The One Where She Goes On, and On, and Turns a Simple Introduction Into That (not even a twinkle in her eye) Forthcoming Dissertation...

So, this whole blogging thing...

I don't know if I'm going to start it back up again, but, well, you may have heard I'm going on a trip, and this seemed like the perfect way to keep everyone apprised of my whereabouts. It saves me from having to recount the same events/details umpteen subtly differently worded emails (though you can still email me!), and plus -- there will be pictures! Ooo. So it's a combination of laziness and my desire to keep a record of all things lovely, odd, quirky, or otherwise spectacular I come across. I love to live vicariously through other people's travels, maybe you will too.

I kept a journal last time, too, and it was pretty much the best idea I ever had, but trying to read through my copious scribblings (liberally sprinkled with chocolat chaud splotches and massive pen leakage - from when my beloved Pilot V6 tragically committed sepukku and bled out while I was writing on the plane ride home) was kind of a pain. Maybe I will still do something similar, just for myself -- that is, unless you want to hear every last lame detail of he-said-she-said, here's-what-i-ate-tonight kind of ramblings. Right.

Well really this whole trip is a selfish undertaking -- it will be nice to have six-odd weeks of me-me-me with a little bit of compromise thrown in towards the end when I meet Sydney in Prague. I hope you will enjoy seeing a bit of me doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, amidst the splendors and whimsies of various European capitals...

If this is anything like the last time, I foresee many tests of my chocolat chaud connoisseurship (yes, even and/or especially in the summer), musty used bookshops, quirky little shoebox museums, grand old manses, garden hedges and rude drunken train companions. Wait, scratch that last (I hope!). Hopefully no more disasters on the epic level of passport thievery. And maybe this time I will finally learn why it is not a good idea to come home with a backpack, duffel and suitcase bursting at the seams with a million more books that I still do not need or have room for or can even carry (despite having shipped a boxfull back already). But oh...

Anyways, here's the plan:

June 3rd - June 23rd PARIS
June 23rd (soir) - June 29 (matin) FLORENCE
JUNE 29th - most whirlwind trip to Venice ever, oh indeed, and there really is a good explanation
June 30th (soir) - hurtling through the countryside on an express night train to VIENNA - where I will be thru July 4th
July 4th (soir) - July 8th PRAGUE (arriving just in time for Mozart's Requiem, then a rendez-vous with little sis on 5th)
July 8th - July 16th LONDON then HOME

The goal is to post every night-ish (hopefully without keeling over on my keyboard from exhaustion from the long day, though that would make for some interesting entries...), but as much as I can try to make sure every place I stay will have wireless or some kind of internet, I'm not counting on it. This is not including my time in Paris -- I will try to post when I can but I will be doing research there as well which is less exciting (at least for you! as for myself, I am praying for a dusty library or three). And obviously trains don't have the internets, so you will have to do without my delightful ramblings on July 30th for sure, aren't I sweet for warning you in advance? Other than that, I can only promise to do my best...

p.s. this is really intended to keep friends and family up to date, but if you are a former reader who is still subscribing then THANK YOU for being so beautifully patient and although this isn't quite the same, I hope you'll get something out of it. there will be lots of pretty, I promise! if for some reason I end up setting this whole thing to private (or only certain posts), feel free to ask to be let in...

p.p.s. comments of any sort (particularly nice ones, obvs) are appreciated, but lurking's cool too, I guess...obviously tips and suggestions are welcome.