same though, things are good.

Prague was an absolute blast. We ate like kings at ridiculous prices. We drank Czech beers in cavernous underground bars. We also played a whole whack of foosball. Continued >

Friday, June 23rd, 2006, 2:07 pm

Post-Game Report: Brought To You By Budweiser!

Gooooaaaallll!!!!

For anyone not watching the game at home, Ukraine spanked Saudi Arabia with a final score of 4-0. How awesome!

This is not to say that we were actually cheering for the Ukranians, simply that we wanted to see some action — and action we got! Sure, we were wearing blue and yellow, but this decision laid more in safety than it did in loyalty. Continued >