Parisian flower bed

After a few years of working thirteen hour days at Sony. I decided that sleeping on trains was a great way to unwind, so I grabbed my towel and Eurail pass and headed for Europe.I flew into France, then used the train, ferries and occasionally my thumb to explore Italy, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, England, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Belgium. "You're traveling _alone_? " was the horrified cry of many American tourists I met on the trip. I began to wonder if American tourists were wired to explode if they weren't within ten feet of each other.

Greece: While on the ferry to Greece, I met two scruffy backpackers who were on their way home after a month of travel in Europe. They invited me home and I learned to make a delicious filo wrapped cheese dish called tiro pita while I was there. I also visited the island of Corfu, where I rented a scooter for a day. It was great touristy type fun scootering around to the local castles and coves.

Tiffany McKracken, Scooter Goddess of Corfu

Space Cow, part of the weird cow art exhibit in Zurich.

Switzerland: A country with breathtaking scenery dotted with the softest, fuzziest looking cows I've ever seen. While I was in Zurich, there was a art exhibit in the streets consisting of hundreds of plastic cows painted like taxis, Mr. spock and even weirder things. For some reason, Switzerland also seemed to have more coin operated devices than any other country. Toilets, hot plates, and information booths are just a few of the things I had to dig through my change pocket to activate.

Netherlands: A little shop in Amsterdam had the best chocolate I've ever had in my life. I'm not sure what inspired them to make black pepper chocolates, but they were really good. The red light district was full of oggling tourists and the occasional local pushing a baby carriage. The condoms of the world store had novelty condoms shaped and painted to look like Bart Simpson or tiny cactuses. They were only for show though.

Cube houses in the Netherlands.

Italy: I disliked with the exception of Venice. Venice was a fairy tale town, and I enjoyed getting lost  in the many winding streets and canals.  I managed to get in trouble with the nuns at the nunnery where I stayed, however. Laundry was very expensive, so I decided to wash a few things by hand. I was hanging my brassiere on the laundry line, when a four foot tall nun started berating me in italian. With horror I realized there was no underwear on the line but mine. The nun grabbed me in a steely grip and dragged me into the chapel. "Oh no!!" I began to panic, visualizing hours of Hail Mary's. Then the nun pointed to the window above the altar, where my underwear was waving in the breeze. I got off easy, I just had to move it out of sight. :)

Ireland: When I asked for directions in Ireland, the locals told me how to get around using pubs not street signs as landmarks. In Dingle, I had a bit of fun. I rented a bike to get to the Cliffs of Mohr, a local site on the coast of Ireland. Halfway up the slope to the cliffs I started to overheat. I found a spot hidden from view, (except for the stares of some curious cows), and stripped to my long johns. I rode along in my underwear until I started to sunburn. Lacking sunscreen, I took the hood off my raincoat and pulled it over my head, and pulled the strings. I started singing some drinking songs I'd learned while riding. I was _ bored_. So I made up a new song concerning potholes and tried to ride the bike with no hands. No one gave me a second glance as I whizzed by, wearing my underwear, with a hood over my face, singing drinking songs and weaving wildly in the middle of the road as I tried to balance. They must see this sort of thing often in Ireland.

Hungary: Budapest was a happening town, with capitalism bursting out all over. The people in the streets looked tired, but there were signs of a nation on it's way up. The Backpacker's Guest House was cheap and every cranny was brightly painted with giraffes, palm trees and naked men with silly grins. Attila, the man who ran the place, was an avid caver and hanglide pilot. From the energy he had, you might have guessed he was only two years old.

Austria: The vague resemblance of everyone there to Arnold Schwartzenigger was faintly disturbing. In Salzburg I had a currency battle with a backpacking programmer. Since we both had multiple coins of different currencies in our pockets we spun them on a table top and tried to knock each other's currency out. I vaguely remember England's pound being outspun by a cheap aluminum Deuchmark, but I'm not sure.

Germany: Munich, home of BMW, was full of beautiful cars, beer  and not much else. The Rhine was lined with castles, among the most beautiful I've seen. One of the hostels I stayed at was a converted castle. The exterior was a ancient looking as you'd expect, but the interior was as modern as the inside of a spaceship, and full of school kids. I don't know what the drinking age is in Germany, but I watched a group of what looked like fourteen-year-olds get completely plastered at the hostel bar.

England: I just saw London, and the seedier side of it at that. I spent a few days with a flat full of Australians and New Zealanders who were working in London. They told me it was common for Aussies and Kiwis to spend a year or more working and touring abroad.

Belgium: Brussels was the arch typical european village, laced with canals and cobbled streets. There were windmills along quiet tree lined canal ways sprinkled with chocolate shops. I rented a bicycle and rode from the ocean back to Brussels,  which was a pleasant jaunt into the countryside.

Czech Republic: Prague was beautiful and cheap, but the waiters were very rude.

Sweden: Every house and building was an example of great design. When people spend as much time indoors as they must do in the winter in Sweden, they pay attention to the details. I saw a number of people with crossed eyes in Sweden as well. I wonder if it's because crossed eyes are a common genetic trait there, or if health care in Sweden is so socialized that no one can get good medical care.