thirty dirty days in europe I'm so pumped to take this trip and I wanted a memento/journal of stories to have when I return as well as keep all of my loved ones back home updated on my traveling!

So the last time i wrote, we were in the middle of the meditteranean, waiting to be dropped on the island of Patras, where we would then, in the late of night, search for shelter! As we stepped off the boat with only an address and a few choice words of Greek, we started walking the streets. This, i have to say, was the first time i was truly scared. Grecian people, at least the ones that hang out at ferry/bus stops late at night are not the friendliest of people. Luckily, we ran into some other english speaking travelers that were in search of shelter, so the eight of us managed our way out of the port and onto the street and ended up finding a very nice and CHEAP hostel for the night. phew! We went to bed pretty early, as we were going to have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn (430am) to catch an early train to Athens! It's only a three hour train to Athens. So once we got there, we parked it on a bench at the Athens station, and devoured some really good sandwiches. I had a pretzel bread sub filled with turkey, salami and cream cheese..mmmm. Oh, and some old lady tried to trade me half my sandwich for a pack of tissues and a lighter. I had to say "ohe",which means no, like ten times before she moved on to heidi! She was a pretty persistant old lady and I felt bad but I was hungry!  So, again with only an address of a hostel in our guide book, we hopped into a taxi with a really crazy old greek man and tried to explain to him where we needed to go. This was the most hilarious experience. I'm showing him this tiny little map and I finally get the idea that this guy needs glasses becuase he is making me read these greek streets aloud! "nico-dema-dig-a-dou-dou" street. Meanwhile, we're getting a taste of greek life. You think you've seen crazy drivers, oh oh no. this old man was screaming in greek, blaring his horn, waving his hands. There were literally three lanes of traffic and five lanes of cars squeezed in. We were dying laughing the whole time and the old greek man joined in too. So we found the hostel, they had room and we unloaded our bags and ventured out to the sights. It was the most perfect day for it too, sunny and warm with a cool breeze. We walked around all day, the Parthenon, the Acropolis, the Stadium....wow! And we took a ton of pictures. Then we ate out at the restaurant outside the hostel last night, on a little greecian street...greek salads, stuffed tomatoes, and of course some really cheap wine! Well this afternoon, we're off en route back to Italy...which will feel like home compared to this country! We're hoping to get to Rome on the night of the 7th if all goes as planned...train, boat, train! And then we will again, search for shelter, and be in Rome for Easter Sunday. Thanks for all your comments guys, it makes me feel home every time I get on the computer and read them. Happy Easter!