twenty one days in Italy

it was along 3 days, we got virtually no sleep due to night trains with an old Italian couple, they just yelled at each other and made interesting body noises all night, then we had to spend the night in the airport due to the fact that the trains didn't run early enough to catch our flight. then we had the longest day of our lives, literately an extra 3-5 hours of sun because we flew west at dawn. but now we are home, i got sleep in my bed! and i found my pictures! yeah, i danced in my kitchen, by myself, for like 15 minutes until i collapsed on the couch with child-like laughter. i must admit that i woke up a little glum, but i am stoked now!

that trip to Italy was fantastic, and although it put me in the hole financially, i wouldn't have changed a thing about it. i learned so much about my self and the world, and i think it will take me a while before i can hash it all out. one thing i know i learned, though; is that i love to travel. So look out world! I am not done living in you yet.

twenty one days in Italy, it flew by but it was good, and long enough that the dollar feels strange in my hand, and it will be a while before i stop saying "grazie" to people.

i expect that i will fill in this blog with more pictures in the next few days, so feel free to check back in, but as we are now home, and the 21 days are over, i hereby say: thank you all for reading and for your comments. it was good to know that you where all back here thinking of us.
thanks again, Ciao
-Nate

in the airport

we are in the airport in Rome, chilling for 10 hours till our flight leaves.
can't wait to see you all.
love you, miss you-
Nate

some bad news

ok all,
i have a bit of bad news. we all knew this trip could not have been all sunshine and rainbows, although it has been so far. unfortunetly some where between venice and Agrigento i lost my memory card holder, and so i am sad to report that i have lost all my pictures of florence, Aosta, and Venice. of course the Venice ones hurt the most, but Today is a new day. i took some great pictures here in Agrigento and will take more pictures here and in Rome. on the plus side Neil still has his pictures so you will not be left in the dark about our trip. i can tell you that Yestarday i was very shook up and upset and other forms of "up" downers, but today i am still in Italy having a great time. and taking some great photographs. you have to take the bad with the good as they say. and this is the bad that comes with the good i am geting out of this trip.
I Love you all,
Nate

ok sorry

ok, so we have very little access to internet here, and it costs mucho casho, so yeah we are alive and well, we leave venice on the morning to go to Napeils where there is a huge garbage strike and it will smell .... well you get the idea. only one night there and then off to Agrigento Sysly for the remander of the trip. hopefuly we will be able to use the internet more there, but if not it might be mini posts like this form here on out, but fear not you can see all the pictures you can handel when we get back.
love to all
-Nate

hey we are in Venice but no time to talk bye

two posts in one day you luck shmuks

ok so i need to clear up some confusion before i go on. our hostel is acutely in verres which is part of the Aosta valley. however there is an Aosta in the Aosta valley. and we went there today. we tried to take a train to Aosta at 10:30 but it was a no show, so we climbed a mountain to a castle instead. no big deal this town of Verres is smaller than UMASS and is nestled in the hot cleavage of the French/Italian Alps, and it has like 4 castles in or around it . i made another panoramic photo but i must say that it still gives no justice. the problem is that these mountains are close so they are right in your face, and when you splice the photos together it just makes it look like they are far away in one direction. keep in mind that this is almost a full 180 and that it took 7 pictures. ok here:


so after all that castle storming we jumped train to the city of Aosta around 1 and off we went.

talk about love at first sandwich god damn, and Neil will agree with me on this: take a fresh baget slap some good brie cheese on there and meat that i could only describe as really thin bacon toast it and enjoy. make sure you sit in the sun outside a small cafe with this view:



I only took a few picture there because i was enjoying myself so much. there where a few roman ruines and stuff but really i think it was just a beautiful day and it was so cool just to sit and watch the bustle of the town. now i am not putting down Rome or Florence, but i think Aosta might have been what i was looking for this whole trip. i didnt even know i was looking for anything until today. any way we leave for Venice at 8:00 am and i am rather exited.

while it is on my mind i would like to send some serious love to Dev for the little going away gift bag. that portable cup may be the most useful thing i took to this boot-like country.

ok well it is lateish and i am drunkish off of Aosta wine so for now Ciao!

p.s. we had wireless for the fist time here thats why you got 2 posts. i cant promise the same for Venice so dont get used to it.

All my Love
-Nate

Aosta! Me Amicos!

No, Aosta is not a crazy Italian way of saying hello. it is a mountain valley on the Italy France boarder, and we are smack in the middle of it. there are mountains so close on ALL sides i swear i could touch both sides at once. it is incredible the picture i have here dosen't do it justice, i had to use a fish eye lens and you still cant see more than an 8th of the mountains to understand how much you see here, the line on the bottom of the picture is a strait railway out side our hostel window.


there is factory or something on the other side of the rail and then mountains, and they are on all sides. i might try and make another panorama picture today.

we stopped in a little town called la spetsia it was allot like Provincetown except with palm trees and orange trees lining the road. but don't let that fool you. it was mad cold.




we also stopped in a city called Torino just for a quick bite and to stretch our legs. we saw this bar and knew we needed to post a picture. thats me below the sign it is dark but we wanted you to read it.





any way we are going to go enjoy the day.... oh a small bird just flew in the window.... it is speaking to me... slow down little bird your talking to fast, and in Italian what's that you say? Dev and Andre, engaged? really? well if what this small Italian bird is say is true then CONGRATULATIONS. if not then i will be eating small Italian bird for lunch, because i eat those who lie to me. I eat them!

love you all
-Nate