Spring Break 2010: Where do I even begin?

10 days of traveling throughout northern Europe leaves one exhilarated yet exhausted, satisfied yet eager to see more, and excited to tell stories-- but unsure of where to begin. Here's what I'll do: I'm going to do this piece by piece, writing one blog piece for every day of spring break. It will be lengthy- but I don't want to forget anything (so when I'm old and forgetful I can come back on here and remember things I did when I was a young pup).

With that....

DAY ONE: Florence-Bologna-Stansted-LONDON!

Woke up to the sound of rain on the terra cotta roofs. Rain and humidity, the arrival of the earliest signs of spring. With a lunch consisting of two candy bars, some saltine crackers, and a hefty bag of peanuts packed in my bag, I set forth from the Villa Corsi Salviati to the Sesto-Fiorentino train station, inconveniently located a sopping 20 minutes away. Fearing that my brand new Lonely Planet guide books would drown in the downpour, I scurried along the sidewalks, dodging in and out of traffic and booking it much faster than my travel companions, who struggled behind with rolling luggage (Thanks for the hiking backpack Santa!)

Arriving at the station, we took a 4 minute train to Prato Centrale, to catch a train to Bologna. This was perhaps the most critical time window of the day- if we missed the train to Bologna, we would likely miss our flight to London. With seconds remaining on the shot clock, we bursted on the bus to Bologna. Relaxed and refreshed, I took a big handfull of peanuts and crackers and proceeded to have an early lunch.

When the train arrived at the always chaotic Bologna Centrale station, we had to push through mobs of people also attempting to get to the Bologna airport. Thankfully, I remember the lessons that my middle school basketball coaches taught me about dispersing a crowd- pivot a lot and swing those elbows!

With little hassle, we made it to Bologna airport, taking the luxurious Ryanair to Stansted, an airport approximately half an hour from nothing, a good hour from the London outskirts. This is the catch about Ryanair- if a flight says 50 euro, you can bank that you'll have an expensive bus or train ride to actually get where you want to go. Anyway, we finally made it to London, though I was nervous the entire time about our driver (And all the other drivers on the road) driving on the wrong side of the road. Someone should've told him he was being unsafe! Passing such London icons as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and numerous Starbucks cafes, we finally arrived at London's Victoria Street station (which mercifully was just down the road from our hostel).

Seeking immediate immersion in to a new culture, we did what any American should do- and headed for an American fast food chain. But wow did I need that 6 inch tuna sub on hearty Italian! (which by the way is not actually Italian bread)

Upon arrival at our hostel, we quickly unpacked and set forth for the city of London (we were actually staying in Chelsea, a 30 minute walk to the closest point of interest, Westminster Abbey). Following a leisurely stroll on the banks of the Thames, passing Big Ben, Parliament, the London Eye, and lots of red phone booths, we enjoyed a dinner of England's finest dish, fish n' chips! This would be the first of seven fish and chips dinners over the course of spring break.






After dinner, we walked to Piccadilly Circus, the "Times Square" of London, and home to some fantastic theatre. Our show for the evening was the comic sensation "Avenue Q." Basically, I would describe "Avenue Q" as Sesame Street for college kids- full of twisted, irreverent humor and numerous pop culture references (Gary Coleman, for example, is one of the play's characters). Yet at the show's core are some deep social themes. Though songs like "Everyone's a little bit racist," "If you were gay," "It sucks to be me," and "The internet is for porn" seem to be exclusively for the purposes of gut wrenching laughs, they touch on the challenges of life in modern American society- the economic troubles, the difficulty getting a job in today's world, the pressure to find a steady and rewarding career right out of college, and more. I dare say I actually learned a thing or two while I was bawling hysterically from what was easily the funniest musical I've ever witnessed (though I wouldn't bring the little kids to this one!)

After the show, we headed to an english pub for a bit and enjoyed the music of U2, before turning in for the night. Back at the hostel I met fellow travelers from all over the United States- from Connecticut to California. There is a unique bond between youth travelers. One can strike up a conversation anywhere at a hostel with just about anybody. The sense of community created by overstuffing an already undersized room with college students is truly a unique phenomenon.

The next day, to be continued tomorrow (off to bed... just watched Team USA fall to Canada... what's the world coming to?)!