Grindstaff Publishing

Arrive in Copenhagen with a touch of lonely deja vu, walk past the same sights, feel the same vibes, hip hostel, fireplace and bar, watch the weather to the north, storms, board three descending quality trains, arrive at the top of Denmark, Hirtshals, gale force winds, search for ferry, taxi to find it, wait all day with windows rattling, late night bus to Frederikshavn, board empty ferry, find cabin, talk with Icelandic artist, talk with Faroe Islands native, warm beers until 3 am...Denmark Pt. 2

Wandering around London was filled with feelings of finality. Amongst the beauty and seeing so many sights from my childhood daydreams I couldn't shake the notion that everything was heading towards an exit from the European adventure.

Overnight bus from Amsterdam, ferry security, 3am security questioning, load onto ferry in the dark, arrive in the United Kingdom at dusk, English countryside, arrive in London, tea, Buckingham Palace, wander, Westminster Abbey, lunch under London Eye, cross bridges, hostel, Abbey Road, 221B Baker St., Christmas movies at the hostel, miss my bus, catch the next to the airport, $16 flight to Copenhagen, strange feelings to be in a place I had already been, feelings of finality...United Kingdom.

Belgium. Netherlands. Luxembourg. I arrived to the northwest corner of Europe with overhanging gray clouds and a bit of snow. Mixed with the medieval atmosphere present in every corner it was a beauty which kept each day wondorous. The beer, the fortification walls, the snow, the weather, the travelers, the trains, everything in that corner was fantastic.

Belgium. Netherlands. Luxembourg. Train from Paris to Luxembourg City, whole city has a medieval feel, snow, banks, Christmas markets, bomb threats in Brussels, train to Ghent, 13th century hostel, walking tour, Christ's blood, fancy chocolate, beer museum, party hostel, Belgian beer tasting, Thanksgiving in Belgium, on to Bruges, medieval belfry towers, convent, more beer, bus to Amsterdam, Christmas decorations all over, ferry to hostel, Red Light District, marijuana bar, Space Cake, way too high walking around the canals with lights blurring and people staring, back to hostel, next day walk all over Amsterdam, 30 hours in the city of sin then off on a bus to London...BeNeLux

France wound up being the middle of the European adventure. Not in real time but in feel. As I stood in the drizzling rain looking at the Eiffel Tower I realized I was to be heading home in three weeks. Toulouse brought so much of the smaller town vibe, Lyon brought history and a bohemian mood, while Paris brought...Paris. The catacombs, the art museums, the history, even the everyday look and feel brought out the best of what France has to offer. It was now a mad dash to take in as much as possible before the ferry left for Iceland in three weeks!

Bus ride into the terrorist-stricken country, toulouse at night, photography, drinking with locals, a true French bar, offered stolen watches in Lyon, bohemian hostel, reading along the waterway, Paris, Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, the Louvre, gallons of rain, stinking boots, Pere Lachaise cemetary, Jim Morrison's grave, booking the ferry back to Iceland...back to home, three weeks left, once on the train I began missing France

Spain blew me away. It was the country where I felt like I had experienced the most. Ranging from the coasts of Barcelona, the metropolis of Madrid, the medieval centers of Toledo and Segovia, and the cultural warmth of Pamplona. Spain continues to stay with me and I recommend it to anyone who ever asks the inevitable question from a trip like the Europe one had morphed..."which country was your favorite?"

Off the ferry in Barcelona, palm trees and blue skies, artistic architecture, walking tour with a crash course in Barcelona and Spanish history, sketchy hostel, Gaudi tour, getting up high with a castle and Olympic stadium, on to Madrid with amazing hostel and great travel friends, lucifer statue, carbonated wine, pub crawl, bus to Toledo and Segovia, castles and aqueducts, on to Pamplona, following Hemingway's steps, read in bars, watch the Paris terror attacks live, watch in shock and wonder if France will remain open, next stop France...

Waking up in the Alps and going to sleep over a canal in Venice, that was how the Italian segment of the trip began. Venice was everything I was expecting, magnificent and awe-inspiring. The canals of Venice gave way to the intellectual feel of Bologna with its university and anarchists. Florence felt like the seat of the Renaissance and the Cinque Terre felt like the coast of Italy. The wonders of Italy ended with a slow ferry from Genova to Barcelona and the Italian cactus gave way to the palm trees of Spain.