Hi everyone

I can't believe I havnt updated my blog since Athens!!!!!!! However I think it's fair to say i have been fairly busy. I think we always knew that after Athens we would be on the home stretch and that time was going to flash before our eyes, However I don't think any of us expected it to go quite as quickly as it did. After Athens it was off to Florence, which incase you were wondering is an amazing city. Our time in Florence consisted of Walking the cobled streets, hiking some 450 stairs to the top of the duamo and drooling over what was up for grabs at the leather market. Also must admit that as with the rest of Italy the streets of Florence are lined with Gelato stores...... It would be an understatement to Say That Lauren likes Ice cream!!!!!

After Florence came the sinking city, Venice. Venice is one of those places that I have always struggled To wrap my head around. Now don't think I'm stupid but I just stuggle with the concept...... A city. On water. A city. On water. A city. On water. So we arrived by train into Venice and I was amazed that we had to get a boat to our Hostel? yes Lauren it's a CITY ON WATER!!!!!!!!!! I think the penny dropped and I could finally embrace the city that floats. It was beautiful (very easy to get lost). Lots of American tourists, Lots of venitian glass, Lots of boats, Lots of water and as with the rest of Europe LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTS of Gelato.

then came Berlin an amazing city enriched with culture and history. It's amazing to walk around Berlin and consider just what this city has been through in the past 70 years. 70 years ago the city was corrupted by war and discrimination whereas today it is one of the most wealthy cities in the world when it comes to culture. I was amazed by the Graffiti art that this city has, not only was the art on the Berlin wall amazing but the factories surounding the Berlin wall play host to some of the most amazing graffiti art I have ever seen..... and I'm not talking gangsta Graffiti art, Im talking graffiti art that makes you go wooooooow that is really some talent.

parting Berlin was something I was sad to do, but really how could I complain when the next stop on the map was Amsterdam. Going into Amsterdam I thought something I would be really keen to do is hire a bike, However after being in Amsterdam for little over two minutes there was one thing I was no longer keen to do and that was hire a bike. This city is crazy and the people who live here a slightly crazier!!!!!!! in a city where something like 2 in every 5 people own a bike you start to see some very interesting things. there are bikes where parents can put there children in a big thing on the front and ride a long, Bikes with baskets, bikes with people sitting on the back, bikes with people sitting on the front, bikes chained to the streets and pretty much generally bikes everywhere...... This is the city of bikes!!!!!!! Amsterdam was beautiful, wondering the canals never got old, going out at night was amazing, visiting the red light district was an experience and going to Ann Franks house was a moving experience. Well I still have Paris and Brussels to fill you in on but as I fear this blog entry just turned into one of those novels that has gone on roughly three chapter to long I will have to do a second installment.

So friends and family

.......... To be continued